Cracked interior wall showing a construction workmanship defect

Overview

Paul Gaston reviews construction workmanship for attorneys, insurers, owners and contractors across Chicago, Cook County and Chicagoland. He examines what was actually installed and compares it with the contract documents, the building code in force at the time, manufacturer installation instructions and accepted trade practice, drawing on more than three decades as a licensed general contractor and union journeyman carpenter.

Related: ExpertWitnessChicago.com

Workmanship claims turn on execution rather than design. The question is whether the trade performed the work the way the documents and the accepted standard required, and where the installed condition departs from it.

What the review covers

Framing, carpentry, millwork, flooring, doors and hardware, finishes and fixture installation are examined in place, photographed and measured against the governing documents.
  • Contract documents, specifications and approved submittals compared with the built condition
  • Manufacturer installation instructions for the products actually used
  • Accepted trade practice for sequence, tolerance and workmanship

How the opinion is built

Each observed condition is tied to a specific requirement, so the opinion rests on an identified code section, standard or instruction rather than on assertion alone. That is the basis Illinois and federal courts expect from an experience-based construction expert.
Open-plan living room with full-height glazing overlooking a pool
  • Document and record review
  • Forensic site inspection
  • Condition photography and measurement
  • Comparison to codes and standards
  • Written findings and repair scope

Where the scope stops

Opinions stay inside licensed contracting and carpentry. Structural adequacy, design negligence and engineering calculations belong to a licensed engineer or architect and are referred out.
Call Paul
Download CV

Previous

Forensic Inspection, Reports and Testimony

Next

Contractor Standard of Care

Essential Details
Discuss a Matter

Questions Attorneys Ask

A workmanship defect is work that was not installed the way the contract documents, the building code or the manufacturer instructions required. It is about how the work was executed, not how it was designed.
No. Paul reviews the installed work. Whether a design met the professional standard of care is an opinion for a licensed architect or engineer and falls outside a contractor's qualifications.
Plans, specifications, the contract and any change orders, approved submittals, photographs, pay applications, inspection records and any prior expert reports on the matter.
Yes. A forensic site inspection of the installed conditions is central to the opinion, including photography, measurement and moisture readings where relevant.
The building code in force when the work was performed, the contract documents, manufacturer installation instructions and accepted trade practice for the trade involved.
Yes. Paul provides written reports, rebuttal, deposition, arbitration and trial testimony in state and federal matters.