Tim began his career in the construction industry in the early 1990’s, working for his family's insulation company in southeast Michigan.  From the age of 14, it was not uncommon to find him crawling through tight spaces to insulate attics or crawl spaces, loading trucks, repairing equipment, or cleaning the shop, always asking questions about the how's and the why's. Once he could drive, Tim worked for the insulation company for several more years, starting out as an installer and later moving into an estimator and salesman position. 

 

After graduating high school, Tim went to work for a rough carpentry contractor that specialized in framing large custom homes. He continued as a framer through several years of college, and eventually partnered with his boss to start a general contracting company. This new business took on projects ranging from high-end custom homes and boat houses to large-scale residential and commercial remodels, barns, and waterfront decks. Along with their crew, Tim and his partner Doug self-performed much of their own trade work, including poured concrete foundations, wood-framed basements, rough carpentry, roofing, and eventually, Tim delved into finish carpentry.

 

Tim's exposure to many facets of the construction trades and processes from an early age gave him a comprehensive understanding of, and concern for, energy-efficient construction, critical building envelope details, important structural considerations, and need for clear and open communication between the design team, the trades, and the homeowners. Tim became passionate about ensuring components and systems were designed and integrated properly so whatever he was building performed the way it was intended to perform.

 

Tim and his young family set out in search of better financial opportunities and construction climes in early 2005 after several years of struggling through the post-9/11 Michigan economy. They settled in Phoenix, Arizona where Tim began working as a project manager for a small construction company that specialized in residential additions and commercial tenant improvements. Eventually he was hired by a large local homebuilder to oversee the completion of the owner's 8-acre estate in the heart of Paradise Valley which included a 28,000 square foot home, several detached buildings, and multiple acres of hardscape. After completing that assignment he left to work as a project manager, estimator, and salesman for a high-end, custom tile and hardscape company, where he eventually became the director of operations. Tim tackled new challenges building in the harsh desert climate where construction materials and methods needed to withstand extreme summer heat and mostly arid conditions intermittently interrupted by periods of high humidity from torrential monsoon rains and occasional severe wind and dust storms. 

 

In early 2011, Tim was encouraged by a mentor to take a job as a construction forensics consultant for a small firm based in Chandler, Arizona. His 21 years of hands-on and how-to knowledge of the construction industry, combined with his attention to detail, his thirst for understanding how things go together (and sometimes fall apart), and his feisty but fair-minded disposition, made him a perfect candidate for expert witness work. Tim spent the next 2 years learning the ins and outs of construction defect litigation support and third-party investigations for personal injury and property loss insurance claim matters, including site inspections, report writing, cost of repair estimating, and eventually, testifying. During this time, Tim earned his Residential and Commercial Building Inspector certifications from the International Code Counsel and qualified for his General Contractors License in New Mexico. Tim was designated as an expert witness for his first construction defect case in 2013 on behalf of one of the top 3 home builders in the nation.

 

On the referral of several industry colleagues, Tim was recruited by a larger multi-state consulting firm in early 2016 to work in their Phoenix office. He became the manager of the Phoenix office later that year, and with the encouragement of the owner, rapidly expanded their clientele and casework in Arizona and started expanding their services into New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana. By the end of 2018 Tim had doubled their Phoenix workforce and oversaw a three-fold increase in revenue. He also began offering Builder’s Services, including pre-, intra-,  and post-construction Building Envelope Analyses in an effort to circumvent costly construction defect claims, something he was passionate about. Tim and his crew became increasingly recognized for their proficiency in investigating, locating, and making repair recommendations to address a variety of complex water intrusion issues at large multi-family properties throughout the Phoenix area that other parties were unable to resolve.

 

During a visit to their hometown of St. Clair, Michigan in 2018 Tim and Molly realized how much they missed having four seasons, being surrounded by water, and living in a small town after living in the desert for fourteen years. They also reflected upon how much they had grown to love the mountainous west. Tim and Molly resolved, along with their children, to start looking for a place that had all of these features (plus the mountains of the west) before their oldest children graduated from high school, so they were reestablished in a new “hometown” before launching into adulthood. After researching several western states they soon felt called to explore the Sandpoint area in North Idaho’s panhandle. A family road trip to the area in early 2019 confirmed this calling. After much prayer and discussion, Tim and his family made the move, purchasing a beautiful mountainside property in the small town of Hope, Idaho, on the eastern shore of Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced “pond-er-ay”). In April of 2019 Tim resigned from his role in Phoenix, relocated his family to Hope, and started his own firm, Maverick Mountain Consulting. Tim’s departure from the Phoenix firm was amicable and he still occasionally works with two of the principal partners after they also left the firm shortly after Tim to start a new venture of their own.    

 

As the principal of Maverick Mountain Consulting, Tim continues to work as an expert witness for his existing construction defect clients in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona and has picked up new clients in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. He also continues to handle third-party investigations and appraisals for insurance claim disputes throughout the west. Tim maintains general contractor licenses in New Mexico and Arizona, and holds ICC Residential and Commercial Building Inspector certifications as credentials for his expert witness work. Maverick Mountain Consulting is currently pursuing construction defect litigation clients throughout the Pacific and Inland Northwest regions.

 

Tim’s family has continued to grow since their move to North Idaho. Tim and Molly welcomed one of their foster sons back into their home in 2021 and finalized his adoption in 2022. Their oldest son married an amazing young lady in August 2022 and blessed Tim and Molly with their first grandchild a year later. Most recently their oldest daughter got married to an outstanding young man in October 2023. Life has been blessed living on a mountain of Hope.