Tim began his career in the construction industry in the early 1990’s, working by his father’s side in the family insulation company in southeast Michigan.  It was not uncommon to find him crawling in an attic or crawl space, loading trucks, repairing equipment, or cleaning the shop, and always asking incessant questions.  In his teen and young adult years, Tim worked for his father as an installer, an estimator and as a salesman.  He started working on a rough framing crew after his senior year of high school. After several years of college Tim partnered with his boss to start a general contracting business, working on projects ranging from high-end custom homes and boat houses to barns, decks, and remodels. Tim and his partner Doug poured their own basements, did their own rough framing, installed some of their own roofing, and Tim eventually started doing much of the finish carpentry. This early exposure to many facets of the construction process gave Tim a thorough understanding of energy efficiency, the building envelope, moisture control, structural concerns, and the importance of communication between the design team, trades, and 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.

 

After several years of enduring a struggling post-9/11 Michigan economy, Tim and his young family set out in search of better financial opportunities and construction climes, settling in Phoenix, Arizona in early 2005. Here, he became a project manager on projects ranging from small residential additions and commercial tenant improvements, to overseeing the completion of an 8-acre private residential estate in the heart of Paradise Valley, including a 28,000 square foot home, several detached buildings, and multiple acres of hardscape. From there, he was hired as a project manager, estimator and salesman for a high-end, custom tile and hardscape company, where he eventually became the director of operations. This work in the southwest desert exposed Tim to a new and harsh environment where the construction materials and methods needed to withstand the arid climate conditions, extreme summer heat, torrential rains during the monsoon season, and periodic wind and dust storms. 

 

In early 2011, on the encouragement of a mentor, Tim accepted a job working 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 testifying. He also earned his Residential and Commercial Building Inspector certifications from the International Code Counsel and acquired his New Mexico General Contractors License during this time. 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 recommendation of several industry colleagues, Tim was recruited by a larger multi-state consulting firm in early 2016 to work in their Phoenix office. Soon thereafter Tim became the Manager of the Phoenix office. Over the course of the next few years Tim oversaw the rapid expansion of his office, adding new clients and casework in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana. By the end of 2018 he had overseen a two-fold expansion of the Phoenix office workforce, and a three-fold increase in revenue. Tim also increased the firm’s focus on their Builder’s Services and Building Envelope Analysis offerings, something he was passionate about. Tim and his crew were 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 solve.

 

In mid-2018, Tim and his wife Molly took their four children on a trip to visit their small hometown of St. Clair, Michigan, located on the banks of the St. Clair River. Throughout their visit Tim and Molly realized how much they missed the water, the seasons, and small-town life after fourteen years in the desert. They also reflected upon how much they had grown to love the mountainous west. Tim and Molly resolved to start looking into moving their family to a place that had all of these features before their oldest children graduated from high school, so they were reestablished in a new “hometown” before launching into adulthood. Tim and his family began researching properties in Montana and Idaho, and 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 Molly decided to make 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”). They sold their home in Phoenix and relocated to their new home in April 2019 where Tim started his own firm, Maverick Mountain Consulting. Tim’s departure from the Phoenix firm was amicable and he continues to work closely with two of the three principal partners who also left to start a new firm shortly after Tim.    

Under Maverick Mountain Consulting, Tim continues to work as an expert witness for his clients in New Mexico, Texas, and some of his Arizona clients in construction defect litigation matters. He also continues to handle third-party investigations and appraisals for insurance claim disputes throughout the west, adding clients and cases in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. Tim maintains general contractor licenses in New Mexico and Arizona, and his 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.