Stewart Carpet Service, Inc. v. Contractors Bonding & Insurance

These cases were consolidated for appeal by the Court of Appeals. The issue in both cases is whether, upon default by a lower-tier subcontractor, an upper-tier general contractor may recover against a contractor's bond posted by the lower-tier contractor pursuant to the registration of contractors act, RCW 18.27.010 et seq. We affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals, holding that an upper-tier contractor cannot reach the proceeds of a contractor's registration bond posted by a lower-tier contractor pursuant to RCW 18.27.040.

The facts in both of these cases were cogently distilled by the…