Washington State Fines Roofing Companies Over $1.4 Million for Fall Violations

WA LnI News Releases

Filed January 15th, 2026

Detected March 19th, 2026

Summary

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has issued over $1.4 million in fines to five construction companies in the last four months for fall protection violations. Falls from heights remain the most cited serious workplace safety violation in the state, with companies failing to provide proper safety gear for employees working at heights above four feet.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) has levied significant fines totaling over $1.4 million against five construction companies for repeated and willful violations of fall protection rules. Notably, Roof Doctor Inc. received fines exceeding $190,000 for multiple violations, including workers not wearing fall protection. Asset Roofing Company LLC was fined nearly $720,000 across four separate inspections for similar infractions, including improper anchor usage. These enforcement actions highlight a persistent issue with falls from heights, which have been the most cited serious workplace safety violation in Washington for 20 consecutive years.

These enforcement actions underscore the critical need for construction companies to rigorously implement and enforce fall protection measures, such as harnesses, fall arrest systems, and properly installed anchors. Companies found in violation face substantial fines, with repeat and willful violations incurring higher penalties. The cited companies have the right to appeal, but the L&I's actions signal a strong regulatory focus on preventing fall-related injuries and fatalities in the construction industry. Employers must ensure compliance with existing safety standards to avoid significant financial penalties and potential operational disruptions.

What to do next

Review and reinforce fall protection training for all employees working at heights.
Ensure all fall arrest systems and anchor points are properly installed and maintained.
Verify that employees are consistently wearing appropriate fall protection gear when required.

Penalties

Fines totaling over $1.4 million issued to five companies. Specific fines mentioned include $82,620 and $110,160 for Roof Doctor Inc., and nearly $720,000 for Asset Roofing Company LLC. Valentine Roofing fined $148,716, and DaBella fined $134,640.

Source document (simplified)

Latest round of roofing company fines top $1.4 million: Falls are most cited violations

January 15, 2026 #26-01 TUMWATER — For the 20th straight year, falls from heights are the most cited serious workplace safety violation by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I).

Falls are preventable with the proper use of harnesses, fall arrest systems, and properly installed anchors that have been standard safety requirements for years. Yet, many companies continue to send their employees on to roofs at heights above four feet without the safety gear.

In the last four months, L&I has issued $1.4 million in fines to five construction companies for violating fall protection rules.

Roof Doctor cited for repeat fall protection violations The most recent citation and fine for $82,620 was issued Dec. 29 to Roof Doctor Inc. of Olympia for one willful serious, one repeat serious, and two serious violations for hazards including roofers not wearing fall protection while working on a two-story home last August in Olympia.

Additionally, Roof Doctor was cited and fined $110,160 Dec. 18 for four repeat serious violations for workers not wearing fall protection at a Tumwater strip mall. The company is appealing both cases.

Roof Doctor has a long history of L&I injury claims. In the past two decades, the company has filed 393 injury claims, leading to more than $4.9 million in medical care and wage replacement for the state workers’ compensation fund.

Asset Roofing was the most frequently fined company of the bunch Asset Roofing Company LLC was fined four times in September for not ensuring workers wore fall protection, not using ladders correctly, and a lack of fall protection training at four different locations.

Some of their workers were wearing harnesses attached to ropes with improperly installed anchors that would not hold if they fell.

The fines in the four inspections totaled nearly $720,000 and included several repeat willful serious and repeat serious violations. Asset Roofing is appealing all four citations: Edmonds, Lake Forest Park, Lake Stevens, and Snohomish.

Other fall protection violators Other companies facing notable citations from L&I for fall protection violations over the last several months include:

Valentine Roofing (Seattle): Fined $148,716 for two repeat serious violations Dec. 3 after inspectors saw at least one employee working near the edge of the roof with such a long rope he would have hit the ground if he fell. The worker's anchor point was not positioned above him, which also risked him swinging as he fell, hitting other objects and causing him serious injury. The company is appealing the citation and fine.
DaBella (Vancouver): Cited Dec. 23 for a repeat willful serious violation and fined $134,640 for not protecting its subcontractor's employees from exposure to falls during a roofing job. The company has 15 business days to appeal the citation and fine.
Modern S Construction LLC (Buckley): Fined $258,514 for two repeat willful serious fall protection violations and two repeat general violations Oct. 15. The company has had six inspections in the past three years where it was cited for not protecting its workers from falls. It did not appeal the most recent citation and fine.
All of these companies, with the exception of Roof Doctor and Modern S Construction, are part of L&I’s Severe Violators Enforcement Program (SVEP). Employers in the program are subject to increased scrutiny from L&I compliance. The DaBella inspection was an SVEP follow-up inspection.

“The companies on the SVEP list have demonstrated plain indifference to safety rules by knowingly and repeatedly ignoring them,” said Craig Blackwood, assistant director of L&I’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

“Unfortunately, it’s not surprising to see them breaking the rules again,” said Blackwood. “We’ll continue to use all the tools we have to encourage them to do the right thing.”

Preventing falls in construction Employers bear the ultimate responsibility to make sure their workers use fall protection or guardrail systems while working above four feet in height.

Information and training are key to preventing falls. L&I has a digital fall protection tool to help employers and workers learn fall protection rules and other ways to stay safe on the job. If you see roofers working without fall protection, you can report it anonymously online or call L&I at 1-800-423-7733.

For media information: Dina Lorraine, L&I Public Affairs, 360-972-4868.

Connect with L&I:
Facebook (www.facebook.com/laborandindustries)
X (x.com/lniwa)

Drone photo provided by Valentine Roofing shows three employees working on the
roof of a two-story home. Two of the workers are clipped into a single anchor (green arrow)
which isn’t allowed. Both workers have too much slack in their safety ropes (yellow arrow).

L&I photo shows a Modern S Construction worker not wearing fall protection, standing on a small roof awning, holding onto the main roof with one arm.

Communication Services | www.Lni.wa.gov/news-events

See the latest L&I news releases Subscribe to news releases