This article does not apply to an action:
(1) Against a contractor for which a claimant, as a consumer, is entitled to a specific remedy pursuant to chapter forty-six-a of this code;
(2) Against a contractor who is not licensed under the provisions of article eleven of this chapter;
(3) Demanding damages of $5,000 or less;
(4) Alleging a construction defect that poses an imminent threat of injury to person or property;
(5) Alleging a construction defect that causes property not to be habitable;
(6) Against a contractor who failed to provide the notice required by section five or six of this article;
(7) Against a contractor if the parties to the contract agreed to submit claims to mediation, arbitration or another type of alternative dispute resolution; or
(8) Alleging claims for personal injury or death.