Remodeling Questions, Answered

The initial consultation and site walk are free. Design is a paid phase — measured drawings, 3D visualization, specifications and engineering coordination are real work and take four to eight weeks. The design fee is quoted before you commit, and the deliverable is yours.

We recommend holding 10–15% of the project value beyond the contract price. On older Portland and Vancouver homes, budget toward 15% — rot at wet walls, undersized framing and outdated wiring are common and are not visible until demolition. If the contingency goes unused, it stays yours.

We do not finance projects directly. We can refer you to lenders who work regularly with renovation and construction borrowers in Oregon and Washington, including renovation-specific loan products, and we will provide whatever project documentation your lender needs.

We stop, photograph it, and bring you a priced option before continuing. Older homes in Portland and Vancouver routinely hide rot at wet walls, undersized headers and failed flashing. That is why we recommend carrying a 10–15% contingency. Anything discovered becomes a written change order you approve before work resumes.

Every change is scoped, priced and signed before the work starts. You will never receive an invoice for work you did not approve in writing. If a change affects the schedule, the change order states that too.

Every project begins with a complimentary consultation. We visit your property, discuss your vision, assess the space, and outline a tailored approach with a detailed investment estimate. There's no cost for this initial meeting, and every inquiry is personally reviewed by our leadership team.

Whole-house remodels generally start around $250,000 and rise with square footage, structural changes, and systems upgrades such as wiring, plumbing, and HVAC.

We recommend moving out. Living on site adds weeks to the schedule, costs more through phasing, and is difficult with no kitchen and intermittent utilities. Houses with a separable wing, a full basement suite or an existing ADU are the exception, and we'll phase the work if staying is necessary.

We replace them. Knob-and-tube is fully removed and rewired rather than spliced around, and corroded galvanized supply lines are replaced back to the main. Both are standard scope on pre-1960s Portland houses and both are priced in the contract, not discovered later.

Typically $40,000 to $90,000 for a full gut and rebuild. Building overhead, protection of common areas, restricted hours and acoustic requirements account for most of the gap versus a similar bathroom in a house.

They are built from measured drawings of your actual house and the actual selections you make, so the proportions, cabinetry, tile layout and lighting positions are accurate. Finishes, lighting and furniture are represented rather than photographed, so minor color and texture variance against the real materials is normal — we review physical samples with you in person for that reason.

Our design-build approach means a single team of architects, designers, and builders manages your project from initial concept through final walkthrough. This eliminates the gaps and delays that often occur when coordinating separate firms, and ensures your finished space reflects one cohesive vision from start to finish.

Fill out the inquiry form above with a brief description of your project. Every submission is personally reviewed by our team. If it looks like a good fit, we'll reach out to schedule a complimentary initial consultation at your home.

Only if you want it to. We mill trim to match existing profiles, keep window proportions and muntin patterns consistent, and detail new structure flush so it disappears. The goal on a character home in Irvington, Laurelhurst or Alameda is that the new work is invisible as new work.

Non-structural partitions can often go, subject to approval. Concrete shear walls, columns and wet walls carrying shared plumbing cannot, and anything ambiguous needs an engineer's letter before the board will sign off.

Through the loading dock and freight elevator in booked time blocks. Deliveries are staged, demolition debris is carted out rather than chuted, and the schedule is built around those windows.

Structural, plumbing, electrical, gas, HVAC and egress work needs a permit from Portland BDS. Cosmetic work — paint, flooring, cabinet replacement in the same layout — usually does not. Review runs about 4-8 weeks for interior remodels and 10-16 weeks for additions and ADUs, and historic or hillside review adds four to twelve weeks on top.

Both the Lake Oswego Building Division and West Linn Planning & Building typically review remodels in 3-6 weeks and additions in 8-14 weeks. Sensitive-lands, tree and hillside review is common on these lots and runs before building review, so we start that paperwork during design rather than after drawings are final.

Beaverton and Washington County generally review remodels in 3-6 weeks and additions in 8-12 weeks, with Tigard, Tualatin, Hillsboro, Wilsonville and Sherwood in the same range or slightly faster. These jurisdictions are among the quicker ones in the metro for straightforward interior work.

Happy Valley and Clackamas County typically review remodels in 3-6 weeks and additions in 8-14 weeks. Milwaukie sits at 3-6 and 8-12 weeks, while Oregon City and Gladstone run 3-6 weeks for remodels and 10-16 weeks for additions and historic-district work.

Vancouver, WA reviews remodels in about 3-6 weeks and additions and ADUs in 8-16 weeks. Unincorporated Clark County, including Salmon Creek, Felida and Ridgefield, runs 4-8 weeks for remodels and 10-16 weeks for additions and ADUs. Washington uses its own code and fee schedule, so an identical project is priced differently than in Oregon.

No. Camas and Washougal typically review remodels in 3-6 weeks and additions in 8-14 weeks, in line with Vancouver and slightly ahead of unincorporated Clark County. Lots on septic or needing new water and sewer connections take the longer end of those ranges.

For a kitchen or a single bathroom, usually yes, with a temporary kitchen or an alternate bath and containment between the work area and the rest of the house. For whole-home renovations and most second-story additions, we recommend moving out — it is faster, safer and usually cheaper than working around an occupied house.

We specialize in luxury residential work: custom kitchen and bathroom remodeling, whole-home renovations, room additions, outdoor living structures such as decks, pergolas, and patios, and premium fencing. We also offer full architectural design and 3D visualization services.

We specialize in luxury residential work: custom kitchen and bathroom remodeling, whole-home renovations, room additions, outdoor living structures (decks, pergolas, patios), and premium fencing. We also offer full architectural design and 3D visualization services.

Most kitchen remodels run $75,000–$250,000 depending on size and finish level; cabinetry and layout changes drive most of the cost.

Typically 10–16 weeks of construction, after design, selections, and permitting are complete. We share the full schedule before contracts are signed.

Yes. We check whether the wall is load-bearing, then handle the structural engineering, beam sizing, and permits required to open it up safely.

Yes. Design and 3D visualization are part of our design-build process, so the same team that designs your kitchen builds it.

Yes — we're licensed in both Oregon and Washington and remodel kitchens across Vancouver WA, Camas, and Salmon Creek as well as the Oregon side of the metro.

Roughly $350 to $700 per square foot of kitchen floor area for a full design-build remodel. Per-square-foot figures are a rough guide only, because much of a kitchen's cost is in fixed items like appliances, cabinetry runs and stone slabs that do not scale with room size.

Four to eight weeks for most projects. A single bathroom can move faster; a whole-home renovation or a second-story addition takes the full window because the structure, mechanical routing and selections all have to resolve together. Design ends when you have walked the 3D model and approved it, not on a fixed date.

Primary bathrooms typically run $35,000–$95,000 depending on size, layout changes, and finishes.

Typically 8–12 weeks of construction for a primary bath, once design, selections, and permits are complete.

Yes — tub-to-shower conversions are one of our most common bathroom projects. We reframe the opening, relocate plumbing as needed, and rebuild the wet area with a fully waterproofed pan.

Yes. We're licensed in Oregon and Washington and work across Vancouver, Camas, and Salmon Creek as well as the Oregon side of the metro.

Yes. Electric radiant mats are installed over the subfloor and under the tile during a full bathroom remodel, wired to a dedicated GFCI-protected circuit with a programmable floor thermostat. It only makes sense when the floor is coming up anyway, so we plan it in at design rather than adding it later.

Usually yes. Borrowing a foot or two from an adjacent closet, moving to a wet-room layout that shares one waterproofed zone between tub and shower, hanging the vanity off the wall, using large-format tile with fewer grout lines, and replacing partition walls with glass will make a cramped primary bath read far larger without changing the building footprint.

Yes. On a slab we either cut a trench for a linear drain, build a very gentle ramped approach, or raise the bathroom floor slightly and ease the transition at the doorway. We confirm which during design.

It depends on how long you plan to stay and what the main floor already offers. A stair lift is far cheaper and faster; a main-floor suite removes the stairs from daily life entirely and adds lasting value.

Room additions in the Portland area generally run $400–$700 per square foot depending on structural scope, site access, and finish level.

Typically 3–5 months of construction once permits are issued, with design and permitting ahead of that. We share the full schedule before contracts are signed.

Yes — any addition requires a building permit. We prepare the drawings and structural engineering, submit the package, and carry it through plan review and inspections.

Yes. We match roof pitch, siding profile, window style, trim details, and interior flooring so the new space reads as part of the original home.

Yes — that is one of the most common combined projects we build. A small bump-out off the living area, or a converted garage bay, can be framed and finished while we reconfigure the main floor, so the structural work, electrical, and flooring all happen under one permit and one schedule.

We plan sound isolation, acoustic treatment, and front-facing lighting for video calls at the design stage.

Expect the upper end of the $400–$700 per square foot addition range, since a master suite carries full bathroom plumbing and more structural work than a plain room addition.

A main-floor suite suits aging in place and avoids stairs; an upstairs suite preserves yard space on a tight lot. We price both options so you can compare before committing.

Typically 4–6 months of construction after permits, depending on foundation work and bathroom finish level.

Usually yes. The new wing is framed and dried in as a separate envelope, and the tie-in to the existing home happens near the end of the project.

Second-story additions sit at the upper end of the $400–$700 per square foot addition range because of foundation reinforcement, new stairs, and temporary roof protection.

A structural engineer evaluates the existing foundation and framing, then designs any reinforcement required to carry the new load. Most homes can be reinforced.

Often for part of the project, since the roof comes off. We plan that window with you in advance and keep it as short as the weather and sequence allow.

Typically $60,000–$180,000. A straightforward attached cover with lighting and a finished ceiling sits at the low end; an outdoor kitchen with gas and plumbing, a fireplace, motorized screens, radiant heaters and integrated lighting sits at the top.

Yes. An attached covered structure requires a building permit and, in most cases, stamped structural details covering the ledger connection to the house, roof and wind loads, lateral bracing and frost-depth footings. It also counts toward lot coverage and must meet setbacks.

Yes, with a solid roof, ceiling-mounted electric infrared heaters on dedicated circuits, good lighting and retractable screens on the open sides. Clients with that combination use the space nine to ten months a year rather than three.

A pergola provides partial shade and structure but no weather protection, so it doesn't extend the season in a rainy climate. A covered patio has a solid roof, can be heated and lit, and is usable in rain — which is why nearly all our Portland clients choose it.

A deck costs less per square foot and suits sloped lots and view platforms. A covered room costs more and requires permits and engineering, but gets used in rain. Many projects include both: a covered room off the house with an open deck or terrace adjacent.

Start design in the fall. Design takes 4–8 weeks and permitting 6–16 weeks, so beginning in September or October puts permits in hand by early spring and construction in the dry-weather window.

A quality system does not. The blades interlock with a gasket and drain into the frame, which gutters water to a downspout in a post. Cheap systems drip at the blade ends; that is the main difference you are paying for.

Yes, when it is engineered for the local load. Snow load is part of the permit drawings, and the blades are opened to shed heavy accumulation. Free-standing structures on exposed lots get heavier members.

We serve the entire Portland Metro area, including West Linn, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Beaverton, Tigard, and Portland on the Oregon side, plus Camas and Washougal across the river in Washington. If you're unsure whether your project falls within our service area, reach out — we frequently travel for the right project.

We serve the entire Portland Metro area, including West Linn, Lake Oswego, Happy Valley, Beaverton, Tigard, and Portland on the Oregon side, plus Camas and Washougal across the river in Washington. If you're unsure whether your project falls within our service area, reach out — we frequently travel for the right project.

Yes. Every Masters Construction contract includes a written workmanship warranty, and we schedule a post-project check-in after you have lived in the space. Manufacturer warranties on appliances, fixtures and materials pass through to you, and we hand over the documentation at closeout.

Yes. We're licensed and actively working on both sides of the Columbia River. Our team is experienced with the permitting and regulatory differences between Oregon and Washington, so your project moves smoothly regardless of which state you're in.

Yes. We're licensed in Oregon (CCB #248237) and Washington, bonded, and carry general liability insurance. You can verify our standing through the Better Business Bureau and state contractor boards.

Yes. We're licensed and actively working on both sides of the Columbia River. Our team is experienced with the permitting and regulatory differences between Oregon and Washington, so your project moves smoothly regardless of which state you're in.

Almost always. Portland associations require an alteration application with drawings, contractor licence and insurance before demolition, and most impose conditions on hours, flooring sound ratings and access.