Home Remodeling in Bend, OR

Our picks are Neil Kelly for all-in-one design and build, Sierra James Construction for big or complicated remodels, DCR Northwest for whole-home updates, Branch Brothers Construction for posted prices, Total Home Solutions for kitchens and baths on a set budget and Bend Craftsmen Company for a small owner-run builder. Call two or three that do your kind of project and compare written bids on the same scope.

It depends on the room. Bend-area companies post $15,000 to $45,000+ for bathrooms (Total Home Solutions), $25,000 to $95,000+ for full gut baths (Branch Brothers) and $40,000 to $150,000+ for kitchens. In the 2025 Cost vs Value report for Medford, the closest Oregon market, a midrange bath averaged $25,664, a major midrange kitchen $75,822, a basement $48,679 and an ADU $151,095. Whole-home remodels usually start around $150,000.

Not for finish work: Oregon exempts paint, tile, flooring, cabinets, countertops and same-size window and door swaps. You need trade permits for new wiring, moved plumbing, water heaters and new fans, and a building permit to move walls, cut new openings, finish a basement, attic or garage into living space, or build an addition, an ADU or a deck over 30 inches. Inside city limits, apply through the City of Bend Online Permit Center.

The City says anywhere from a few days to several weeks depending on the project, and it posts a live Permit Center timelines report. Trade-only permits are quick; anything that changes structure or adds space goes through plan review. A permit expires if no inspection is requested within 180 days.

Yes. Homeowners can work on their own home and pull their own permits, but not on a home that is rented or leased; that work needs a licensed contractor. Anyone you pay for construction work must hold an Oregon CCB license.

In the 2025 Cost vs Value report for Medford, Oregon, a garage door replacement recouped 239% of its cost, fiber-cement siding 140% and a midrange minor kitchen remodel 115%. Midrange baths recouped 85% and basements 80%, while big additions and upscale remodels recouped 19% to 53%. Large projects are mostly for how you live, not resale.

A design-build firm like Neil Kelly, Sierra James or DCR Northwest designs and builds under one contract, which is simpler for a big remodel. A general contractor builds from a plan, so you can hire an architect or designer first and get several bids on the same drawings. Design-build is easier; separate design gives you more price comparison.

Before 1978, Oregon requires contractors who disturb painted surfaces to hold a CCB lead-based paint renovation license; our compare table marks which companies have one. For homes with four or fewer units built before Jan. 1, 2004, an asbestos survey is required before a remodel permit that includes demolition.

Search the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) license lookup by name or number. It shows status, bond, insurance and complaints. The license is often under a different legal name than the brand; Powers Bath & Remodel, for example, is licensed as Deschutes Home Renovations LLC.

Interior work happens year-round. Exterior work, additions and decks are easiest from spring through fall, so good builders book up by late winter. Start design and permits in the off-season so you are ready to build when the weather turns.