Remodeling a house in Reed
Kitchen, bath and whole home remodels for Reed's mid-century ranches and its older Tudors and bungalows, permitted in Portland.
Talk to Don about your projectHe comes out and prices it himself
- Oregon CCB
- #208048
- Washington L&I
- #DWVCOCL7540W
- Coverage
- Bonded and insured
- Established
- 2008
Tudors and bungalows to the north, mid-century ranches to the south.
The neighborhood is named for Reed College, founded in 1908 just to the south. The city describes the houses as mostly mid-century: small Cape Cod bungalows from the 1940s and 1950s and modern ranch houses, with a few original farmhouses.
Reedwood, about 150 homes at the center, was platted in 1955 on what had been forest and blueberry patches. It was mostly built between 1955 and 1970 with low ranch and mid-century modern houses, many of them designed and built by Way W. Lee.
What is behind the walls of your house.
The age of the house moves the price more than anything you can see. This is what is typical for a Portland house of that age. The site walk confirms what yours has.
6 of 8 are likely on a 1958 house.
Knob and tube or early cloth wrapped wiring is common in houses of this age, and it is live in more rooms than the panel suggests.
Electrical service and panel: $2,000 to $12,000
What DWV does: Full electrical replacement with a service upgrade, as on the Foster-Powell bungalow.
Ask Don about thisGalvanized steel supply lines narrow with age. On the Foster-Powell bungalow they were replaced from the meter through every fixture.
Part of the electrical, plumbing and heating line
What DWV does: New plumbing from the meter through every fixture.
Ask Don about thisThe waste lines in these houses are often the original cast iron, out of sight under the floors.
Part of the electrical, plumbing and heating line
What DWV does: Replaced with the plumbing where they have failed.
Ask Don about thisBrick chimneys of this age are unreinforced masonry, which matters as soon as the structure around them changes.
Priced on the estimate after the site walk
What DWV does: Looked at with the structure before any wall around it moves.
Ask Don about thisThe walls are usually uninsulated and the windows are single pane wood. Insulation comes up to energy code once the walls are open.
Part of the structure and envelope line
What DWV does: Insulation to current energy code while the walls are open.
Ask Don about thisMany of these houses were first heated with oil, and the tank can still be under the yard. A tank taken out of use is decommissioned by a DEQ licensed service provider.
What is behind the walls: $8,000 to $60,000
What DWV does: Decommissioned by a DEQ licensed service provider.
Ask Don about thisPaint applied before 1978 is treated as lead paint under the renovation rule, and work that disturbs it follows lead safe practices.
A line item, priced before demolition
What DWV does: Lead safe practices, priced before demolition.
Ask Don about thisOregon DEQ requires a survey by an accredited inspector before a house built before 2004 is renovated. Older duct wrap and sheet flooring get tested before anything is disturbed.
A line item, priced before demolition
What DWV does: Surveyed first, then handled the way the survey says.
Ask Don about this
Same spot, before and after.
Before
AfterA pre-1920 Craftsman restored from the original framing out.
See the project
A derelict bungalow in Foster-Powell, rebuilt floor to ceiling.
“Working with DWV Construction was an absolute joy. When Don started work my home was completely gutted down to the studs. He transformed my derelict structure into a beautiful home, from floor to ceiling and everything in-between! On top of doing A+ work he is great communicator and listener, i found it very easy to bounce ideas off of him to achieve the exact look i envisioned. With his good communication comes efficiency and punctuality, he creates a timeline and amazingly sticks to it. Highly Highly recommend DWV Construction!!”
Kevin DuranGoogle reviewThe work Reed houses ask for.
Shown on our own jobs nearby in Southeast Portland.
Walls opened on a mid-century house
Paint applied before 1978 is treated as lead paint, and Oregon requires an asbestos survey before a house built before 2004 is renovated. Both are priced before demolition.
Kitchens opened to the next room
Portland requires a building permit to move, remove or add a wall. One that carries the structure above also needs an engineer and a beam.
Additions on larger lots
Reedwood lots average 8,500 square feet, according to the neighborhood association's 2011 study, and the houses commonly sit 20 to 25 feet back from the front lot line.
Bathrooms rebuilt behind the tile
The pan, the membrane and the backer go in to the manufacturer's spec, and every square foot is photographed before the tile goes on.
Permits come from the City of Portland.
Reed is a City of Portland neighborhood, and building permits for houses come from Portland Permitting & Development. It is not on the city's list of historic or conservation districts.
Reed borders Reed College's protected wetland, Eastmoreland Golf Course and Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. Where a lot carries an environmental overlay zone, an addition has to minimize its impact and may need an Environmental Review, so the address is looked up on the zoning map first.
In Reedwood the power poles and lines run along the rear property lines, which is worth knowing before anything is planned at the back of the lot.
Check which permits your job needsOur jobs near Reed.
The closest is the Creston-Kenilworth bungalow, just to the north. Tap a pin to see the job.
Creston-Kenilworth
A Portland bungalow with a rear addition matched to its roof pitch.
See this jobNext door: Eastmoreland, Woodstock, Westmoreland
Questions from Reed homeowners.
No. Reed is not on Portland's list of historic, conservation or National Register districts. The nearest listed district is Eastmoreland.
Reedwood and Colt Terrace were sold with design rules written into the deeds, and Colt Terrace's required large front setbacks. Read your deed before an addition or a change to the front of the house is drawn.
Plan on both being checked. Under the federal renovation rule, paint applied before 1978 is treated as lead paint. Oregon DEQ requires an asbestos survey by an accredited inspector before a house built before 2004 is renovated.
Portland reviews its tree preservation and tree density rules with the building permit, and they can apply to an addition or to exterior work.
Talk directly to Don about your project.
Or pick a time for Don's site walk
“The quality of the workmanship and materials he chose were excellent.”
Jennifer L'Hommedieu · Google review