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Woodpecker Construction

About us

Specializes in residential remodeling of vintage homes: from small repairs to additions and full-scale renovations. Our goal is to create bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, dormers and historic trim to reflect your house's historic character while maximizing the livability of your home. We love Portland's classic houses and working with people to make their old house truly their own. In our Northeast Portland neighborhood: you may see us working on a bungalow in Laurelhurst or Grant Park, a Craftsman in Irvington, a Beaumont-Wishire cape cod, an Alameda Tudor or a Hollywood cottage. Cost is determined by the job. Oregon Licensed, bonded and fully insured Residential General Contractor CCB #179023. Oregon Certified Renovator Lead Based Paint LBPR #179023

Business highlights

19 years of experience

Services we offer

Stephen Rahe is the owner and hands on carpenter with a reputation for fair and transparent pricing and ardent attention to detail. Specializes in residential old home exterior/interior remodeling. From small repairs to full-scale vintage renovations. Emphasis on aesthetic improvements to older homes and on reversing previous poor remodeling choices, basements, bathrooms, door/window repair/replacement, exterior trim & character building, kitchens, plaster & drywall repair and structural repairs

Reviews
5.09 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%
Showing 1-9 of 9 reviews
FRED S.
Oct 2015
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000
unknown

Kimberly S.
Jan 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$250
We had a toilet leaking through our upstairs bathroom floor into a closet below. We were concerned that the floor was rotted out and so the flange would no longer hold the toilet firm.
While getting bids to have the floor replaced, Steve suggested that we first try an alternate repair and use a toilet ring to bolt the flange into new places in the wood (vs. the more expensive option of replacing the floor). He offered to do the work at the time of the bid, and was able to make some quick repairs. So far so good - our toilet has been leak free since that time.
The only reason I'm rating quality down slightly to a B is that the toilet is now slightly crooked to the wall. I am probably being too picky here, and I know that there are only certain places the toilet ring could be bolted into the floor - but I feel like a straight toilet is an end result of a high quality job. I would guarantee that had I pointed it out, Steve would have probably come back to fix it. I just didn't have the time to spend dealing with it again. No biggie. I would still use his services in the future.

John R.
Jun 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$6,000
Stephen was professional in all dealings. His commitment to detail, craftsmanship and quality of work was outstanding.
His interest, understanding and respect for old houses comes through in his work. He will be our contractor for any additional work that might be required on our house.

Sally R.
Feb 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
He was very responsive to our request for an appointment to determine the problem, and provided a detailed explanation of work he believed needed to be performed and a cost estimate. Scheduling with weather was an issue since this was a job outside on the second story, and we called him in January, so he kept us up to date w/ weather and his schedule for when it would work out to fit our job in and not be freezing and raining outside. He finished the job with less materials (so less cost) that he estimated, and the work looks great. We will definitely call him again.

JENNIFER O.
Sep 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,800
He responded immediately to my call and was over the next day to give me an assessment and a quote. The work started later than expected because the supplier delivered the wrong windows and we had to wait for the right ones. He was very nice and did not pass on any of the costs for having to deal with manufacturer mistake. Overall the project went fine once we got started and even came back when I wanted a small change to the interior framing at no additional cost.

Kathie L.
Jun 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,426
Stephen did an excellent job under trying circumstances. He had to find a metal fabricator willing to create the long steel angles as specified by a structural engineer that examined our crawlspace. He had to work in a space that was only 15 inches high so he had to drag the heavy steel angles, the wood, his tools, and gravel across the ground underneath the house. There are many rocks in the soil underneath the vapor barrier and it can be painful to crawl around down there. He also had to work around the plumbing and insulation. He discovered the bathroom floor joists had been cut more than previously thought and so had to add more wood reinforcements than anticipated. Stephen retained a positive attitude under these conditions and did wonderful work. Our bathroom, foyer, and main beam are now level and much better supported than before. We really appreciate Stephen's hard work and will definitely hire him again. Stephen also found creative ways to work within our budget by letting us to some of the unskilled labor.

Molly C.
Jun 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$900
Since the wall is weight-bearing, we wanted someone who would do a really good job. Stephen from Woodpecker Construction spent an hour at our house checking out the space, discussing the job, and giving us an estimate. His written description of the job was very detailed, and he even requested that we double-check with a structural engineer before he did the job to be sure that the proposal would support the house properly. He completed the job in one day as scheduled, and even came back the next day to put in some additional supports in the basement ceiling that he noticed were missing when we'd done the walk-through. We felt he was very thorough. I plan to hire him back again next time we have carpentry needs.

Sarah N.
Feb 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$15,000
Stephen gave us a very detailed bid (that allowed us to pick and choose final options easily based on price, etc.) and completed the work exactly as described, alerting us to any problems along the way with further options based on outcome/price/etc. The office turned out beautifully, and I felt confident in his decisions throughout (and, no small thing, he left a clean work site in the end). And, he is friendly, professional, smart, and a pleasure to work with. We would use him again without a doubt for projects big and small.

KATY M.
Jun 2008
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
He was great. He gave us a bid and we didn't pay a penny over the bid. He was super professional and he's a very smart guy. I can't say anything bad only good.

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

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FAQ

Woodpecker Construction is currently rated 5.0 overall out of 5.

No, Woodpecker Construction does not offer free project estimates.

No, Woodpecker Construction does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, Woodpecker Construction does not offer a senior discount.

No, Woodpecker Construction does not offer emergency services.

No, Woodpecker Construction does not offer warranties.