01ADUs & additions
Add a home to your home.
Attached and detached ADUs, additions and finished basements. Permitted, built and finished.
ADUs & additions →
Remodeling & general contractor · North Portland
Built right.
Built to last.
Home remodeling, ADUs and additions, music and recording studios, and custom woodwork for North Portland homes. Every trade, the whole job, one point of contact.
Over 20 years buildingLicensedBondedInsuredOregon CCB 230699Lead-paint licensedWashington L&I #KENTOWL766Q1
The short version
The whole job.
We are builders. Working directly with you, or with your architect and engineer, Kenton Woodwork handles every trade on a North Portland remodel, addition or ADU. Permits, framing, plumbing, electrical, tile, cabinets, paint. Permitted. Built. Finished.
If your project is unusual, that's fine. We like unusual.From the FAQ
02Craftsman restoration
Craftsman homes, kept craftsman.
Railings, stairs, siding and trim for Portland's 1910s and 1920s houses. Fir, cedar and historic details.
Craftsman restoration →
03Kitchens & baths
The rooms you live in.
From a single new shower to the whole kitchen. Tile, cabinets, plumbing and the paint.
Kitchens & baths →
04Music studios
Walls three feet thick.
Mastering studios, recording studios, rehearsal spaces. Designed and built, air system included. How a studio is built →
Music studios →
05The hard stuff
A hall that has to sound right.
A church roof. A twenty-foot cathedral ceiling. The sound wall at Polaris Hall. We like unusual.
The hard stuff →Home remodeling
Remodeling,
start to finish.
We focus on remodels, new homes and ADUs. A remodel starts with what is behind the wall and ends with the paint: permitting and plan revision, framing, sheetrock, plumbing, electrical, tile, trim, cabinets, floors, lined up in order by one builder. One North Portland house, before, during and after.
Before
After
Remodel on the list? Tell us the room, or the whole house.
Why Kenton Woodwork
Contractors are a lot
like mechanics.
People don't always know if they can trust what they are hearing. So when you hire a general contractor, what you are really looking for is experience, communication, integrity and guidance.
Dealing with the city.
Building codes, permits, inspections. What happens when, who you talk to, whether it is being done correctly. It can be an intimidating process, especially if you are building a house from scratch. Knowing how to deal with the city is a big reason people hire a general contractor.
A network that took over a decade to put together.
Drainage, asphalt, foundation repair, waterproofing, roofing and gutters, refrigeration, panel swap-outs. Whatever piece your job needs, we know who does it well. And they give us quick answers they would not give somebody they don't know.
Knowing where the market is at.
Prices for materials and for trades are constantly moving targets. We know where they are because we are constantly building.
Building science, where it matters.
There are a lot of new products and techniques that lead to longer lasting, higher quality homes, and they come at a premium. Most projects are a compromise with the budget, so you spend the money where it matters. Sometimes one new thing gets you 80% of the way there. We care how a building performs and what it does to the environment.
Music studios.
It is unusual to find a builder with this much experience building studios: mastering rooms, recording rooms, rehearsal spaces. See the studios →
Over twenty years of building.
Kenton Woodwork is six years old. The experience behind it is more than twenty years of building.
The work
IAct
The landmarks.
Buildings other people have to get right. The roof of Mt Tabor Presbyterian Church, home of TaborSpace. The Northward Designed studio at Telegraph Mastering. A Helmholtz resonator for 100Hz control at Polaris Hall.
IIAct
Whole homes.
Foundation to door hardware. Attached and detached ADUs, gut remodels and finished basements.
IIIAct
The rooms you live in.
Kitchens and bathrooms. Tile, cabinets, plumbing and the paint.
Before
After
IVAct
The details you touch every day.
A railing your hand runs along a thousand times. Natural materials. Historic profiles matched to the house. Custom woodwork commissions too.
Before
After
VAct
And the fence.
Some jobs just have to keep the rain out and look right from the street. Those matter too. A fence is a landmark when it's yours.
VIAct
Driveways and drywells.
Excavation and concrete. A new driveway, drywells to take the water, a foundation for an addition, front steps. The part of the job that is under your feet.
Google reviews
In their words.
I hired Sky, owner of Kenton Woodworks, to do a very large remodel of my 1912 Craftsman home. I was an experienced property owner, and as a principal broker Realtor for many years, having worked with or witnessed dozens of contractors.
Sky is at the top of my list for his numerous carpentry skills, his varied and long experience, his working relationships with subcontractors, and especially for his honesty & straight-forward manner.
I highly recommend Sky for your remodel or building needs.
I have been hiring Kenton Woodwork for years now and have had the best experience. I have used them for multiple projects from house remodels to installing mini splits to high end custom finish work. Sky at Kenton Woodwork is extremely knowledgable, professional, attentive to detail, and works hard to get you an amazing product. If you are looking for a great GC that is honest, knowledgable, and someone you can trust, definitely give Kenton Woodwork a call.
Great craftsmanship, and absolutely dependable, on jobs in both Arborlodge and Oregon City. My go to from here forward.
I found one of Sky's business cards at a local coffee shop and gave him a call about a custom media console we've been wanting for a longtime. He responded right away, set up a meeting for later in the week, and came right on time. I'm especially glad he came into the house to get a feel for the space and fine tune/measure up exactly what we were wanting.
Long story short, we now have exactly what we've been wanting for our media console and it was finished right on time. I'm looking forward to working with him again when another project comes along.
I can't recommend Sky enough for strong local work that will last. Solid talent, top quality, and great communication. Of you're thinking about any projects then give him a call!
Where we work
North Portland,
by name.
Based in Kenton, licensed in Oregon and Washington. A page for each neighborhood we work in most, and two for the other side of the river.
North Portland
Across the bridge
Straight answers
Questions.
What do you actually do?
We are builders. Whether working directly with clients or with architects and engineers, we handle the whole job: permitting and plan revision, framing, sheetrock, paint, doors and windows, tile, trim, cabinets, floors, plumbing, electrical, gas, HVAC, insulation, roofing, gutters, excavation, concrete, fences, decks, and landscaping.
Do you do free estimates?
It depends on the project. The first meet-up is always free. If it's a larger project (over $20k) with a lot of elements, we use a pre-construction contract to cover the time spent exploring your options properly.
Our house was built before 1978. Does that change anything?
Houses from before 1978 can have lead-based paint under the newer coats. The federal rule (the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule) says anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in those homes has to be certified, and in Oregon that is a licence from the CCB. Kenton Woodwork holds the Lead-Based Paint Renovation licence (CCB 230699), so the dusty parts of the job are contained, cleaned up and done the way the rule says. You can check it on the CCB's lead-safe contractor search.
I'm buying a house. Will you read my inspection report?
Yes. For $160 we'll go through the inspection report and give you the low-down.
Do I need an architect, engineer or designer?
Are you getting the project permitted? We recommend doing things the right way rather than taking shortcuts, and larger projects often require these professionals. Outside of custom woodwork we don't do CAD or design work, but we're glad to work alongside your designer or architect.
Can I use your shop tools, or would you make a small cut for me?
Unfortunately our shop isn't open to the public.
Where do you work?
We're based in North Portland, Oregon, and work across the Portland metro. We're also licensed in Washington (L&I KENTOWL766Q1) for projects in Clark County.
Next step
Let's work
together.
Tell us a little about your project and set up a meeting.
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google. “Solid talent, top quality, and great communication.” — A T