Bathroom Remodeling in Portland, OR

Most Portland homeowners do not wake up one day and decide to gut their bathroom. It builds. The grout starts looking rough. The vanity drawer sticks. You notice the tile near the shower has a small crack that, hmm, has been there longer than you remember. At some point, the project shifts from someday to soon. That is usually when people call us.

Construction Management & Design has been a general contractor working on Portland homes since 1996. Run out of the Portland area, not some national franchise office two states over. As bathroom remodeling specialists in Portland, OR, bathrooms are one of the most common jobs we take on, partly because they feel manageable in scope and partly because, well, they really do change how a house works day to day.

What a Bathroom Remodel With Us Looks Like

A bathroom remodel can mean many things. It could be a cosmetic refresh. It could be a full bathroom rebuild down to the studs. It could be carving out something new in a space that has not been working for years. We handle the range.

What tends to be on the table:

New tile work, including custom showers and surrounds
Vanity replacement or custom cabinetry built for the space
Walk-in showers, including accessible builds
Updated plumbing, including moving drain lines for layout changes
New lighting, fans, and electrical
Toilet replacement and reset

We also take on small bathroom remodel projects. The tight second-floor situations, the spaces where every inch gets fought over, the rooms where the door does not quite clear the toilet. Small does not mean simple, by the way. Tight spaces make every decision louder.

Working in Older Portland Homes

Portland has many old houses. Beautiful ones, frankly. But behind the walls? Galvanized supply lines. There is knob and tube wiring near the light fixtures. The framing is not aligned with the position indicated in the drawings. We have run into all of it.

If your home was built before 1960, you should plan for a few surprises during the demo. That is just the truth of it. Our team prices in a reasonable contingency, talks through what could come up, and gets your sign-off before any change order moves forward. No quiet add-ons. No phone call out of the blue telling you the price went up while the plumber is already on-site. A bathroom remodeling project in an older Craftsman is a different job than the same scope in a newer build. We treat them as different jobs because they are.

A Quick Note on the Design Build Process

You probably already know this, but many contractors do not handle design. They expect you to bring plans. We do not. Colleen Mihalik, our resident designer, sits in on every project that needs drawings. She helps with bathroom layout, tile selection, vanity specs, fixture finishes, and the whole picture. Instead of hiring a designer, getting plans, then bidding those plans out to three contractors and hoping everyone reads the intent the same way, you get one team that did both halves. The design-build process, in practice, saves time and reduces the cost of mistakes nobody catches until demo day.

Cost, Timeline, and Permits

People always want a number first, which I get. A bathroom remodel in the Portland metro area typically runs anywhere from 15K to 60K, sometimes more if the scope includes structural changes, custom cabinetry, or high-end tile work. Where you land depends on the size of the room, the materials you pick, and whether plumbing or electrical needs to be moved. We give you a real number after we see the space, not a guess over the phone.

The timeline tends to be 3 to 6 weeks for an average full bathroom job, longer if a specialty vanity is on backorder or if the permit takes a minute. Portland BDS can be quick or slow depending on the season. We will share our observations with you at the outset of our estimate. A permit is required for any plumbing, electrical, or structural work, which covers most real bathroom jobs. We file it. You do not have to.

What Our Clients Tend to Care About

Some of this information is obvious; some of it is not. It's worth saying out loud anyway. Usually, the quality of the tile setter matters more than the tile brand. A clean grout line on a regular ceramic tile looks better than a sloppy line on an imported tile. We work with the same trade partners we've known for years, which is the only way to control it.

Functionality beats aesthetics on a coin flip. A vanity that looks great but gives you four inches of counter is going to annoy you every morning for ten years. We point that out at design, not after install. The schedule should also be honest. If we cannot start until April, we will tell you in January. We are not in the business of overpromising to win a job and then disappointing you for three months.

Miles Koessler manages every project, and he is the person you will talk to throughout the process. Not a coordinator who got handed your file last week. Same name, same number, beginning to end.

Common Questions We Get Asked

A few questions arise in almost every consultation. It's worth answering these questions here so you have them before we even talk.

Do I need a permit for a bathroom remodel in Portland? Most bathroom remodels in Portland do require a permit, especially when the project involves electrical, plumbing, or structural work. We handle the permit application as part of the job.

How long does a bathroom remodel take? Typically, a standard full bathroom takes 3 to 6 weeks to complete, depending on the scope, material lead times, and permit review.

Can I live in my house during the remodel? Yes. We work in occupied homes regularly. At the start of the project, we walk through sequencing so you know which days the bathroom will close.

How do I get an estimate? Call or email. Initial consultations are free. We come to the property, walk the space, and put together a written scope with a real price.

Areas We Cover Around Portland

The whole Portland metro area. Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, West Linn, Tigard, Gresham, Oregon City, Happy Valley, Tualatin, Wilsonville, Gladstone, Canby, and the smaller communities scattered in between. We understand Pacific Northwest weather and Pacific Northwest housing stock because we have only ever built here.

If you are not sure whether you are in our service area, just call. The list is long enough that the answer is usually yes.

Ready to Talk About Your Bathroom?

Consultations are free. We come out to the house, walk the room, ask how you actually use the space (more useful than how you wish you used it), and put together a written scope with a real price. No pressure to sign anything that day.

Call (503) 655-2198 or email miles@cmdesigns.net. The contact form at cmdesigns.net works too. We'll get back to you, schedule the visit, and go from there.

Building bathrooms in Portland since 1996.

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