Portland additions are a zoning and structural problem before they are a design problem. Narrow infill lots, floor-area limits, historic and design overlays, and 1910s framing that has to carry a new second floor. Serden Group handles the whole chain — feasibility, engineered plans, Portland Permitting & Development submittal, foundation, framing, roof and finishes — with one OR-licensed crew (CCB #239429) and one project manager. Serving Portland since 2015.
A second story on an Alameda or Laurelhurst bungalow is not framing on top of framing. It is a shear and load-path problem that runs down through the original 1920s structure to a foundation that was never designed for it, and it is a design problem that the street will judge for the next fifty years. We have worked on enough Portland housing stock to know where the surprises live — undersized footings, balloon framing, knob-and-tube, and roof lines that only look simple from the sidewalk.
Second stories on bungalows where the lot has no room left. Rear bump-outs and kitchen expansions. Primary suites. Basement and garage conversions, and ADUs permitted as separate dwelling units. Our own crew builds; licensed, vetted structural, electrical and plumbing partners are scheduled around them by one project manager.
The most common Portland addition. Shear walls, foundation reinforcement, new stair, full reroof.
Kitchen, dining and family room expansions on infill lots where every inch of setback matters.
Bedroom, ensuite bath and closet added up or back, detailed to match the original house.
Basement, garage and detached units permitted as legal dwellings with their own kitchen and entry.
Portland zoning decides most of this before design does. We check your base zone and any overlay — historic, conservation or design — against setbacks, building coverage, height and floor-area limits, and we assess whether your existing foundation and framing can carry a second floor. You get a clear go, a build-out-instead recommendation, or a no, with a realistic budget range.
Floor plans, elevations and stamped structural drawings, then submittal and plan-review management through Portland Permitting & Development. Projects in historic or design-overlay districts get the additional review built into the schedule up front, so the timeline you are given is the timeline you actually experience.
Foundation and shear upgrades where the engineer calls for them, framing, roof tie-in, mechanicals, then finishes — sequenced to keep the house weather-tight on an infill lot with almost no staging room. One project manager, daily progress, and a punch-list walkthrough before final inspection.
Why Homeowners Choose Serden
Homeowner Stories
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Read all 400+ reviewsThe project was finished on time and within budget. There was outstanding communication from start to finish and meticulous attention to detail. They are a contractor that goes the extra mile and I would definitely recommend.
Fantastic experience! They renovated my entire home with new floors, a full kitchen remodel, and a bathroom upgrade. The kitchen looks amazing with new cabinets, countertop, and appliances, and the bathroom to shower conversion turned out beautifully. Great quality work, finished on time, easy to communicate with, and their pricing was very competitive. Highly recommend!
We were very happy with the workmanship on our upstairs, downstairs and stairs flooring. Very friendly and were very accommodating to our home schedule and would recommend them to anybody who needs work to be done in their home
Serden remodeled our kitchen, dining room, living room and entry way. Dennis and Alex were especially friendly and easy to communicate with. Every person we had contact with was professional and did quality work. When unexpected issues came up, they solved the problems efficiently so we didn't have to stress about anything. They worked really hard to make sure we were happy at each step of the process. We love our new living space!
I purchased my first home a couple years ago, which was a time capsule from the 60s/70s. I got multiple quotes on getting my house updated. I of course wanted the updates to be budget friendly, but quality enough to last for years to come. Serden Group helped make suggestions that saved me money (to no benefit to themselves). With some of the other quotes I received I couldn't understand where so much of the cost was coming from and the quotes themselves were not clear in what I was being charged for. Serden Group however was very transparent in their pricing. The work they did is absolutely beautiful. Communication was consistent and timely. Their crew is incredibly kind and professional and cleaned up everyday. I think the scariest thing for most people getting work done our their homes is finding a trust worthy company to do so. There are too many occasions of companies having inflated pricing, hidden expenses, shoddy work, or poor communication. If you're looking for a company you can trust and to treat your home with the best care, give these guys a call.
We have used Serden Team for 3 projects. They remodeled our master bedroom and bathroom, refaced kitchen cabinets and built a beautiful surround for my refrigerator so it looks built in and remodeled a secondary bathroom. Their work is fantastic. They are easy to work with and communication is the best. I can trust them to do a great job and do the work properly the first time. Wonderful company and will refer them gladly.
They did an excellent job. They were fast and professional. They installed all new doors throughout my house, raised the floor in my family room and office, installed new flooring, and painted both rooms. It looks wonderful. I will be so happy to use the rooms once everything is put back where I want it. We have more work we want done in the future and I will definitely be hiring these guys again.
Serden did a great job on my vacation home in WA. They transformed the property, I had all my floors and windows changed out. Everything looks beautiful, up to date and modern. I will be using them again to remodel my kitchen and bathroom. The whole experience was easy and quick.
We hired Serden and their team to do a complete remodel of our new home that was very outdated. The work they did was incredible! They were very professional, timely, and the attention to detail on the work is amazing. We are so impressed and highly recommend!
Thank you for your quick response. Also, a big Thank You for helping me make my dream house come true, I never expected my home to become so beautiful. Great job. I will recommend you to my friends.
Serden Group and their crews Had done an awesome job remodeling my house. I am very pleased with the outcome. They were very professional and on time. I would definitely use their service again and recommend them to families and friends.
The remodeling team from Serden Group did a very good and professional job at my home. They completely remodeled the kitchen and all the dining and living areas, everything looks like a brand new home! They also installed new patio cover and deck which we already enjoy. Thank you! I definitely recommend them, they are experts, friendly and know what they are doing.
Serden Group remodeled kitchen and all bathrooms in my house. I am very happy with the quality of their work and the way they were informing me on every stage of the project. They also provided design ideas and suggested colors and materials. I needed the full service from design to completion. I am very satisfied.
Cannot be happier with the outcome of our remodel! Professional and communicative contractors. We will go back to Serden for all of our remodeling needs, other contractors do not compare. Yes- we have wasted time and money on others, before finding Serden.
I recently worked with Serden Group on my condo renovation, which included replacing floors, removing popcorn from ceilings, and replacing kitchen counters and cabinets. I loved working with Dennis and David. Dennis helped with input on the kitchen design and was great in helping to reduce stress. They were patient with me and my questions. Their crew was great. And as messy of a job that it was, they managed to leave the place clean when they left for the night. The work was great, and they care for the space as if it;s their own.
This company did a great job on an extensive remodel of a mid 70s home. They upgraded the electrical, plumbing, removed walls, remodeled the bathrooms and kitchen, and put in all new tile flooring. All the home issues were addressed, and we could not be any happier.
In Portland, zoning and structure usually settle the question before anyone draws a floor plan. These are the four things we check first.
Portland residential zones set setbacks, building coverage, height and — critically for additions — floor area relative to lot size. On a standard narrow infill lot, that last limit is often what caps the project, not the yard space. Overlays sit on top: historic and conservation districts and design overlays add review steps and can constrain materials, window patterns and street-facing elevations.
Many Portland lots simply have no room to expand on grade once setbacks are applied, which is why second stories are far more common here than in Clark County. Building up avoids the footprint problem but requires shear walls, a verified load path, foundation work the original builder never anticipated, a code-compliant stair, and a full roof rebuild. We price both paths at feasibility rather than assuming.
Portland’s pre-1940 stock frequently has undersized or unreinforced footings, framing in true dimensional sizes, and sometimes balloon framing with no continuous load path to the ground. Adding a floor means the engineer traces that path and specifies what has to be strengthened. Discovering it after demolition is how additions blow their budgets; finding it during feasibility is how they do not.
Portland has a mature ADU market, and for some homeowners a detached unit or a basement conversion delivers more value than attached square footage — especially where floor-area limits are binding. Different permit path, different utility work, different financial case. We compare them honestly, including the case where reworking your existing layout beats adding to it.
Requirements and review timelines change, and Portland has restructured its permitting in recent years. We confirm current standards with Portland Permitting & Development on every project rather than working from memory.
From Alameda, Irvington and Laurelhurst to Sellwood, Mt. Tabor, Beaumont-Wilshire and St. Johns — Serden Group builds additions across Portland’s older neighborhoods and the surrounding metro. We know which streets sit inside historic and conservation districts, and what that adds to review.
Free in-home consultation — home additions in Portland, OR & Multnomah County
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Portland additions price differently than the rest of the metro, because so many of them go up rather than out — and older framing rarely carries a new floor without help. These are honest ranges for finished, permitted work, based on projects across Multnomah County. Final numbers come from engineered plans.
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