RAINBOW VALLEY DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION INC

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We received valuable advice, and a fairly expected estimate of what it might cost, depending on the materials and extras we might want. The best advice was, because of the nature of two projects having to be completed, almost right on top of each other, we needed a master plan from an architect to make sure everything would be coordinated. We are proceeding with the planning phase of this project.

Ethan is repair man from the contractor who we use for many odd jobs. He is very reasonable and prompt. I recommend him for anyone.

Terribly disappointing. I expected to at least have followup and contact. We would meet and then 2 weeks would go by. This happened for 2 months and I ended it. They were more interested in their vacations than in my project. I was looking for ideas and pop and it just did not happen.

I like that the handled everything from the design until where we asked them to stop. They tore apart our kitchen and dining room and added a foot. They did a very good job and they cleaned up after themselves. I give them all A’s for their services.

RBV did it all for us, and did it while we were living across the country! We bought the site and their architects worked with us to design an affordable, "green", and wheelchair accessible home that reflects both our personality and western Oregon. Most design meetings were held by phone, with most drawings sent by email. RBV architects "got" that we wanted a small home that fit in with the site, not an excessive over-the-top home. The layout is highly functional and still a work of art in how it creates volumes of space. Because RBV is a design-build firm, they were able to give us realistic construction estimates of the various design options, which really helped us stay close to our budget and evaluate trade-offs when somethings went over-budget(hey-after Hurricane Katrina, the price of concrete and lumber sky-rocketed!). The entire 2-year design and construction process was "no drama." The house was completed several months ahead of schedule. We liked them so much that we had them return a year later to add on a small screen room. The only construction problem was part of one wall that did not have enough flashing. RBV fully honored their warranty: they took off the siding from the entire wall, dried out the plywood and killed the mold, and installed a full rain curtain between the old wall and new siding. A year and 2 major storms later, the problem is obviously solved. Another thing in RBV's favor is that the subcontractors and the City Permit office likes working them, too. All around, a pleasant experience.

The project was completed in a timely manner: I signed the design contract on March 8 and the construction contract on April 4. The room was ready for use on June 16 although there were remaining details such as caulking here and there, adjustment to the wall bed mechanism, door locks, and paint touch-ups that continued throughout July. My project manager was excellent: she explained everything clearly and responded to my questions and concerns promptly. She oversaw all subcontractor work, even staying in close contact with the contractors I had hired to do the interior painting and exterior stucco work outside the scope of the RV contract. She kept the project on schedule and except for one week, work continued steadily. My one complaint regarding oversight was during a period when she was away and the open garage was left unprotected for a few hours, but the problem was quickly remedied with a phone call. I am completely happy with the results: all workmanship is excellent. However I give them a "C" for price because they are expensive and their time & materials mode of billing, plus the requirement that the client pay for one-third of the savings should the project come in under bid -- sneaks up on you even though it is clearly spelled out in the contract! And, in my case, the original estimate (not bid, but cursory estimate) was considerably lower than the bid turned out to be. Nevertheless, if you can afford them and want good work, Rainbow Valley is a good choice.

They are wonderful!

This was a terrible experience. I was cheated out of thousands of dollars. They are slick, like a used car dealer and fixed up the contract so they could leave me hanging after taking my money. They dug up my front yard, made up a bunch of worthless drawings (that's what an architect said; not just my opinion) took my money, delayed over and over again, and then pulled out without building anything. Since it was design and they never built anything, the Oregon CCB won't sanction them (even though they dug up my yard and left it). They "promised" to help a real contractor "interpret" their drawings, sure, just like a used car dealer will "fix" things if the car breaks down. Of course, no competent builder will follow plans that are not made by a registered architect. Be warned and don't believe all their slick advertising! They know how to "play the game" just like a used car dealer, but they do NOT deliver on their promises.