Green Light Construction - Portland, Oregon

Sean S.

After living with our partially finished basement for over 3 years, we decided it was time to transform it into a proper living space for our family with two soon-to-be teens. The project included adding a bathroom, a multi-purpose room with egress windows (to qualify as a legal bedroom), closet space, and a laundry area. We met with three companies, but something about Maxwell and Green Light Construction just clicked with us - and wow, did that instinct pay off.

From the design phase through completion, Maxwell struck the perfect balance of being professional and personable. He worked collaboratively with us on the floor plan, offering several options and explaining how structural and plumbing realities might affect the layout. The budget discussions were refreshingly transparent - Maxwell was clear about what was included in the core costs and which items (like bathroom fixtures and carpet) we'd select and purchase separately.

Like others have mentioned, Maxwell's communication throughout was spot-on. His team and subcontractors were consistently punctual and skilled, and they kept the workspace remarkably clean. They even set up our washer/dryer in temporary spots throughout the phases so we could keep doing laundry - a huge help for our family of four. The project stayed on schedule, passed every inspection without a hitch, and even when we requested changes, Maxwell was accommodating and offered creative solutions when needed.

What really stood out was how little the renovation disrupted our daily life, partly thanks to the basement location with garage access, but mostly due to Maxwell's considerate approach to managing the project. After completion, he gave us time to live in the space before coming back for touch-ups - that kind of attention to detail makes all the difference.

We've ended up with exactly what we wanted: a warm, inviting space that works perfectly for our family now and will adapt well for future needs. Looking back, we keep saying how fortunate we were to have found Maxwell and Green Light Construction for this project.

Beth A. L.

Maxwell and his team are a joy to work with. They came up with the perfect design for our basement based on our initial sketches, making smart tradeoffs and honoring the spirit of our ideas while coming up with much better uses of the space. The construction project stayed right on schedule, and Maxwell’s communication was consistent and accurate all the way through. Our formerly depressing unfinished basement is now a gorgeous and functional space that we enjoy every single day. We had such a great experience that we asked his team to expand the project to include a new beautiful new deck. We were braced for a stressful project, but Green Light surprised us with a pleasant experience start to finish.

Allison M.

I am happy to sing the praises of Greenlight Construction. We recently worked with Maxwell and his team to renovate our basement. This was the first time my husband and I undertook a home project of this size and while excited, we were also somewhat intimidated by the process of finding the right person for the job, knowing how to think through the design options, staying within a reasonable budget and feeling certain that the work that was being done was top quality. From the beginning, Maxwell was responsive and communicative. He made himself available to look at the space and provide us with a ballpark estimate within a shorter timeframe than the other companies we had reached out to. He was then patient with us as we waited for the other estimates to be returned to us so that we could make an informed decision as to who we wanted to work with. Maxwell kept to the timelines he had outlined in his bid. He and his crew were here everyday and made steady progress on the project. He made great efforts to keep the workspace tidy, to prevent excess dust from coming to the upper floors, and to keep the laundry facilities in the basement functional throughout the project. He was very receptive to any ideas/feedback/questions we had and worked hard to make sure the work he and his team were doing fit our vision. Towards the end of the project we had an issue with a flooring company trying to charge us more than they had estimated. Maxwell was able to redirect us to another option that met our needs and because of his connections, was able to get an installer scheduled quickly so it wasn’t necessary to add on too much time to the project. Maxwell is a great guy who knows his stuff, partners with high quality sub-contractors and loves what he does. I would definitely recommend him for any home projects you’re considering.

Adrian M.

We recently completed a full-scale basement remodel with Maxwell and the crew from Greenlight & we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome! Our basement has been transformed from an unfinished and unwelcoming “dungeon” into an absolutely beautiful space - one of the nicest & most welcoming places in our home. We now have an amazing guest bed/bath, top notch family room & gorgeous wet-bar area along with much more.

Throughout the entire process Maxwell and his team were communicative, reliable, and performed top-notch work. He was helpful and supportive as we navigated design challenges, decisions, and a few inevitable (100+ year old house) surprises along the way. His team of sub-contractors were similarly professional and amazingly skilled – exceptional craftsmen and women & great to work with! We were lucky to have been given the referral of Greenlight by some friends and I could go on and on, but I think the pictures speak for themselves!

Do yourself a favor and give Maxwell a call if you are looking to get quality work done on your home – he really is all you could want in a contractor.

Donovan B.

We can't say enough about how great Maxwell is. Our house was built in 1914, and we wanted our new bathroom to fit with the rest of the house while also feeling modern and comfortable. Maxwell understood that from day 1 and guided us through the process every step of the way, letting us make our own decisions while making sure we had all the information we needed.

Throughout the whole renovation, Maxwell and Lathen were great about walking us through what they were doing, updating us, looping us in on every decision, and are both fun guys to be around. The tilers, plumbers, and electricians Maxwell brought in were all excellent, and gave us confidence that we'll never have to redo the bathroom again.

Overall, we're extremely happy with the outcome; personally, I spend a good 10 minutes more a day in the shower because it's so nice! We highly, highly recommend Maxwell and Green Light.

Nancy S.

Maxwell, Devon and all his subs did an amazing job on a total remodel of my basement. It's was 1200 sq ft of 1933 original everything. There was a lot of updating to be done. This project included new bedroom, new bathroom, remodeled kitchen, office and laundry.I have done 3 other smaller remodels on my house and this was by far the best. Maxwell did all the due diligence up front so there were no surprises along the way. Maxwell wrote me weekly reports of what had been accomplished and what to expect in the next week. The communication was smooth. He's a good listener and problem solver. There were small decisions along the way and he included me just when he knew I'd like to know the direction they were taking. It's now been a few weeks since they finished and honestly I haven't found anything that I would change.

Maxwell, Devon, and all the subs were great to work with. After all the up front inspection and design work, Maxwell came in on budget and on time. This is amazing to me because we were essentially opening up the guts of the house - new electrical, plumbing, insulation, etc. Maxwell is part of the FIR program which allowed for fast inspections along the way.

If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would call Maxwell right away to work on other parts of my house. He's the best.

Emily M.

We hired Matthew and his team to help us renovate a bedroom for our 6-month old. The original bedroom had old, awful painted over wall paper, lead paint, and who knows what other toxic materials. We really wanted an updated room with clean materials that we knew would be safe for our family.

Matthew handled the whole project meticulously. Every step of the way was clearly outlined for us. We received daily status updates, photos etc., and weekly reports communicating the milestones for the upcoming week.

Matthew was diligent about safety and cleanliness for our family, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have found Green Light Construction. We have many more projects we’re looking to do in the next 5 or 10 years and we will hire Green Light for all of them.

Kalie P.

We worked with Maxwell and Green Light Construction to add a 3/4 ensuite bathroom to our previously 1 bathroom home, and could not have been happier with the experience and results. From our first conversation and throughout the project, Maxwell was punctual, communicative, transparent, and thoughtful in his approach to both the project at large and to us as people. We're thrilled with our final results and cannot believe how Maxwell so seamlessly took our vision and executed a stunning final product on a tight timeline.

Punctuality / Timeliness - Maxwell and his wonderful apprentice Lathan were ALWAYS precisely on time each and every day of the project and held their subcontractors to the same standards as well. Additionally all text and emails I sent to Maxwell were always responded to promptly and thoroughly, making it so easy to collaborate and make decisions throughout the project.

Communication - Maxwell goes above and beyond to ensure that you always know exactly what's going on with your project, includes you in every decision and most importantly, listens to your ideas and questions with an open mind! Even before we selected Greenlight, Maxwell was very straightforward about his project calendar availability, and our communication was quickly built on mutual trust and transparency. Every week Maxwell would send detailed emails highlighting what had been completed, what was coming up on deck, and helping anticipate early any decisions we needed to make (such as purchasing fixtures, etc) early so that we could ensure we never delayed progress. Maxwell and Lathan were just fun and friendly people to talk to, and we genuinely enjoyed getting to know them.

Cleanliness - Maxwell and his team kept our home INCREDIBLY clean throughout the entire project and were great stewards of our home. We never had to worry about the way in which they would leave our space each day and the project space itself (within a self-contained room) was always organized and cleaned up as well. Everyday they hauled out anything they could and disposed of it immediately, ensuring we didn't have to have a dumpster out in front of our home either, which was ideal.

Budget - Obviously a huge concern for anyone before starting a major project, Maxwell helped us understand early in our evaluation what was reasonable if we wanted to see this project through, but also helped us to understand where there was flexibility in costs and where there was not. Once we agreed on a project scope there were no surprises - anything that we added, Maxwell was upfront and communicative about what that would cost, and what other variations of our idea may be plausible to help reduce extra costs. Even little additions like an extra outlet (maybe $100) Maxwell made sure we knew that would cost extra so that we wouldn't be caught off guard.

Subcontractors - Maxwell has clearly built an incredible team of subcontractors around him who show a huge amount of respect for him and his work. Knowing that subcontractors are the most unpredictable part of any project, it was evident how many steps in advance Maxwell was working to ensure we were always lined up and ready to go with the next phase of the project. Additionally, Maxwell's subcontractors clearly do high quality work and show up in your home with the same friendliness and above and beyond attitude as Maxwell does.

Above and Beyond - I would be remiss if I didn't call out the many ways Maxwell and Lathan went above and beyond for us throughout the project, outside of the scope of our bathroom build. Any opportunity they saw - whether it was building us a new mailbox catch, rehanging the door on baby nursery when he noticed it wasn't closing well, hauling away steel for us completely unrelated to the project - they took; not to charge us for work but because they are genuinely good people who want their clients homes to be the best space possible for them.

We know any future projects we tackle in our home or future Portland homes will be led by Green Light Construction! Thank you!