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Contractor LocalPuget Sound Home Project Guides

Hire the Right Contractor in Puget Sound

Contractor Local explains what home projects cost in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond, what the city will require, and how to hire a contractor you will not regret. Every guide is written for Puget Sound houses, weather and permit offices, not for a national average.

A yellow Craftsman house with a deep front porch behind a stone wallCraftsman house
A Craftsman bungalow with a brick chimney and a porch with tapered columnsBungalow
A dark red two-story house with a white front porch and stairsPorch and gable
SeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondRoofingSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondSidingSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondWindows & DoorsSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondKitchen & BathSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondAdditionsSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondDecks & PatiosSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondFencingSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondADUsSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondFoundationSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmondPaintingSeattleBellevueKirklandRedmond

Ten trades, explained for local homes

Ranges reflect finished work by licensed contractors in the Seattle area and move with house size, access and material choice. Each trade guide breaks them down.

TradeTypical Puget Sound rangeGuide
Roofing $14,000 – $30,000 for an asphalt replacement Roofing
Siding $30,000 – $70,000 for fiber cement on an average house Siding
Windows & Doors $900 – $3,500 per window installed Windows & Doors
Kitchen & Bath Remodeling $60,000 – $120,000 for a mid-range kitchen Kitchen & Bath
Additions & Remodeling $350 – $600 per sq ft for an addition Additions & Remodeling
Decks & Patios $45 – $110 per sq ft for a new deck Decks & Patios
Fencing $45 – $75 per linear ft for a 6-ft cedar fence Fencing
ADUs $300,000 – $500,000 for a detached unit ADUs
Foundation & Drainage $4,000 – $30,000 for most drainage repairs Foundation & Drainage
Exterior Painting $8,000 – $18,000 for a typical two-story house Exterior Painting

Four cities, four sets of rules

Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond sit within a few miles of each other and still differ on permits, tree protection, critical areas and the age of their houses. A 1920s Wallingford bungalow and a 1990s Education Hill two-story need different things from the same trade.

01Seattle pre-war houses, steep lots, the region's busiest permit office 02Bellevue mid-century ramblers and hillside view homes 03Kirkland lakeside slopes, wooded lots and a strict tree code 04Redmond 1980s and 1990s subdivisions, streams and HOAs

Know the number before the first quote

The Project Cost Estimator gives a range for your project in your city, and the Permit Checker tells you whether the city will want a permit. Both take about a minute and make the first conversation with a contractor much more useful.

Project Cost Estimator Permit Checker

Decisions homeowners ask us about most

All ten are on the Guides page.

How these guides are written

Every page is researched from city permit offices, state licensing rules, manufacturer specifications and conversations with working contractors in the region. Costs are ranges, not quotes, and every permit statement links to the city's own page so you can check it.