West Slope and Raleigh West, Oregon, sit about 5-10 minutes from our base, and Cedar Mill Property Repair works in both. The census puts the median build year here at 1962, so most requests are decks, foundation bolting, water heaters and rain runoff. Fixing deck framing around Portland usually lands between $949 and $3,605, most often near $2,251, with materials (market data, November 2026) . Ring or text and attach a snapshot.
Where are West Slope and Raleigh West, and which office handles permits there?
On the census map, West Slope is an unincorporated pocket of Washington County below Highway 26, with Cedar Hills to the west and the Raleigh Hills / Garden Home area to the southeast. About 7,200 people lived there at the 2020 count.
Here's the catch. Beaverton also runs a West Slope neighborhood committee and a Denney Whitford / Raleigh West one, so your street may sit inside the city or out in the county. The county's building FAQ only answers for unincorporated addresses and sends city residents to the city. Before anything a permit covers, find out which office your lot belongs to.
What kind of houses are in West Slope?
The Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey counts 2,990 homes in the West Slope area. The decade with the most construction was the 1950s, and roughly 85 % of everything standing went up before 1980.
| West Slope housing (ACS 2020-2024) | Figure |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1962 |
| Built in the 1950s | 799 |
| Built in the 1970s | 764 |
| Built in the 1940s | 478 |
| Built before 1980 | 2,556 (about 85 %) |
| Detached houses | 1,704 (57 %) |
| Units in buildings of 5+ apartments | about 870 (29 %) |
| Occupied homes that are rented | 1,236 of 2,912 (42 %) |
So it's a mix: older detached houses on hilly lots, plus a good share of apartments and rentals. On a slope that usually means a back deck standing on tall posts and rainwater heading downhill toward the foundation .
Does the 1978 lead paint rule affect my West Slope house?
Oregon treats a pre-1978 home as carrying lead paint until testing shows otherwise.
Paint-disturbing work like that is something we leave to lead-firms. With this much older housing, it means most window jobs, exterior repaints and larger siding repairs go elsewhere, and you'll hear that from us before anything else.
Plenty sits outside the rule: deck framing, bolting the mudsill in the crawl space, swapping a water heater, clearing gutters and most small fixes.
What do West Slope homeowners usually call us for?
Decks. A deck built out over a downhill yard gets wet from every side, and soft boards, wobbly rail posts and rotting stair stringers tend to show up first . Our deck repair page covers how we fix them. Washington County says a ground-level deck needs no permit, though its Current Planning staff should still confirm your setbacks. Starting over? See deck building.
Seismic bolting. The county writes that buildings from before 1980 probably won't come through a big earthquake well, and that describes most of this neighborhood. Outside city limits it asks for no permit and no inspection on seismic upgrades; inside Beaverton, ask the city. Our seismic retrofit page has the details. Bolting a whole house usually costs more than $2,000, and Oregon wants that in a written contract .
Water heaters. A house from the 1960s is likely on its second or third tank by now, and the old ones often have no straps . On the county's list, replacing a water heater is plumbing that requires a permit. More on our water heater replacement page.
Gutters and runoff. On a hillside lot, a clogged gutter or a downspout that ends at the wall dumps water right where the crawl space is . Clearing them is the cheap first step, see gutter cleaning.
Small fixes. A sticking bedroom door, a dent punched through drywall, a TV going up over the fireplace. These rarely touch enough paint to trigger the lead rule, and they're what small jobs is for .
How much do common West Slope jobs cost?
The figures below are Portland market estimates gathered in November 2026; our own numbers replace them after Slava reviews each one. Check the basis column, since a few rows cover labour alone. For the hourly rate and minimum charge, see pricing.
| Job | Typical | Range | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck framing, stair and rail fixes | about $2,251 | $949 to $3,605 | materials included |
| Swapping rotten or split deck boards | about $1,200 | $500 to $4,000 | materials included |
| Outdoor wood steps and landings | about $1,000 | $400 to $2,500 | materials included |
| Bolting the house to its foundation | about $5,000 per house | $2,800 to $10,000 | materials included |
| Quake prep: heater strap, furniture and cabinet anchors | about $800 per house | $400 to $1,500 | labour alone |
| New tank water heater, like for like | about $1,350 | $880 to $2,000 | materials included |
| Earthquake straps on a water heater | about $250 | $150 to $400 | labour alone |
| Clearing gutters and downspouts | about $285 | $175 to $450 | labour alone |
Need a hand? Phone or text with a photo of the problem. Mention West Slope or Raleigh West and about when your house was built, since the age decides what we can do for you.