Ridge & Valley Home Services was founded in 2004 by Jim Kowalski, a McMinnville native who spent twelve years working as a journeyman carpenter before deciding it was time to do things his own way. The name came from the landscape that shaped him — the ridgelines and creek valleys of Yamhill County, a place he's spent his whole life and doesn't plan to leave.
In the early years it was just Jim and a truck, taking whatever came in and showing up on time, every time. Word spread the way it does in a small county — a deck project here, a referral to a neighbor there — and within five years Ridge & Valley had grown into a full crew capable of handling projects from single-afternoon repairs to multi-week interior remodels. The company has never run an advertisement. Every client comes from someone who worked with us before.
What hasn't changed is the way we approach every job: we give you a straight estimate, we do the work we said we'd do, and we leave the site cleaner than we found it. That sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how often contractors in this business cut corners on exactly those three things. We don't.
We work on homes in McMinnville, Newberg, Sheridan, Carlton, Dayton, and across Yamhill County. Our crews are local — most of them live within twenty minutes of the jobs they work on. When you hire Ridge & Valley, you're hiring neighbors, and we take that seriously.
Owner & Lead Contractor
Jim grew up in McMinnville and learned the trades from his father, who spent thirty years as a finish carpenter for a local millwork shop. After high school, Jim apprenticed with a general contractor in the Willamette Valley, working his way through framing, finish carpentry, decking, and eventually full interior remodels before earning his Oregon CCB license in 2003.
He started Ridge & Valley the following year with a simple goal: build a contracting company in Yamhill County that homeowners could actually trust. Over two decades later, that goal hasn't changed. Jim still walks every estimate personally, oversees each job from start to finish, and is available by phone to any client who needs to reach him.
Outside the job site, Jim coaches youth baseball in McMinnville and is a longtime member of the Yamhill County Home Builders Association. He lives in Dayton with his wife and two kids.
We carry every credential required by Oregon law — and then some. Before we set foot on your property, we're covered.
Oregon CCB License
#215847 — Active, Current
General Liability Insurance
$2,000,000 aggregate coverage
Worker's Compensation
Full coverage on all crew members
OSHA 10-Hour Certification
Construction safety — owner and crew leads
EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovator
Required for pre-1978 home renovations
CCB Continuing Education
Current — Oregon Code & Building Science
The same three things that built this business from a one-truck operation to a full crew.
We've been working in Yamhill County homes since 2004 — we know the local codes, the climate, and what materials last.
Every client we've ever had came from someone who worked with us before. We've never run an advertisement. Our reputation is our marketing.
Every estimate is detailed, written, and provided at no cost. No pressure, no obligation — just an honest look at what your project will take.
We'll come to your property, assess the work, and give you a straight written estimate — no cost, no obligation.