Boise is really several building environments inside one city. A 1910 bungalow in the North End, a post-war ranch on the Bench, a 1990s house in West Boise, and a hillside lot in the Highlands have almost nothing in common with each other — different framing, different systems, different soil, and meaningfully different permitting paths.
GW Construction works across all of it: kitchen and bath remodels, additions, whole-home renovations, detached shops and garages, accessory dwelling units, custom new construction, and commercial tenant improvements. Where a property sits in a historic district or in the Foothills, we scope that review into the schedule from the first conversation rather than discovering it in plan check.
- Permitting authority
- City of Boise Planning & Development Services
- Water & sewer
- City water and sewer across most of the city
- Terrain
- Valley floor, river bench, and foothills
- ZIP codes
- 83702, 83703, 83704, 83705, 83706, 83709, 83712, 83713, 83716
- Where we work in Boise
- North End · East End · Hyde Park · Warm Springs · Boise Bench · Depot Bench · Vista · Southeast Boise · Harris Ranch · Barber Valley · Columbia Village · West Boise · Collister · Highlands
What we find in Boise homes
Boise’s housing runs from 1900s–1920s bungalows and Craftsman homes in the North End, East End, and Hyde Park, through Depression-era and post-war cottages on the Bench and in Vista, to 1970s and 1980s ranches and split-levels across West Boise and Southeast Boise, and contemporary construction in Harris Ranch, Barber Valley, and the Foothills. The older stock is genuinely rewarding to renovate and consistently turns up the same list: undersized electrical service, ungrounded or knob-and-tube remnants, galvanized supply lines, minimal wall insulation, original single-pane windows, and additions layered on over decades without much regard for load path. The Bench and West Boise homes usually need envelope and mechanical work more than structural work, and they open up beautifully.
Permitting and planning in Boise
Permits run through City of Boise Planning & Development Services. Two extra layers matter here. Properties inside a designated historic district — the North End, East End, Hyde Park, and Warm Springs Avenue among them — generally require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission for exterior work, which shapes window replacement, siding, roofing, porches, and anything visible from the street. Separately, Foothills and hillside parcels carry grading, drainage, erosion-control, and access requirements that add engineering and time. Boise’s zoning code has also broadened where accessory dwelling units are allowed, which has made detached ADUs and garage conversions a much more common project than they were a few years ago.
What we build in Boise
Home Remodeling & Renovation
From a one-room addition to a complete interior and exterior renovation, we guide the project from concept to completion.
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Kitchen Remodeling
A well-designed kitchen is the social center of your home. We handle design, cabinets, counters, lighting and flooring.
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Bathroom Remodeling
Thoughtful planning and attention to detail are the keys to any bathroom remodel — from a guest bath to a full primary suite.
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Custom New Home Construction
From the first plan sketch to the day you move in — custom homes built to your site, your budget, and the way you actually live.
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Design & Build
One team, one contract, one continuous flow of work from the first concept through to the final punch list.
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Shops, Garages & ADUs
RV shops, detached garages, metal buildings, and accessory dwelling units — the outbuildings Idaho property actually gets used for.
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Commercial Remodel & Tenant Improvements
Office, retail, restaurant, and industrial build-outs — including phased work in spaces that have to stay open.
Learn moreBuilding in Boise: common questions
Do I need historic approval to remodel in the Boise North End?
For exterior work, very likely. Much of the North End is inside a designated historic district, and exterior changes visible from the street generally need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Boise Historic Preservation Commission — window replacement and siding are the two that catch people out. Interior-only work is usually unaffected. We confirm the property’s status with the city before design gets far enough to be expensive to change.
Can I build an ADU on my Boise lot?
Often yes. Boise’s zoning has substantially expanded accessory dwelling unit allowances, and detached units, garage conversions, and shops with living quarters are all being permitted. Setbacks, height, lot coverage, parking, and sewer connection are the practical constraints, and a historic district adds a design review layer. We look at the specific parcel and tell you what actually fits.
What does it cost to remodel a house in Boise?
It depends on scope, the age and condition of the house, and finish level — and any contractor quoting a number before walking the property is guessing. What we can do is see the house, talk through what you want, and give you a real range early, before you have spent money on design the budget was never going to support.
Do you work on Boise Foothills and hillside lots?
Yes. Hillside sites need engineered foundations, real drainage and erosion control, retaining where the grade demands it, and access that works for construction traffic. They also carry a longer front-end review. All of that is manageable — it just has to be priced and scheduled honestly rather than discovered during excavation.
What our clients say about GW Construction
We specialise in helping clients get the biggest return on their investment — and we’d welcome the chance to give you a custom evaluation of your home.
“The finished work was excellent, delivered on time, and inside our budget. What more is there to ask?”
Our experience with GW Construction was outstanding from beginning to end. They were recommended to us by a real estate agent we trusted, who was helping us plan a remodel of a home we had just purchased. Past contractors had been hit or miss for us, so committing to a renovation north of $70,000 made us genuinely nervous. That changed at the first meeting. Derek listened carefully to what we wanted the remodel to accomplish and then carried the plan out faithfully. Just as valuable, he offered real insight where he saw a way to improve on our thinking, and told us plainly when an idea of ours was not economically sensible or carried a downside we had not considered. He was straightforward, transparent, and respectful throughout. Communication was excellent — calls, emails, and texts were returned promptly. He even introduced us to each of the subcontractors so we could build a relationship with them directly. Most importantly, the finished work was excellent, delivered on time, and inside our budget. What more is there to ask? Highly recommended.
Jack and Sue Serrino“He has completed more than 25 projects for my clients over the years, and I intend to keep sending them his way.”
Derek is far and away the best contractor I have worked with, and his ability to listen to my clients and respond to what they actually need has exceeded anything I expected. Being classically trained and professionally educated shows in the work. His grasp of both the practical and the possible means he handles small and large-scale jobs equally well, and there is genuinely nothing I would hesitate to refer to him. He has completed more than 25 projects for my clients over the years, and I intend to keep sending them his way.
Seth O’ByrneWe also build near Boise
Building in Boise?
Tell us about the project and we'll set up a free consultation at the property — no pressure, no obligation.