Dog Star Construction

Travis and his team were excellent. I hired them to install new flooring and doors as well as to paint my house in Sedro Woolley and they did a fantastic job! Travis was extremely professional and was very patient in answering all the questions I had. I will definitely hire them again for my remodeling needs in the future.

CHARACTER MATTERS

Everything we have read in these on-line reviews reflects our experience, as well, testifying to the exceptional consistency and reliability of DogStar’s principals and crew. This review is about character:

Over the course of 2 years, we extensively interviewed 5 different contractors (sometimes for months) to do a 2-bath remodel of our home. In each instance, we found that what we said we wanted was destined to come out looking like what THEY wanted, instead.

Within a few minutes of meeting Travis, we knew we had found a fit for us. Both Travis and Yvette were solid partners with us from start to finish, down to the smallest detail, providing an astonishing level of consultation and commitment to OUR vision. It may be hard to imagine in today’s construction environment - but whatever it is you’ve been dreaming about really can come true with DogStar.

Their unwavering commitment - to their word, to quality, and to customer care - is at the core of who they are as people, as partners, and as contractors. They are equally committed to the well-being of their on-site crew, resulting in a positive work environment that made sharing our home a pleasure.

Now, we look forward to aging in place in the beautiful Skagit Valley home that we love. Thank you, Travis, Yvette, Jose, Freddy, and Christian. Our beautiful new bathrooms were completed only yesterday, and we already miss you!

Willa
Sedro-Woolley, WA
Jan 2025

Top notch work start to finish from detailed design with outstanding communication through out the process. Superb craftsmanship, with meticulous attention to detail, dependable work force and beautiful results.

Dog Star Construction is amazing. Travis worked with me to help create a add on design for my house tailored to our many needs in a tiny space. He helped ease me through the process and even supported me with the forms that needed to be turned into the city. You can really tell he cares about making sure his customers feel valued and understood.

Travis and his team are amazing! They went above and beyond in repairing the bathroom for our shelter. It was better than we expected. DogStar is fantastic and we will definitely be using them again. In fact, they are already working on another project for us

We recently had the pleasure of working with Dog Star Construction to remodel our home, and we couldn't be happier with the results! From start to finish, they exceeded our expectations in every way. The team was incredibly attentive to our concerns and ideas, always taking the time to listen and address any questions we had. Their flexibility throughout the project made the entire process smooth and stress-free.

What truly sets Dog Star Construction apart is their creativity and innovative approach. They came up with design solutions and details that we never would have thought of, adding thoughtful touches that have made our home both beautiful and functional. Their craftsmanship is top-notch, and they transformed our space into something we absolutely love.

If you're looking for a design and remodeling team that combines expertise, creativity, and a true commitment to their clients, I highly recommend Dog Star Construction. They brought our vision to life in ways we couldn't have imagined! We love it!

Dog star design truly understands from drawing/engineering creation. This is key to getting a fast permitting process going. Travis understands what is necessary and created high quality engineering drawings. Also the build process was done fast and passed all inspections on time and with no issues. I am truly impressed with his team and the quality.

My wife and I cannot recommend Dog Star Construction highly enough. For the first time in a construction project, we had no conflicts, zero concerns during the job, pricing was clear, and communication was great. Everyone was on-time, worked diligently, and was respectful of property (note: we didn't hear a single note of death metal music or any other - Travis requires his employees to have ear buds!). We've owned our home for 27 years and have had several construction firms work on the house. DOG STAR IS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE ANY COMPANY WE'VE EVER USED. Not only is the work done with a conscious effort to get it right, it was done with the kind of professional craftsmanship my grandfather would have appreciated. Without going on and on, let me conclude with this: Dog Star is our go-to construction company for the rest of our lives. Period.

I had such a positive experience working with Travis and Yvette at Dogstar construction. They are a responsive and professional team that took on a very complicated construction project for me. This was a job that was considered near impossible by other contractors. They were able to finish on time and on budget.
Travis is direct, honest, and gets it done right. He is creative and has a wealth of experience for a new build or remodel. He has some of the best contacts in the business to consult on projects and the construction crew was professional and exceptional.
Yvette is reliable and efficient with billing, payment processing and budgeting. In my case she worked with a bank on a cumbersome construction loan. Again, they are a great team to work with. I always felt like conversations were honest and upfront and that we worked through challenges together. Wish I could give more stars.

Travis and his team were on top of everything the whole time. We did the renovation in multiple stages and they talked to me about and then fixed all the problems they found in my 115 year old house. The house now has a solid foundation, the front porch is structurally sound and leveled, the new bathroom (pipes and all) is beautiful, and the new kitchen is spectacular. Costs were reasonable and Travis and Jose called me to ask my opinion any time something came up outside what we'd discussed. On an old house this communication was invaluable.

I've included photos of the before and after kitchen (after with rug as I'm not sure what order they'll show), before and after bathroom (after with clawfoot), and the seating area of my new front porch. I'm sure you'll be happy with the work if you choose Dog Star.

Five stars for Dog Star Design and Build. Friendly, professional, expert service from start to finish. Travis’ experienced advice through the project planning phase was critical to success. I will definitely be calling Dog Star again when I need a contractor.

Dog Star did a great job of delivering us our dream farmhouse kitchen. We would highly recommend them and wouldn't hesitate calling them when we are looking at starting our next project.

Quality work, on time, on budget, communication was frequent and
attention to detail was exceptional. Best construction experience ever and I have had several.

Travis worked with us to get our design ready for approval with the city. Anytime we had questions or needed more information, he was thorough and informative with the process. Contact DogStar for your design needs before your next build.

Travis and his crew are amazing. I've never used any company that worked so hard to make me happy. They do great quality work inside and out. i will definitely be calling them back if I need anything in the future. They are polite and professional. I give them 3 thumbs up if thats possible.

Travis and his crew have completed several projects at our home. We like them so much - we keep inviting them back! They're professional, quick to deal with any issues that arise, and they do excellent work.

Travis went above and beyond my expectations when making blueprint for my new project. He was efficient and very friendly! I will definitely use him again for my next project. Thanks Travis!!

Travis did an amazing job building cedar railing and gate for my covered deck. He was very courteous, professional, and accommodating. He takes great pride in his workmanship and it shows. I couldn't be happier and all my friends have told me how much they love it as well. Thank you Dog Star Construction!

You will receive great quality from Dog Star Construction. They are professional, have incredible taste, and offer superior craftsmanship. I highly recommend!

Travis and his team exceeded expectations in every way. Not only efficient and fast-working but very considerate on a personal level as well. The functionality and aesthetics of our kitchen and dining room have changed the whole feeling of our home for the better. Every idea we had was improved upon. We recommend DogStar to our friends and will be hiring them again very soon for more projects.

Travis and his crew were Awesome!!! They repaired drywall and hung a barn door for us. They were professional, quick and the job was done to perfection. I would recommend them highly. The best part was that they cleaned up after the job, as drywall can be messy, they left it spotless when they were done. You can’t get better than that. Don’t hesitate to hire Dogstar.

If quality, reliability, and trustworthiness in a contractor is important to you then please look no further! We engaged with Travis and Yvette mid year in 2020 on a remodel of our Cabin / Second Home. This ended up being a significant and very custom project. Throughout I felt like Travis and Yvette were truly partners with my wife and I on the journey. They cared, provided great advice and guidance, did what they said they would do, had teams onsite working when committed, and Travis was always very clear and forthright with me as issues were discovered during the project and what our options were. Above all else, I really appreciated that Travis was very committed to doing a quality job and doing it right. My wife and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the project. My experience has been that finding quality people with the skills and work ethic to deliver is a hard combination to find. We found this in spades with Travis, Yvette, and team. Specifics on the work done during the project follow in next paragraph.

The scope of the project was quite substantial and included a significant amount of structural repairs due to the age of the existing cabin, previous poor workmanship related to work that had been done and added over the years, and simply years of maintenance neglect. Some of the specific work completed or managed by Travis and team included a full (demolition and replace) kitchen remodel, new flooring throughout, granite countertops throughout, full bathroom remodel, substantial rewiring of the electrical, interior rock walls to match existing rock hearth centerpiece, wall removal with placement of substantial beams for structural and aesthetics, woodstove installation, foundation repairs, substantial external wood rot identification and repair, new roof, addition of a substantial covered entry way with 12x12 beams tied into our existing roof, new interior and exterior trim, new entry doors, installation of French door, addition of new larger windows in kitchen and dining area to take advantage of the views, entry door and windows completely rebuilt to center entry way and provide continuity with the cathedral windows facing river as you enter the cabin, new lighting throughout, and more.

Yvette and Travis are knowledgeable, super helpful, quick to respond, and have impeccable design taste! I am excited to work with them on my newly inherited family home! They loved and respected my wish to keep the aesthetic of the house. It is a very sentimental project. I can't wait for the finished product!

We ❤️ Our house in Sudden Valley!

We feel we purchased a very well built & beautiful home by Dog Star Construction. Extra bonus that the builders Travis & Yvette are extremely nice, honest & great people to do business with.

Highly recommend!!

When we retired ten years ago, we searched for homes in Bellingham and chose one that had been built by Travis and his company, Dog Star, because of the obvious quality and careful workmanship. We have been delighted with our choice ever since.

We immediately sought them out for some updates to our home. They built a bar and a game room, built out our storage room, and have done several other projects since. Each experience has been exemplary. Travis discussed plans and good alternatives to give us the best results. The workmanship is excellent quality, the build-out matches the style of our home, and everything is done within the time frame and costs Travis stated. His employees are hardworking, respectful and courteous. At the end of each day the work site is cleaned and organized to cause minimal disruption to our life.

I am so proud of our home and it is great to work with someone who has the same pride in their work. Whether for a project or an entire new home, I would not hesitate to recommend Travis and his team. He is topnotch in every way.

My husband & I have used Travis several times. He has done everything from kitchen remodeling, removing walls, decking to painting. We have been so happy with him that we hiring him again. Feels like family with a personal touch......Bev

I am the President of the Cedar Point Condo Owner's Association, this is my Review.
Travis and his crew have been doing work with us for the past 2 years.
The work them do is beyond OUTSTANDING. They are reasonably priced,
they shown up when promised, they complete things on time, and Travis
checks in with me almost daily to be sure we are satisfied.
One of DogStar's biggest strengths is that they can literally DO IT ALL, Construction, Roofing, Painting, Drywall, and Concrete work.
I would rate them at 10 Stars if I could. I have absolutely no reservations
about recommending them to anyone. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Greg Day

I throughly enjoyed working with Travis from the beginning he asks questions that really made me think about the project. I appreciated his insight. The price was right and the result was amazing! Thanks Travis!

I have relied upon Dog Star Construction in two different capacities in the last 2 years, one as a home owner, the other as a General Manager of a large (3 sq.mile) HOA. In both cases, Dog Star exceeded my expectations in service and performance. My home is situated on a steep slope with an exterior 3 floor stairway resting on the downward side of the slope. The entire stairway was pulling away from the house and angling downward. Travis developed a engineering strategy to stabilize the slope while simultaneously reinforcing the stairway to ensure it would remain in position. The work was performed on schedule, within budget, technical high quality and architecturally appealing.

For our HOA, Dog Star was contracted to remove and replace a failed second story emergency stairway. The engineering drawings, and subsequent building permits were created and approved without invasive inspection of the structure; a 50+ year old converted barn. As the work began, Travis discovered the interior structural beams were non-standard, and in several cases, did not exist so the connections to the load bearing structure could not proceed as designed and improved. This required extensive communications between contractor, Engineer, and County Building Department. A change order was approved to complete the work, and it was less then expected given Building and Planning favored a stop work and complete redesign. Travis preserved and completed a high quality new emergency exit, meeting the approval of both Engineering and Permits.

My take away of Dog Star, and Travis Bertram specifically, is commitment to quality is his priority equal to his integrity to budget and schedule performance. His word is his bond.

Travis and his and his team worked hard to compete our project on time and on budget. Constant communication prevented me from feeling disconnected from the project and between communication and the teams happy demeanor I never felt the arduous frustration others told me they felt on their projects. Lastly, the follow up by Travis after the job was complete let me know he really cared about the quality of their work and the products installed.

Dogstar Construction built our custom rambler from dirt to finish.  Even though we had a slightly challenging design feature, they worked through it beautifully.
Travis brought lots of suggestions to the project and incorporated our ideas along the way. Being somewhat of a “design/build” project, Travis’ suppliers we very helpful in suggesting options for our heating/air conditioning, electrical and plumbing. Our house turned out to be everything we had designed and hoped for. Mostly, Travis and Yvette are just fun to work with. A real pleasure to have on our project.

Shannon and Bruce
Mount Vernon, WA

Travis and his crew did a great job on our replacement cedar siding and deck. Travis came up with ideas to save money and his crew was prompt, courteous, and did quality work.

My wife and I had Travis help us with a basic counter replacement to get us bye several years ago, he did a great job & it's lasted many years!

About 6 years ago when we were doing an addition onto our house,
(by ourselves to save money...) Travis came over for a visit and noticed the foundation was off so the next day he brought his laser level to show us how off it was... we gratefully let him take over and are so pleased with the father in law suite he built.. the prices have always been more than fair.

Now- we can't wait to have his wife come in and help design our 1958 kitchen - we've seen several of the homes they built and will always go with them.

We purchased a home from Travis and Yvette at the time only 2 floor were completed. When the time came to install the third floor , Travis , came in on budget, on time and his workmanship is above average. When they say something you can count on it. I recommend him for any build or remodeling project you want to accomplish.

3rd St.-Mt Vernon

"I was looking for a contractor when I found Dog Star Enterprises in the local newspaper and decided to give Travis a call. Travis was the only contractor that came out and looked at the bathroom project in depth.

He was able to give me an estimate that was spot on when he was there. At the time he was estimating on the bathroom he didn't know that he was interviewing for a whole house remodel. He got the job-a full house remodel. He stayed on budget. The job was done in a timely manner

and he had amazing ideas. The best thing is the intricate work that went into it. The house turned out beautiful and I now love my house.

Thank you Travis and Yvette."

--Katie C.

Dog Star Construction - Yvette and Travis along with their team built our home in 2007-We were able to express our ideas of what we desired in a home and Travis drew our plans reflecting the customization that we, as a husband and wife wanted. The garage was designed with an attached hobby area and the master bedroom was designed with a walk in closet to die for. We also had french doors leading to the back deck. The attention to details was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. On a side note back in 1998/1999 we had them reside and paint our house. The professionalism is what led us to contract them for our build in 2007.

We wanted part of the deck on our Sudden Valley home screened in for year-round use. We took our design idea to Travis of Dog Star Construction and, envisioning only a few minor changes, he scheduled the work. Despite unfavorable weather at the time of contruction, the job was completed in just eight days. . . amazing! And, the worksight was left clean and ready to use.

The materials he chose as well as the construction style he used beautifully matched the craftsman style of our home as from the original builder. The screened in porch looked like it had been there from the beginning! Our Pacific Northwest home now has a wonderful place to relax outdoors -- rain or shine.

Travis listened carefully to our desires, and then with great talent, turned them into reality. I have looked into some of the other construction efforts that Dog Star Construction has too offer -- including new home contruction. The end products are so consistently good, that I feel compelled to contract with him again when we build our next home.

In the end, I feel very confident about highly recommending this company for your construction needs.

They built a large addition, bedroom, wet bar area, full bath and huge walk-in closet, remodeled laundry room, new pantry and a full length covered deck. Work was quality, on time and on budget. Great experience, would recommend!

We have had two homes renovated and remodeled with Travis at DogStar Construction. He provided excellent service and affordable price. Travis was always available when we needed him to field our million questions, and he answered them with kindness and respect. His design acuity helped bring our 1970’s home to current and added to our property value.
If there were 10 stars on this Travis and his team would receive a 10!
Our pets loved them too! His love for animals helped make our pets more at ease during the renovation process. I can’t say enough about the Service we received. DogStar Construction gets an A++ in our family.

I hired Dogstar Construction to build a new deck for my home. I had three different bids and felt the most comfortable with moving forward with Dogstar. From start to finish, Travis was professional and patient with me. His team is well trained, friendly and hard working. His wife, Yvette, was always kind and helpful, as well. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending Dogstar to anyone and will be calling Travis the next time I have a remodel job.

I have known Travis Bertram of Dog Star Construction for 13 years, first as the builder of my spec home in Bellingham, then as the general contractor of major renovations in my home, and finally as a friend and business partner. He and his wife Yvette are a rare combination of ability and honesty, which is rare indeed in this industry.
I would recommend Dog Star Construction highly to anyone who needs a general contractor.

We've hired Dog Star twice - both with the same amazing results! Work done professionally, on time, and on budget. An exterior screened in porch added value and enjoyment to our back deck and the new kitchen floor looks fabulous. Whenever we're ready for another project, Dog Star will be our call.

Travis of Dog Star is a great guy who provides excellent service and quality of work. I highly recommend calling them.