Your Central Oregon home, built from scratch for the way you actually live.
The hardest part of building a custom home in Central Oregon isn't the high desert. It's finding a team that listens well enough to get it right. That's where we start.
Design and Construction Under One Roof.
Building a custom home on high-desert terrain means managing an enormous number of decisions across a long timeline, from bedrock excavation to wildfire-code compliance. When the designer and the builder are the same team, those decisions stay connected. There's no gap between what was designed and what gets built. Our team carries accountability for all of it.
Designers Who Get to Know You First.
Before any plans are drawn, Neil Kelly's designers work to understand how you actually use your home, what draws you in visually, and what the new house needs to do for your life. That's not a sales step. It's the work that makes the difference between a house that looks right and one that feels right.
Sustainability Credentials That are Real.
Neil Kelly built the first LEED-certified home in the Pacific Northwest and has since completed projects to Passive House, Earth Advantage, and Energy Star standards. If building with lower environmental impact matters to you, those aren't aspirations. They're our track record.
A Five-Year Warranty on a Brand-New Home.
Most builders consider the job done at closing. Neil Kelly's five-year warranty means that if something isn't right after you've moved in, there's someone to call who's accountable for fixing it.
Your Bend Design Team.
We know Central Oregon's building conditions: the basalt and sloped terrain that shape site work, the permit process through Deschutes County or the City of Bend, and what it takes to design a home that holds up to high-desert sun, snow load, and the threat of wildfires. They know the golf and resort communities' architectural review process as well as they know the unincorporated county's, because a custom home in Broken Top and a custom home in Tumalo answer to entirely different rules.
Our designers each bring their own strengths, from design style to accessibility and multi-generational living. Collectively, they bring a depth of custom home experience in Central Oregon that's hard to replicate.
Amy Hekker
Senior Design Consultant Bend View Profile
Elicia Pyle
Senior Design Associate Bend View Profile
Jamie Rupprecht
Design Consultant Bend View Profile
Kathleen Donohue
Senior Design Consultant Bend View Profile
Lisa Rokosh
Design Consultant Bend View Profile
Pynne Mitsch
Design Consultant Bend View Profile
Selah Ewert
General Manager Bend View ProfileHow a Central Oregon Custom Home Gets Built.
No project type demands more decisions than building a custom home. Neil Kelly's six-phase process brings each decision to you at the moment it actually matters, so nothing feels hurried, nothing slips through, and you always know where your project stands from the first meeting to the final walkthrough.
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01
In-Home Design Consultation
A Neil Kelly designer will meet with you for a free 60-to-90-minute conversation. We'll talk through your vision, your lot, your budget, and your timeline. This is where we figure out whether we're the right fit for each other. No commitment required.
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02
Schematic Design
Site orientation, scope confirmation, floor plan options, materials direction. You'll see how your home could be organized on the lot, work through alternatives, and shape the direction before we draw any details.
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03
Design Development
Full plans, full specs, every material and system selected. This is where your home becomes a complete, permitted set of construction documents and pricing gets finalized.
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04
Fixed-Price Contract
The number you see is the number you pay. Permits filed, materials ordered, schedule set. Building a custom home involves many variables. Our fixed-price contract makes sure none of them become your problem mid-build.
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05
Construction
Built by Neil Kelly's in-house craftspeople. A dedicated project manager runs the site, coordinates every trade, and keeps you updated weekly. You'll always know where your home stands.
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06
Punch List + Warranty
Final walkthrough of every room, every finish, and every system. Anything that's not right gets fixed before you move in. Five-year warranty coverage starts on completion.
What We Know About Building Custom Homes in Central Oregon
Building a custom home in Bend means designing for conditions Portland and Seattle projects never face: volcanic rock beneath the surface, high-desert temperature swings, and building codes written specifically for wildfire risk.
Site & Terrain
Much of Bend sits on shallow basalt bedrock. When a foundation excavation hits rock, it calls for specialized equipment, thorough site prep, and thoughtful scheduling. Sloped and high-desert terrain, especially on the west side of town, often calls for engineered retaining walls, stepped footings, or a daylight basement rather than a standard foundation.
Climate & Structural Engineering
Central Oregon's wide temperature swings and intense UV exposure put real stress on exterior materials, so we build in high-performance windows and a robust insulation envelope from the start. Winter snow loads, which vary by elevation, also shape roof truss engineering—this isn't a one-size-fits-all calculation across Bend.
Wildfire-Hardening Code
As of May 15, 2026, the City of Bend adopted Section R327 of the Oregon Residential Specialty Code, which sets home-hardening requirements for new detached homes and accessory structures built inside the city's Wildfire Hazard Zone. In practice, that means noncombustible or ignition-resistant siding, fire-rated roofing assemblies, ember-resistant vents, and multi-pane tempered windows. We will design to these standards as a baseline, not an add-on.
HOA & Jurisdiction Considerations
Many of Bend's master-planned communities layer their own architectural review process on top of city code, which can create tension between fire-hardened materials and traditional design guidelines. Oregon law now limits how far HOAs can go in blocking legitimate wildfire-safety upgrades, but navigating that overlap still takes a design-build team that knows both the city's requirements and the community's review process. Building just outside city limits, in unincorporated Deschutes County, removes the HOA layer but adds county permitting, well, and septic requirements instead.
Central Oregon Custom Home Questions, Answered.
Does Neil Kelly build custom homes?
Yes. Neil Kelly designs and builds custom homes, including the first LEED-certified home in the Western U.S. Their design/build process ensures the team is involved from inspiration through construction completion.
How much does a custom home cost?
Custom home costs vary widely based on size, site conditions, design complexity, and material choices. A high-quality custom home may range from $600 to $800 per square foot or more. Neil Kelly provides project-specific estimates during the design consultation.
How long does it take to build a custom home?
A custom home typically takes 12-24+ months from design through construction completion, depending on complexity, permitting, and site conditions. The design phase alone can take several months.
What is the difference between a custom home and a spec home?
A custom home is designed specifically for you on your land — every detail reflects your vision and needs. A spec home is built by a developer to a standard design, often before a buyer is found. Neil Kelly only builds custom homes.
How does the custom home design process work?
Neil Kelly custom home process follows their design-build model: initial consultation, schematic design, design development, permitting, then construction. A single point of contact leads you through every phase.
Do I need to own land before starting a custom home project?
Yes — Neil Kelly builds on land you own or have under contract. They can advise on site considerations during early conversations, but a site must be identified before design begins.
Build Your Custom Home with Confidence
Design and construction under one roof, backed by a five-year warranty. Schedule a consultation to get started.