Veteran-owned remodeler in Durham, NCVeteran-owned remodeler
Ironwood Custom Remodels is a veteran-owned, licensed and insured remodeler based in Durham. Founder Ethan Randle, a former U.S. Marine, leads kitchen, bath and whole-house projects across the Triangle.
Ironwood Custom Remodels handles kitchen remodeling in Durham and across the Triangle, along with bathrooms, additions and whole-house makeovers. Founder Ethan Randle served in the United States Marines until 2014, then worked under a general contractor in Orange County, California while studying construction technology at night.
Recent work shows the range: a Hope Valley kitchen opened up by moving structural walls, a Cary kitchen finished on a tight timeline before the family moved in, and a Hurdle Mills kitchen where floors milled from trees on the property were resurfaced. Ironwood often builds alongside the homeowner's own designer. It has no set pricing, so every project starts with a free estimate.
From new counters and cabinets to a full layout change. Recent kitchens include light blue cabinetry run to the ceiling with handmade tile, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliance packages, soft-close cabinets and warm under-cabinet lighting. Ironwood's posted kitchen projects took 10 to 16 weeks.
Simple updates with new flooring, lighting, tubs, showers or vanities, or a full rebuild that reconfigures the layout. Reviewers mention custom primary and guest baths and a downstairs full bath, and Ironwood's 2026 guide covers spa-style primary baths with soaking tubs, curbless showers and heated floors.
When the problem is the whole floor plan, Ironwood reworks the layout so rooms flow the way you live. One Google review describes a first floor from the early 90s where the dining room came out and the kitchen grew, with the family living at home throughout.
Need more space without moving? Ironwood designs and builds additions such as a new bathroom, bedrooms or other living areas, or expands an existing room, matched to your current layout. Michael A. wrote that Ethan was on time and stayed within budget on his family's addition.
Turn a spare bedroom, attic or basement into a home theater, wine cellar, home office or home gym. Ironwood's 2026 blog covers finishing attics and building basement theaters in the Triangle, and the team helps you settle on a plan if you are not sure what the room should be.
Outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and seating areas, built into custom patios and other outdoor living areas and designed to suit your home's exterior. Ironwood's 2026 blog also breaks down what a backyard pool house or cabana costs in North Carolina.
Ethan Randle was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marines in 2014. Ironwood is veteran-owned, and its company values spell out the name, starting with integrity, reliability and organization.
Reviewers keep naming Ethan. Rebecca S. found it always easy to get a quick reply from him, and Elizabeth K. said he communicated with them just about every day of her kitchen remodel.
Ironwood has built kitchens designed by Heather Holcombe, Chess Kitchen & Interiors and The Kitchen Specialist. It also offers its own design consultations, material selections and drawings with renderings.
Kristen K. said her laundry room remodel finished ahead of schedule and in budget. Michael A. said Ethan was on time and stayed within budget on an addition. Google rates the firm 4.9 from 40 reviews.
Ethan Randle founded Ironwood Custom Remodels after an honorable discharge from the United States Marines in 2014. He first joined an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers apprenticeship, then, about a year in, moved toward general contracting for work that makes a real difference in customers' daily lives.
He worked full-time under a general contractor in Orange County, California while attending night school for a degree in construction technology, and then started his own company. Since then he has specialized in kitchen, bath and whole-house makeovers.
Today Ironwood is a veteran-owned, licensed and insured remodeler based in Durham, North Carolina.
Ethan RandleFounder and CEO
Send the free estimate form, then talk through the work you want, the finished space you picture and estimated pricing on a phone consultation.
A licensed member of the team visits your home to see the space and better understand your project and your vision.
Ironwood offers design consultations, material selections and professional drawings and renderings, or builds from plans you made with your own designer.
The project is priced around its own materials and labor, and Ironwood pulls all the permits the job needs before construction starts.
The crew shows up on time every day until the project is complete, and stays upfront and honest with you before, during and after the work.
Undertaking a complete kitchen remodel was major challenge for us. We needed a general contractor that had excellent constructions skills and strong subcontractors. Clear communication and great project management skills were imperative. We found that with Ethan Randle and Ironwood Custom Remodels. We wanted a custom kitchen that reflected our sense of style and love of beautiful wood. We did not want just another white kitchen.
It was a pleasure working with Ethan and his team. They were very professional and always responsive. If an issue came up, Ethan was quick to suggest ideas for a solution. Our custom master and guest baths turned out beautifully. I would definitely recommend them for use in your future project.
We had Ethan come out and build a new addition to our home earlier this year. We were more than pleased with the outcome of the new addition to our home. Ethan was on time, stayed within our budget request and Ethan exceeded all of our expectations.
Ironwood does not use set pricing. Each project is priced on its own scope, material cost, labor and other factors, which is why every job starts with a free estimate. For a sense of scale, Ironwood's 2026 guide to spa-style primary baths in the Triangle puts luxury packages at $45,000 to $150,000 or more.
Ironwood's published kitchen projects ran 12 to 16 weeks for the Hope Valley, Cambridge and Carrboro kitchens, and 10 to 12 weeks for the Hurdle Mills kitchen. Your timeline depends on scope. Reviewer Matthew R. wrote that Ethan helped set realistic expectations and listened closely to his specifications on timing and budget.
Yes. Ironwood Custom Remodels is a licensed and insured North Carolina contractor, and it pulls all necessary permits for its jobs. Public records show it working locally: on August 6, 2026 the Town of Cary issued Ironwood a permit to remodel a master bath and kitchen tops.
Many clients do. Alexis and John updated their entire first floor, removed the dining room and expanded the kitchen while living in the home, and Ironwood's reply notes they did it with kids and dogs. The Ironwood blog also explains how to phase a whole-home renovation without moving out.
Yes. The Legacy Kitchen in Hurdle Mills was designed with The Kitchen Specialist before the homeowners chose Ironwood to build it, and other kitchens were designed with Heather Holcombe and Chess Kitchen & Interiors. If you do not have a designer, Ironwood offers design consultations, material selections and professional drawings and renderings.
Call for a free estimate, or send the short form and the Ironwood team will set up a time to talk through your project.
(760) 642-6051
