Turning a triplex into a five-plex in SE Portland, OR

[Emma Lincoln]

Hi all,

I own a triplex in SE Portland and am planning on turning the 2000+ square foot basement into 2 2bd/1ba apartments. 

I'm having trouble finding a construction company that is well-versed in this type of permitting and code work. I keep hearing that over 4 units = commercial, so residential contractors are reluctant to touch it. I'm also getting mixed feedback on whether I need to hire an architect or not. 

Would love to hear from the Portland BP community on:

- experiences, ideas and warnings about multi-family construction/expansion in this area

- recommendations (or warnings!) about large scale construction companies

- experiences with using construction company vs architect for design / plans

Thanks so much!