Extreme Makeover

The Stutzman Services family extends their thoughts and prayers to the Byers family as their beautiful daughter, Boey, passed away on December 28th, 2007. We are fortunate to have been touched by her contagious spirit and joy for life. The Byers Family is a deserving family with incredible purpose. It has been our pleasure working with this family.

Stutzman Services had the privilege of being invited to help on the Corvallis, Oregon episode of ABC’s hit reality television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The show was filmed in July 2007 and aired October 7th, 2007. Stutzman Services designed and installed the entire landscape, carrying a Zen garden feel throughout, including a large Koi Pond in the back. In addition, they installed a well water pump and water storage system, along with complete water treatment including a water softener and state of the art whole house reverse osmosis system.

We are extremely grateful to Legend Homes for inviting Stutzman Services to join their dream team for this project. Legend Homes is a premier builder in the Portland and Corvallis, Oregon communities.

If you would like more information on the Corvallis episode, please follow these links:

Official Show Website • Legend Homes Site • Byers Family Blog

“It is a real honor to be selected by Legend Homes to join "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition", and be recognized for the work our team does every day. It is even more satisfying to help this deserving family get back on their feet.”

Bill Marshall, Landscape Manager,
Stutzman Services, Inc.

Our Daily Blog

Day 1

I will try to keep you informed as to what is going on over at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition job site. After all, there is no way that Stutzman Services would have been invited to this project if it were not for our customers! So, for that, we all say thanks.

Wow, what a great day. It started at 6:30am with the filming of the opening sequence to the show. They call this portion Braveheart. They call it this because the gathering of blue shirts marching towards the house symbolizes the troops going into battle. It took about three hours to capture all the video they needed. In the process, we got to work with Ty Pennington and all the other Designers of the famous show. After that was completed, KMTR News Source 16 asked for an interview from Stutzman Services to give our take on the local impact of the ABC show coming to town. That airs this evening on the 5pm and 11pm news, so be sure to catch it. About the time we completed that interview, the excavators fired up and took the house down. They made very quick work of it. As we speak, they are preparing to set the forms and pour a special, fast drying concrete foundation that can be built on tomorrow.

This process is truly amazing. They will completely demolish and build a new house in a total of 106 hours. There are absolutely no cutting corners and they demand excellence, quality and safety. Stutzman Services is designing and constructing the entire landscape, irrigation and lighting systems, installing a new well water pump and storage system as well as a state of the art whole house reverse osmosis system. In normal terms, it will be like bottled water pumped through the entire house. It will be the best water they can get and hopefully assist Boey, the 8 year old girl fighting cancer, in staying free of sickness.

Day 2

What is that saying?… ”it takes a village to raise a child.” Well, I can attest that it takes the state of Oregon to raise a house in one day! That is what happened today. When I arrived this morning, they were just beginning to pour the cement for the garage floor. By about 9am, they began craning in pre fabricated walls. By this afternoon they were putting on the trusses. When I left at 8:30pm this evening, they were beginning to lay shingles. Aside from a vendor coming through and handing out Oregon Duck hats, all else seemed to go very well today.

Stutzman Services will be putting in a new pump and storage tank, along with the water treatment and reverse osmosis systems tomorrow. Then, we will have all day Thursday to install the landscape. The energy is building and the “hurry up and wait” is almost over. What an opportunity to help this family and come together as a community!

Day 3

Day 3 was a little more interesting. The exterior of the house went up so fast on Day 2 that it was hard to recognize change from the outside on day 3. However, a walk through the house quickly revealed where all the blue shirted ants had migrated. Sheet rock, cabinets, flooring, electrical and more were all going in at the same time. While the busyness was unfolding inside, Stutzman Services put a new submersible pump down the well. Then, the water systems team began installing the water treatment and plumbed in the large 2500 gallon storage tank for the home water. They were still at it when I left about midnight. Also, about 8:30pm, we were cleared to excavate the hole for the pond going in the back of the house. Once that was completed, the 4 man crew made quick work of shaping the structure by hand, compacting rock in the bottom, and then laying down the liner. That was as far as they could go tonight.

Tomorrow is a really big day. The entire landscape crew is scheduled to begin at 6am and complete the entire landscape by 8pm tonight. No problem! So, tomorrow would be a great day to come out and say hi if you have the time. As much as the house took quick form with dramatic change, the same will happen tomorrow with the landscape and beauty of the exterior grounds.

Day 4

What day is it? Oh, day 4. Wait, that was yesterday. Anyway, I will catch you up quickly on yesterday.

Our landscape crew was scheduled to go to work at 6am. As you soon learn on a build like this, schedules are just a recommendation, not necessarily a sure thing. Due to many other projects going on where we needed to be landscaping, combined with the TV cameras and crew filming on or around our projects, it was a slow starting day. However, when we received the green light, our team jumped into action and quickly began transforming the front area of the home. Before too long, underground sprinklers were installed, green sod was put down, boulders were meticulously placed, and dark, contrasting mulch was thrown down. By nights end, large trees were planted and the wiring for the landscape lighting was buried.

As for the backyard…It is where most of the daily changes are being made and the filming is happening. So, due to Bill Marshall’s extreme patience and ability to make quality decisions on the fly, it is well under way and starting to take shape. It will receive most of the attention today and be completed by this evening for the most part.

It was great to see many of you yesterday. I am sure that it has changed even more drastically since you saw it last!

Day 5

What a day! Talk about transformation. Our landscape crew got after it and completed the front yard. It is complete with giant boulders, fresh sod, Zen rock beds, contrasting black mulch, large trees, green shrubs and accented with landscape lighting. While that was going on, another team was progressing on the Koi Pond in the back. By about mid day, the two teams came together and worked into the late evening completing the backyard. I know it will shock many of you, but I even leaned on a shovel a couple times today! I was mostly in the way, but tried to help anyway.

This is the point where I have to say that we have the best team in the world. I truly believe we have world class designers and installers. However, it is the crew that really goes unnoticed many times. They worked endless hours this week and never complained. There was absolutely no compromise in quality. As a matter of fact, their work is catching the attention of all onlookers. In addition, our water systems managers and technicians came out to help the landscape team, even though they have worked tirelessly getting the state of the art pump and water treatment systems going this week.

That said, tomorrow will be the reward for the work accomplished. The family is due home for the big reveal, and will get to see their new home and outdoor living for the first time. It should be exciting!

Thanks for going on the journey with me.

A Very Special Thanks to Our Sponsors!




  • Legend Homes
    The Builder
    541-738-0558


  • Mitchell Lewis
    Well Pump and Accessories
    800-275-3602




  • Aaron Sadowsky Trucking
    Landscape Soil, Rock and Mulch Delivery
    541-979-4412

  • Garland Nursery
    landscape plantings
    800-296-6601





  • Goulds Pumps, ITT Industries




  • Ferguson
    Water Systems Supplies




  • Hydrotech
    WGR-1800 Commercial Reverse Osmosis, 500 gallon Storage Tank




  • O3 Water Systems, Inc
    Pinnacle 14EM 3cuft Water Softener



  • The Bark Place
    Landscape Soil, Mulch
    541-929-2423


  • JB Instant Lawn
    Landscape Sod




  • Rain Bird
    Irrigation Supplies




  • United Pipe & Supply
    Pipe, Fittings



  • Rocky Mountain Nursery, Inc
    Landscape Plantings
    503-838-4222

  • Wyatt's Eatery
    Thanks Brian for the help and amazing, timely food
    541-917-3727


  • Pacific Stonescape

    Pacific Stonescape
    Stepping Stones
    541-928-7678


  • Mid Pacific Enterprises

    Mid Pacific Enterprises
    Landscape Boulders
    541-928-7731


  • M & K Winn Excavating, Inc

    M & K Winn Excavating, Inc
    Koi Pond Excavation


  • Springfield Koi Ponds

    Springfield Koi Ponds
    Koi for the pond
    503-476-2842