Colby Brown / Spokesman ORIGJerry Harris poses for a photo inside his home, March 12. He rebuilt the fire place in the background.

Jerry Harris has been in construction for more than 20 years.

His experience often puts him in a supervisory role while on the job. So, instead of working for other people, Harris has decided to work for himself. He owns and operates High Desert Home Repair and Painting — or as he puts it, he’s a handyman.

“Anytime he works for anyone else it feels like he ends up being the main supervisor,” said Jill Harris, Jerry’s wife.

Harris has been in and out of Central Oregon with Jill during his career. He was here when the Great Recession hit and lost his job, along with a large number of construction workers, when the housing market crashed. He moved to Vancouver to be closer to family and began doing handyman work for the first time there. The lure of Central Oregon brought Harris and his wife back, with their 5-year-old son Cole, about three years ago.

Harris painted and worked as a job site supervisor before deciding to start his own business here, which went official this month.

“I like the variety,” Jerry said. “I don’t like to do just one thing all the time.”

For Harris, being able to put his creative side into the job is one of the main reasons he wanted to start his own business. He has experience in carpentry and enjoys creating something different with each new job. The variety of work that comes with being a handyman is what Harris wants out of his career.

“Recreating and rebuilding is the type of work I like,” Jerry said. “Being a part of the process where I can add to the look, from what I envision, and make it more than just a regular remodel is why I do the job.”

Harris said there is a potential for adding employees down the road, but he is currently focused on creating a customer base.

He started out painting with his stepbrother and other odd jobs while attending high school in Bend. After he graduated in 1992 he entered the workforce and has accrued experience and skills since.

“I have worked up to a point where if I were to switch to a different job, I would be starting from scratch,” Jerry said.

He will mainly focus on home repair, maintenance services, interior and exterior painting, carpentry, and refinishing. He can bid for a job or can charge an hourly rate, which is preferred for maintenance work or emergency services.

Harris said the construction community in Central Oregon is on the rebound from the recession. He said most of the independent contractors he knows in the area have a full work schedule.

“It has improved,” Jerry said. “I know some people who have been continuously busy for the past couple of years.”

But regardless of work, Harris said he is happy to be back in Central Oregon, boasting that he and his family have already gone camping this year. His son is already prodding him to go camping again.

“We love the whole environment of Central Oregon,” Jill Harris said. “We love the people and the outdoor lifestyle. And this is the type of place I want to raise my kid.”

— Reporter, 541-548-2185, cbrown@redmondspokesman.com