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Service areas · Chicago

Kitchen and bathroom remodeling in Lincoln Square.

Lincoln Square, with Ravenswood and Lincoln Avenue’s commercial spine, is a neighborhood of private residences and small apartment buildings between the river and the Brown Line. Its kitchens range from a converted two-flat unit to a single-family house from the early 1900s, and we plan each one from measurements at your home.

Serving Lincoln Square, Chicago, ZIP 60625, 60640. Every Chicago ZIP code is inside our service area.

Bright kitchen with cream cabinetry, a white oak island, rush-seat stools and brass cone pendants beside a window seat

Kitchens in Lincoln Square

Houses and small buildings between the river and the Brown Line.

The housing stock here is private residences and small apartment buildings, which in practice means frame and brick houses from the early 1900s, two-flats and three-flats, and courtyard buildings, many of them converted to condominiums. A house kitchen is usually at the back and separated from the dining room; a unit kitchen is a galley on a shared stack. Each starts from a different question, and the layout follows from the answer.

The neighborhood’s streets are narrow and parking is tight, so deliveries, dumpster placement and, in a condominium, the building’s hours and elevator are planned before demolition. A Metra station at Ravenswood and the Brown Line make it easy for our team to be on site as often as the schedule needs.

Local context

Planning a remodel in Lincoln Square.

Landmarks nearby

The Krause Music Store at 4611 North Lincoln Avenue, Louis Sullivan’s final commission, is a Chicago Landmark designated in 1977. The City’s list shows no landmark district inside the community area; the East Ravenswood National Register district lies just east of Ravenswood Avenue. For a designated Chicago Landmark or a building in a landmark district, the Historic Preservation Division reviews permit applications so the work does not affect the significant historical or architectural features named in the designation ordinance. The City says those features are typically the exterior elevations visible from the street, and that no additional permits are required for landmark buildings. A kitchen or bathroom remodel inside the walls is therefore usually outside that review; a new window, vent or rear opening on a designated building may not be, and we confirm it for the address before drawing it.

Chicago Landmarks list

City permits

The Department of Buildings’ Express Permit Program covers building repairs and a limited range of small improvement projects through an online platform, with guided worktypes that include electrical work, plumbing work, nonstructural interior alteration and mechanical work. A kitchen or bathroom remodel that alters plumbing or opens a wall goes through the standard permit process instead. We file whichever applies and schedule inspections before the walls close.

Chicago Express Permit Program

Converted units and older houses

In a converted two-flat or courtyard building the kitchen sits on a shared stack, so what can move is decided by the building before it is decided by the design; we identify the stack, the shutoffs and the panel at the consultation and coordinate with the association. In an early 1900s house the usual finds are galvanized supply, plaster and old wiring, and Chicago’s conduit rule applies to every new circuit.

Municipal requirements change and depend on the property. We confirm what applies to your address during planning rather than assuming from the neighborhood.

What we do here

The kind of Lincoln Square projects we take on.

Every project uses the same design and build team. These pages explain the scope in more depth.

Everything a kitchen remodel involves

Recent work

Recent work near Lincoln Square.

Recent projects completed by the contractors on our team, each labeled with its own location and its contractor.

See all recent work

Bathrooms in Lincoln Square

Bathroom remodeling in Lincoln Square.

A bathroom in a converted Lincoln Square unit shares its stack with the neighbors, so the toilet and tub usually stay near their positions while the vanity, storage, lighting, ventilation and tile are rebuilt around them, and the shower waterproofing is built as a full membrane system and flood-tested because it protects the unit below. In a single-family house the room is often the original one off the hall, rebuilt within its footprint with a level floor and, if the owner wants it, heated tile.

Where a house is gaining a primary bathroom in a former bedroom or attic, the drain and vent routes and the water heater’s capacity are checked at the consultation before the room is drawn. Permits and inspections for the plumbing and electrical work are filed with the rest of the project.

Bathroom with black hexagon tile on the wall and floor, a black veined vanity top and a glass walk-in shower
Bathroom remodels in Lincoln Square follow the same process as our kitchens: measured at the visit, priced from a written scope, permitted and inspected.

Investment

Budget considerations in Lincoln Square.

Converted buildings add coordination with the association and the neighbors, and early 1900s houses add plumbing and electrical updating once the walls open. Chicago’s conduit requirement adds labor to every circuit. Structural openings and new bathrooms add engineering and a standard permit.

We do not publish a price per square foot. The Investment page explains the planning ranges and what moves a kitchen between them, and your priced proposal follows the in-home visit.

What a kitchen remodel costs in ChicagoWhat shapes bathroom remodel cost

Questions

Questions from Lincoln Square homeowners.

Do you work in Lincoln Square condominiums?

Yes. Converted two-flats and courtyard buildings are a large share of the neighborhood’s housing, and their shared stacks, shutoffs, hours and approvals are part of our normal planning. The condo checklist explains what to expect.

Is Ravenswood covered by this page?

Yes. Ravenswood lies within the Lincoln Square community area, and every Chicago ZIP code is inside our service area, including 60625 and 60640.

Who handles the City permit and inspections?

We do. Lakefront prepares the drawings, files the permit through the City’s process and schedules rough inspections before the walls close.

Do you remodel bathrooms in Lincoln Square as well?

Yes. Complete bathroom remodels in houses and converted units follow the same process as our kitchens, including the flood test before tile.

Let’s plan your kitchen or bathroom.

Have kitchen or bathroom photos? Include them with your inquiry for complimentary render previews within minutes. Photos are optional.

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