Living Room Remodeling in Chicagoland

What living room remodeling with ADS covers

Fireplace walls and mantels, built-ins and media walls, flooring, lighting and ceiling details, trim and paint. It also covers structural changes, like opening the living room to the kitchen or dining room.

Finish work or structural work

This one question decides most of the budget. Built-ins, a new fireplace surround and new floors work within the room as it stands. Taking out a bearing wall means holding the house up while the wall comes out. An engineer specifies the beam, the village issues a permit, and the inspector sees the framing before drywall.

At the estimate, we tell you which kind of project you have.

How the job runs

Estimate. Brian, the owner, measures the room and the floor around it. If a fireplace is in the plan, he checks the flue or gas line first. The itemized written estimate usually follows within 48 hours.

Protection. Furniture is moved out or wrapped, the TV comes down, and floors are covered from the entry to the work area.

Structure and rough-in. Wall removal if there is one, framing for built-ins or the fireplace, and new wiring for lighting and outlets, all inspected before the walls close.

Finish. Drywall, built-ins, flooring, trim, paint and lighting. On the last day, the furniture goes back.

Walkthrough. Punch list closed, then your 2-year written workmanship warranty.

Timeline and cost

Most living room projects take 3 to 5 weeks and cost $15,000 to $45,000. Structural changes add engineering and inspection time, and the written schedule shows it before we start.

Three things move the price the most. The first is whether a wall comes out. The second is how far the new floor runs, whether it stops at the doorway or continues through the hall and kitchen. The third is the fireplace, where refacing an existing one is a much smaller job than adding a gas unit with a new gas line and vent.

The estimate breaks these out as separate lines, so you can see what each one costs and decide what to keep. In older homes, matching new flooring to old is not always possible. When it is not, we say so at the estimate and show you the options that work.

What to have ready

Take down art and anything fragile, clear the shelves, and think about where furniture can sit for a few weeks. If you want the TV mounted on a new wall, tell us early so the wiring and backing go in before drywall.

Living rooms we have built

Custom fireplace wall, Lombard. A blank wall turned into the center of the room, with an electric fireplace, a backlit TV, lit niches with floating shelves and a wood mantel beam.

Staircase relocation and living space, Lombard. An old staircase that took up floor space was removed and rebuilt in a better location, and the carpet was replaced with hardwood throughout.

Want your living room priced? Send the estimate form at the top of this page, and we call or text back within 2 business hours to set up a free visit. Get my free estimate