DES PLAINES, ILLINOIS

Des Plaines Home Remodeling & Construction Contractor

Updates for post-war homes, additions, new construction, and commercial build-outs

Most Des Plaines houses went up in the building boom after World War II, when the city more than doubled in size. Today many of those ranches, Cape Cods, and bi-levels need more space, better layouts, and systems built for how families live now. Moller Builders handles the whole job, from city permits and floodplain review to the final walkthrough.

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Remodeling & Construction in Des Plaines

Des Plaines is one of the older towns in the northwest suburbs, with a downtown that grew up around the railroad in the 1850s and neighborhoods like Riverview that joined the city in the 1920s. The biggest wave came after the war and the opening of O’Hare next door, which filled the city with modest, well-built single-family homes on regular lots.

Those houses are great candidates for remodeling. Their straightforward framing makes it easier to open walls, add a second floor, or build out the back. The river is the other part of the picture. Many homeowners want to know how a project affects flood risk, and we plan for water from the first visit. Our office is in Skokie, about 20 minutes east.

MAJOR RENOVATION & CONSTRUCTION

What We Build in Des Plaines

Full-home renovation with an open, modern living space

Full-Home Renovations

Plenty of Des Plaines homes still have their original kitchen, baths, and electrical panel. A full renovation brings all of it up to date at once: a new layout, new kitchen and bathrooms, flooring, lighting, and upgraded plumbing, wiring, and HVAC, all managed as one project and one schedule.

Changing the layout of a ranch or bi-level often means moving or removing a wall that carries the roof. We work with an engineer to size beams and supports and keep that work inside the same contract, so the structural and finish work stay coordinated.

Custom Homes & New Construction

When a small house on a good lot has reached its limit, building new can make more sense than remodeling. We take a new Des Plaines home from early planning through design coordination, permits, construction, inspections, and move-in.

The City treats new single-family homes as major projects, reviewed separately from quicker express permits, and demolition needs its own permit. If the lot is in a mapped floodplain or floodway, a development permit is also required before building. We check the flood maps before design starts so there are no surprises later.

Home addition under construction with workers on site

Home Additions

A second story on a ranch or a family room off the back can double a Des Plaines home’s usefulness without a move. We handle the foundation, framing, roof tie-in, and mechanical extensions so the addition feels like part of the original house.

Room additions and attached garages go through the City’s major-project review. For homes near the river or a creek, an addition may also need a floodplain development permit, which can affect how and where it’s built. We sort this out before drawings are finished.

Commercial Renovations

From storefronts in downtown Des Plaines near the Metra station to offices and retail along the city’s busy corridors, we renovate and build out commercial space for owners and tenants. With O’Hare nearby, many of these spaces turn over quickly and need fast, well-organized build-outs.

Plans, permits, and trade scheduling all run through our team, and the same person you meet at the start is the one handing you the keys.

Outgrowing your Des Plaines house but not your neighborhood? Schedule a consultation.

REMODELING

Kitchens, Bathrooms & Basements

Remodeled kitchen with dark lower cabinets and white upper cabinets

Kitchen Remodeling

Galley and closed-off kitchens are the norm in mid-century Des Plaines homes. We widen openings, rework the layout, and install new cabinets, counters, lighting, and appliances with the plumbing and electrical to support them.

Non-structural kitchen remodels can often go through the City’s faster express permit. If a wall has to come out, it becomes a larger review, and we tell you which path your project is on before you commit.

Bathroom Remodeling

Many homes here were built with one full bath. We update existing bathrooms and add new ones, including primary suites and basement baths, with new tile, fixtures, ventilation, and plumbing.

Basement Remodeling

A finished basement adds living space without an addition, but in a river town it has to stay dry. We assess drainage, sump, and backup protection before framing, insulation, drywall, flooring, and egress windows go in.

Structural Repairs, Decks & Backyards

Structural Repairs

Cracked or settling foundations, sagging floors, damaged joists, and walls that need to come out. After a flood or a leak, framing and subfloors often have to be repaired before anything can be finished.

We bring in an engineer when needed, handle the permit, and complete the job through finished surfaces, so one contractor sees it from diagnosis to the last coat of paint.

Decks & Backyard Remodels

Decks, patios, pergolas, and fenced yards for outdoor living on typical Des Plaines lots.

Decks, fences, and pergolas usually qualify for the City’s express permit. In a mapped floodplain, even a fence or garage needs a floodplain development permit, so we check the flood map for your address before we design.

RECENT DES PLAINES PROJECT

Des Plaines Condo Demolition

Every successful renovation starts with a careful tear-out. On this Des Plaines condo project, our team handled the demolition that cleared the way for the new space.

Demolition in a condo comes with extra rules. Shared hallways and elevators need protection, noisy work has to fit the building’s allowed hours, and debris must be hauled out cleanly without disrupting neighbors.

Demo also shows what’s really behind the walls. In this unit, we took the walls down to the studs and insulation and opened the ceiling to the steel joists, and removing the old tile revealed water damage around the plumbing that needed attention before the rebuild.

Exterior wall stripped to insulation with the ceiling opened above — Drywall removed down to the insulation

Interior partition walls stripped to wood studs — Interior walls stripped to the studs

Ceiling removed, exposing steel joists and metal deck — Ceiling opened to the steel joists

Doorway view of drywall debris and exposed studs — Drywall coming down room by room

Gutted walls and bathroom with demolition debris on the floor — Walls and bathroom gutted

Water damage and exposed pipes behind removed wall tile — Water damage found behind the old tile

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Why Des Plaines Homeowners Work With Us

Additions done right

Second stories and rear additions on post-war homes are some of our most common jobs. We know where these houses need reinforcing and how to tie new work into old.

Flood-aware planning

We check FEMA flood maps for your address and plan grading, drainage, and basement protection before design, not after the first storm.

The right permit path

Des Plaines separates express permits from major projects. We know which one your job needs and submit through the City’s online portal.

Clear, detailed pricing

Every proposal lists labor and materials by phase, so you can see where the money goes and compare options honestly.

A single point of contact

Your project manager answers your calls, runs the schedule, and meets the inspectors, so you always know what happens next.

A clean, safe job site

We protect floors and furniture, contain dust, and clean up every day, which matters when your family is living in the house.

TRUSTED BY ILLINOIS HOMEOWNERS

★★★★★

“Charlie is very knowledgeable, thorough and honest. His team was great to work with and easy to communicate with through the entire process.”

Moshe AdlerGoogle Review

★★★★★

“Moller Builders were a pleasure to work with from getting an estimate to the completion of the work on my house.”

Miriam LipnickGoogle Review

★★★★★

“We used Moller Builders for a few projects around the house. Charlie is easy to talk to and quick to respond.”

Mike JonesGoogle Review

MEET YOUR CONTRACTOR

Charlie Moller

Founder & Head of Operations

Charlie founded Moller Builders in 2019 and built it into a full-service remodeling and construction firm serving Des Plaines and the north and northwest suburbs from its base in Skokie.

He runs projects hands-on, from the first site visit to the final walkthrough. Homeowners deal with the person responsible for the work, which makes a real difference on additions, structural jobs, and whole-house remodels where decisions come up quickly.

Call Charlie: 847-626-8803

LOCAL EXPERTISE

Building Near the Des Plaines River

The river that gave the city its name also shapes how it builds. Some Des Plaines homes have flooded many times since the 1980s, and the April 2013 flood damaged about 2,000 properties. After that storm, the City used federal hazard mitigation funding to buy out and clear dozens of the most flood-prone homes, including in the Big Bend neighborhood.

For homeowners, the practical rule is this: all new construction in a mapped floodplain or floodway, including homes, additions, garages, and even fences, needs a development permit from the City’s Community and Economic Development department. Flood insurance is available whether or not your home is in a mapped floodplain.

The City’s building permits are now submitted online, and Des Plaines adopted the 2021 International Codes effective January 1, 2026. We keep up with those changes so your plans meet current code the first time.

How Des Plaines sorts residential permits

Express: non-structural kitchen and bath remodels
Express: decks, fences, sheds, pergolas, roofing
Express: demolition, driveways, detached garages
Major project: room additions and attached garages
Major project: new single-family homes

HOW IT WORKS

Our Remodeling Process

You’re part of the process from the first visit to the final walkthrough, so there are no surprises along the way.

Homeowners reviewing a model and plans during a design consultation

PHASE 01 / 05

Consultation & Planning

We visit your Des Plaines home, listen to what you want to change, and look at what the space allows. We talk through ideas, priorities and a realistic budget before anything is drawn.

Free on-site visit
Honest advice on what’s worth doing
Budget range before you commit

Planning interior design selections and project details

PHASE 02 / 05

Architecture & Design

We work out the layout with you and turn it into drawings, then help you choose materials and finishes. When walls move or space is added, we bring in an engineer as part of the same project.

Layout and drawings for your space
Material and finish selections
Engineering coordinated when needed

Builder reviewing architectural plans with homeowners for quoting and permits

PHASE 03 / 05

Quoting & Permits

You get an itemized written proposal with a schedule, so you know exactly what you’re paying for. We then pull the permits. In Des Plaines that means the right express or major-project permit through the City’s online portal, plus a floodplain permit when your address needs one.

Itemized written price, no vague allowances
Written timeline
Permits and approvals handled

Moller Builders crew mid-construction on a Des Plaines renovation

PHASE 04 / 05

Build Out

One project manager runs demolition, framing, electrical, plumbing and finishes, books each inspection as the work reaches it, and keeps you updated the whole way.

One project manager, start to finish
Inspections booked as work reaches them
Clean site at the end of each day

Finished remodel by Moller Builders ready for final walkthrough

PHASE 05 / 05

Final Walkthrough & Warranty

We walk through the finished work with you, go over every detail and the materials used, and complete the punch list. Once the final inspection passes, we close out the permit and your warranty is in place.

Walkthrough together
Punch list finished
Final inspection passed, warranty in place

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Des Plaines Remodeling & Construction Services

Major Renovation & Construction

Remodeling

Start Building Your Des Plaines Project Today

Call Charlie at 847-626-8803 or book a free consultation.

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WHERE WE WORK

Des Plaines Neighborhoods We Serve

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Downtown Des Plaines: The historic core around the Metra station, with some of the city’s oldest homes nearby and storefronts ready for commercial renovation.
Riverview: South of downtown and part of the city since 1925. Older houses here often need full updates, and some sit close to the river.
Cumberland & Cumberland Terrace: Near the Cumberland Metra stop, with homes from the late 1930s onward. Popular for kitchen remodels, basements, and additions.
Lake Opeka Area: Residential blocks around Lake Park and Lake Opeka, largely post-war homes that are ideal for second-story and rear additions.
Near the River: Homes along the Des Plaines River and its creeks, where floodplain permits, grading, and basement protection come first.

Nearby Areas We Serve

Glenview

Right next door to the northeast, with post-war ranches, newer homes at The Glen, and plenty of additions and rebuilds.

Skokie

Home to our office, a straight shot east on Dempster Street, where we take on projects of all sizes.

Evanston

East toward the lake, with older, character-filled houses and landmark districts that call for careful renovation.

Chicago

A quick trip down the Kennedy, where Northwest Side bungalows and two-flats keep our crews busy.

Not sure if we cover your area? Contact us.

FAQ

Remodeling & Construction in Des Plaines: Common Questions

Do I need a permit to remodel my kitchen or bathroom in Des Plaines?

Yes. Non-structural kitchen and bathroom remodels are handled through the City’s express permit process. If you’re removing walls or changing the structure, the project goes through a fuller review. We’ll tell you which applies and handle the application.

What if my home is in a floodplain?

All new construction in a mapped floodplain or floodway, including additions, garages, and fences, needs a development permit from the City’s Community and Economic Development department. We check the FEMA flood maps for your address during planning so the design and schedule account for it.

Can you add a second story to my ranch home?

In many cases, yes. Second-story additions are a common way to add space to post-war Des Plaines homes. We start by checking the existing foundation and framing, then coordinate engineering, the City’s major-project permit, and construction.

Can you help keep my basement dry while you finish it?

Yes. Before we finish a basement, we look at grading, downspouts, sump pumps, and sewer backup protection. It’s far easier to fix water problems before the walls go up than after.

How much does a renovation in Des Plaines cost?

It depends on how much of the house is changing, the condition of what’s behind the walls, whether structural or floodplain requirements apply, and the finishes you choose. We give you an itemized price for your project after a visit to your home.

How long does a renovation in Des Plaines take?

Smaller express-permit projects like a kitchen or bathroom usually take weeks once construction starts. Additions and whole-home renovations take several months, and new homes longer, in part because they go through the City’s major-project review. We give you a realistic schedule, including permit time, before work begins.

Ready to Start Your Des Plaines Project?

Whether you want a bigger kitchen, a second floor, or a brand-new house on your lot, start with a free consultation. We’ll look at your home and give you an honest plan for scope, permits, and timing.

Schedule a Free Consultation 847-626-8803