The attic is a real second floor
West Ridge bungalows are tall enough that a dormer produces proper rooms rather than cupboards. It is the most common way a house here gains space.
West Ridge, Chicago
Remodeling in West Ridge, Chicago
West Ridge is one of the largest stretches of brick bungalow in the city, on lots that are generous by Chicago standards. The houses are solid and the layouts are dated — which is a good combination to renovate.
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
Neighborhood
West Ridge, Chicago
Typical housing
Solid brick bungalows on wide lots
Permits issued by
Chicago Dept. of Buildings
Our office
N. Halsted St., Chicago
West Ridge, Chicago
Renovating Homes in West Ridge
West Ridge — West Rogers Park to most of the people who live there — sits between Ridge Boulevard and the city limits, roughly Devon to Howard. It was built out mainly between 1920 and 1950 and it is overwhelmingly single family: brick bungalows, Georgians and a layer of post-war ranches at the northern edge, on lots wider than almost anywhere else inside the city.
That changes what is possible compared with the courtyard buildings east of Ridge. There is no association, no shared stack and, in most of these houses, a full basement with a usable ceiling below the main floor. A drain can run at proper fall to wherever the sink should be, and a wall can come out with nothing more complicated than the right beam.
The work here is about capacity, not constraint. Attic dormers, a rebuilt kitchen opened to the dining room, a second bathroom where the house was built with one — all of them are straightforward in this housing stock.
Your Building
Find your building, and you will find your project
West Ridge is bungalow country, and the bungalows here are later, larger and better built than those in most of the city. The bones are rarely the problem.
| Era and building type | What you find inside | What a whole-home project becomes |
|---|---|---|
| 1920–1940 — brick bungalows | A long plan with rooms in a line, art glass, oak trim throughout, one bathroom, and a dry full basement. | Opening the rear, adding a bathroom, finishing the basement, and very often dormering the attic. |
| 1930–1950 — larger brick houses and Georgians | Two full floors, more generous rooms, and bathrooms that are small for the house. | Reconfiguring the bathrooms and the kitchen, with little structural work required. |
| 1950–1970 — post-war brick ranches and two-flats | Wide, shallow plans, a closed kitchen, and a full basement under everything. | Removing the kitchen wall and using the basement properly. |
| 1990–today — extensions and rebuilds | Older houses already extended at the rear, with mixed results. | Finish-led, once the earlier extension has been assessed. |
Inside The Building
What you are actually working inside
Cut through a typical West Ridge bungalow and the six things that decide a whole-home project are visible at once. Red marks what is shared or structural.
Scroll the drawing sideways →
- 1
A single wet core
Kitchen and bathroom over one stack. The plan is tidy, which is why projects here are more predictable than in the older stock further south.
- 2
The spine wall
It carries the roof the length of the house. Opening it is the change that most alters how the bungalow lives.
- 3
The service panel
Often original. A second bathroom, a modern kitchen and a finished basement together need it sized once, properly.
- 4
A genuine side yard
Wider lots here mean real side access, which keeps materials and waste out of the house.
- 5
A dry full basement
Better than most of the city, and the obvious place for the family room and the second bathroom.
- 6
The unfinished attic
High enough in many of these houses to take a dormer and two real bedrooms.
In West Ridge
Room-by-Room in West Ridge
What the work actually involves here: the housing stock, who issues the permit, and what the budget turns on.
Kitchen Remodeling in West Ridge
West Ridge is bungalows on wide lots with a full basement underneath. No board, no shared stack — which makes it one of the easiest places in the city to open a kitchen up properly.
Read more →Bathroom Remodeling in West Ridge
A West Ridge bungalow was built with one bathroom, five by seven, tiled in a mortar bed. Replanned inside the same four walls it becomes a genuinely good room — and a second one is usually available too.
Read more →
What We Do
Remodeling Services for West Ridge Homes
Most projects here combine more than one of these. Each links through to the full service page.
Kitchen Remodeling
Full kitchen remodels, from opening up a closed-off layout to cabinetry, countertops, tile and the plumbing and electrical work behind them.
View service →Bathroom Remodeling
Bathroom remodels that make small, older layouts work harder: waterproofing, tile, vanities, fixtures and shower or tub replacement.
View service →Custom Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinetry built and fitted to the room rather than the other way round, including scribing to walls that are rarely square.
View service →Walk-In Shower Installation
Replacing an unused tub or a dated enclosure with a level-access shower, properly waterproofed and tiled.
View service →On Site
What makes remodeling here different
These are the conditions that decide the sequence and the contingency on a whole-home job in West Ridge. We plan around them rather than discover them.
A basement worth finishing
Drier and higher than in most of the city. Finishing it adds more usable space than any rear addition of similar cost.
The spine wall carries the roof
Opening the plan means a beam, an engineer and a permit. Worth doing fully rather than halfway.
Oak trim and art glass throughout
These houses have more original detail intact than most. Protecting and repairing it is a real line, and it is what keeps the house looking like itself.
One upgrade, early
Attic, basement and kitchen together outgrow an original service. It is sized once at the start.
Wide lots make for a calm site
Side access and a rear drive. The logistics here are the easiest of any neighbourhood on this list.
Permits
Which permit does your project need?
The question every West Ridge homeowner asks first, answered before you commit to anything. Follow your own project across.
Scroll the chart sideways →
This is the route, not a ruling. Scope decides it and the city has the final say, so we confirm which branch your project sits on in writing before any money is committed.
Where It Goes
Where the money actually goes
No two West Ridge houses price the same, so this is an order rather than a number: the lines that pull hardest on a whole-home budget here, largest first.
Cabinetry and built-in joinery
The largest line, and in a bungalow with original oak it has to be detailed to sit beside what is already there.
The attic, the basement, or both
Dormer framing, stairs, egress and damp work. On these houses this is where the space comes from and where the money goes after the kitchen.
Labour and project management
Trades, supervision and sequencing, usually with the family still living on the main floor.
Surfaces: stone, tile and flooring
Countertops, tile and refinishing oak floors that run through every room.
Fixtures, appliances and lighting
The widest spread on the list, and the easiest to settle last.
Permits, protection and insurance
City permit, floor protection and dust containment. The smallest line and never worth cutting.
This is the order these lines typically fall in on a whole-home project in West Ridge, not a breakdown of your project. Your figures come from a site visit and a scope, and nowhere else.
Coverage
Where we work in West Ridge
West Ridge is not one place. These are the parts of it we are in most often.
West Rogers ParkPeterson ParkArcadia TerraceThe Warren Park areaThe Devon Avenue corridor
Planning a Renovation in West Ridge?
Tell us about the property and what you want to change. We will set up a consultation, walk the space, and come back with a scope, a schedule and a price.
FAQ
West Ridge Remodeling FAQs
What kinds of homes are in West Ridge?
Predominantly brick bungalows and Georgians built between 1920 and 1950, with post-war ranches at the northern edge. It is one of the most single-family parts of the city, on lots noticeably wider than the standard Chicago twenty-five feet.
Is an attic conversion worth doing?
In a West Ridge bungalow it is usually the best value available. You already own the volume; what it costs depends on the roof structure, the existing headroom and where a stair can go without taking a bedroom on the floor below. We measure all three on the first visit.
Can a second bathroom be added?
Almost always. The two candidates are the basement and the attic under a new dormer. A basement bathroom often sits below the sewer line and needs an ejector pump, which is routine but should be in the price from the start rather than discovered later.
Do I need a permit?
Yes, for anything that alters plumbing, electrical or structure. The Chicago Department of Buildings issues it. Like-for-like finishes can sometimes go through the Easy Permit Process; a dormer or a new bathroom needs a full permit with drawings. We handle the filing either way.
Will our electrical service cope with a new kitchen?
In a house that has never been upgraded, usually not. An induction hob, a double oven and a dishwasher each need a dedicated circuit and there has to be capacity to add them. We check the panel at the consultation so an upgrade is priced up front.