Great Lakes Home Remodeling
GS CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING
GS Construction & Remodeling has remodeled homes for Great Lakes homeowners since 2015. Gregory and Patryk are a father-son team with more than 40 years between them, and one of them is on your job personally.
Whole-home work lives or dies on the order things happen in. We run it as one job with one schedule and one number to call, with an owner here on site and a portal showing you the schedule, any change orders and your balance — so the trades aren't tripping over each other and you aren't running your own remodel.
- Free in-home estimate from an owner, not a salesperson
- One itemized scope and one schedule across every room
- Permits and inspections handled with Great Lakes across every trade
- Workmanship warranty on the whole project — our commitment never expires
"One scope, one schedule, one point of contact."
Permits in Great Lakes: Great Lakes is a federal installation (within North Chicago's city limits), so no municipal permit office operates on the base: construction on the installation itself, including its privatized family housing, is governed by the Navy and its housing partner…
Whole-home remodeling we've completed near Great Lakes, IL
Neighborhoods & landmarks near our Great Lakes whole-home remodels
Naval Station Great Lakes, Recruit Training Command, Ross Field parade ground, Building 1 clocktower, National Museum of the American Sailor, Great Lakes Metra station (UP-N), Forrestal Elementary School, Forrestal Village, Sheridan Road
Neighborhoods we work in
- Naval Station Great Lakes Housing
- Forrestal Village
- Ross Field
- Fort Sheridan (nearby)
- Green Oaks (nearby)
Whole-home remodeling in Great Lakes, IL
Whole-home remodeling in Great Lakes often involves transforming properties from the 1950s through the 1980s, common housing stock near the naval base. Many of these homes feature compartmentalized layouts, smaller kitchens, and fewer bathrooms than today's families desire. A typical whole-home remodel here might open up living spaces, reconfigure traffic flow, and add essential modern amenities. This often means addressing outdated electrical systems or plumbing that has reached the end of its service life. Our work focuses on updating these residences for contemporary living while respecting their original character and structural integrity.
What Great Lakes homeowners ask for
Great Lakes homeowners frequently request combining small, separate rooms into expansive open-concept living areas, especially merging kitchens with dining and family rooms. Another common ask is converting underutilized attic or basement space into functional living quarters, such as additional bedrooms or a dedicated home office. We also see demand for adding a second bathroom or expanding existing ones to accommodate growing families.
About Great Lakes
Great Lakes is not a typical suburb: the entire community is Naval Station Great Lakes — a federal installation with its own ZIP code (60088) inside North Chicago's city limits. So when Great Lakes families plan a remodel, it is usually for an owner-occupied house just outside the gates.
Great Lakes is home of the Navy's only boot camp at Recruit Training Command and the largest military installation in Illinois, sitting in Shields Township between North Chicago and Lake Bluff. Even the water is Navy-run, drawn from Lake Michigan and treated at the base's own plant rather than by a village utility. Housing on base is privatized — Great Lakes Family Housing, managed by Hunt Military Communities, maintains more than 1,460 duplexes, triplexes, and single-family homes across six neighborhoods, including Forrestal Village beside the newly rebuilt Forrestal Elementary School (North Chicago District 187).
Whole-home remodeling in Great Lakes often involves navigating the original construction of homes built for Navy households and base civilian staff, which may feature layouts distinct from typical suburban developments. The presence of duplexes, triplexes, and single-family homes across neighborhoods like Forrestal Village indicates varied structural considerations when opening up spaces or adding square footage. Given the base's self-contained infrastructure, including its own water treatment, plumbing system updates may require specific considerations related to the base's utility standards. For families living through a remodel, the original compartmentalized design of these homes can facilitate phased work, allowing some areas to remain functional while others are transformed. Updating these properties means carefully integrating modern electrical and plumbing systems within structures originally designed for the specific needs of military housing.
Whole-home remodels in Great Lakes invariably trigger structural plan review for load-bearing wall modifications, foundation work, or significant layout changes. These extensive projects require multiple inspections throughout the various construction phases, from rough-in to final. GS Construction & Remodeling expertly navigates these requirements, managing all applications and coordinating every inspection with the relevant permitting authority.
How your Great Lakes project runs
ProcessThe same six stages on every job — free in-home estimate through warranty.
Free in-home estimate
Greg or Patryk — the owners, not a salesperson — walk your space, take real measurements, and give you honest feedback on what your budget buys.
Itemized scope & contract
Labor, materials, demolition and disposal priced line by line, not one mystery number. Payment terms and warranty are in the written contract.
Design & selections
Bring your own designer, use our architects and designers, or choose everything yourself. Selections are scheduled ahead so lead times never stall the site.
Permits & scheduling
We pull and manage building, plumbing and electrical permits with your village — typically 1–2 weeks — and hand you a written schedule before demo day.
The build, owner-supervised
Long-standing trade partners working in sequence under daily owner supervision. Your client portal shows the schedule, change orders and current balance.
Walkthrough & warranty
We walk the finished job together, close out every punch-list item, hand over manufacturer paperwork, and your written workmanship warranty starts. Our commitment never expires.
Testimonials
Your Neighbours in Great Lakes Love Us
Real reviews from homeowners. Ask us for live phone references.
GS Construction & Remodeling is the best of the best. We've hired them to work on 5 different properties (4 were extensive remodels) and continue to be thrilled with their work and have referred them to friends and family. I constantly bring to them pictures/ideas from Houzz & Pinterest and ask how we can duplicate high end looks on a budget and they pull it off - magnificently - every time. Not only do they know their craft, but they have a great design sense as well and make suggestions that always enhance the project. Their communication (providing estimates for changes as we go along, keeping in touch regarding scheduling, etc.) is excellent. They're nice people and incredibly respectful too - top notch all around.
Before & After & Timelapse
Our Work
Home Remodeling Projects in Great Lakes
Browse our home remodeling remodeling projects completed near Great Lakes. See the quality craftsmanship our family brings to every home remodeling project.
What homeowners near Great Lakes say
“GS Construction & Remodeling is the best of the best. We've hired them to work on 5 different properties (4 were extensive remodels) and continue to be thrilled with their work and have referred them to friends and family. I constantly brin...”
“I don't even know where to begin, Patryk & Greg are just amazing! We hired them to remodel approximately 4000 sqft of a 1985 house which included an unfinished basement. The whole experience could not have been better. It took about 7 month...”
“They did an outstanding job on our complete bathroom renovation! Our bathroom was an icebox due to poor insulation from the original build. They made excellent design recommendations to resolve the poor insulation and also installed heated...”
Home Remodeling stories from the blog
Kitchen Remodel · Barrington, IL
A Bright, Hardworking Kitchen Renovation in Barrington, IL
This kitchen renovation in Barrington, IL, completed in 2021, shows the kind of bright, hardworking space we love to build, centered around a striking gray island.
Sep 4, 2026
Kitchen Remodel · Hoffman Estates, IL
Hoffman Estates Kitchen & Wet Bar: A Bright, Cohesive Renovation
We transformed a kitchen, wet bar, and living room in Hoffman Estates, IL, creating a bright, updated space with white shaker cabinets and granite counters.
Sep 4, 2026
Kitchen Remodel · Palatine, IL
Palatine Kitchen Renovation: Dark Wood, Granite, and a Mosaic Accent
This Palatine kitchen renovation showcases rich dark wood cabinetry, elegant granite countertops, and modern stainless steel appliances.
Sep 4, 2026
Completed projects around Great Lakes
GS Construction crews have completed 48 projects within 10 miles of Great Lakes — part of 458 completed projects across 71 Chicago-area ZIP codes. The map below shows real project density from our records, not a service-area claim.
More Remodeling Services in Great Lakes
Contact GS Construction
Let's Build Beautiful Spaces Together
GS Construction is a father-and-son construction company, and home remodeling in Great Lakes is work Greg and Patryk run themselves. Expect clear communication, quality craftsmanship, and a straightforward plan—reach out today to schedule a free in-home consultation and get a detailed estimate and honest feedback.
- Telephone
- (224) 735-4200
- [email protected]
- Service Area
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Service Area
Great Lakes and surrounding Chicagoland areas