Alternative to Orren Pickell Building Group

Arlington Heights kitchen remodel: Custom cabinets, marble countertops, unique backsplash, stainless steel appliances.

GS Construction vs Orren Pickell Building Group

Family-owned
Father & son
Combined experience
40+ years
Verified reviews
71+
Licensed & insured
Yes

Considering Orren Pickell Building Group for your kitchen, bathroom, or whole-home remodel? Here is a factual side-by-side so you can compare options before requesting estimates.

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Source: pickellbuilders.com

Criteria GS Construction Orren Pickell Building Group
Ownership Owner-operators are personally accountable for your project — not a sales rep who moves on after signing. Family-owned, father-son team (Greg & Patryk Szady) Varies — verify directly with the company.
Your point of contact Every hand-off between coordinators is a chance for details to get lost and mistakes to creep in. Patryk & Greg Szady — the owners — are your single point of contact from the first call to the final walkthrough Larger firms often hand you to a different coordinator at each phase; ask who your day-to-day contact is and whether it changes.
Design approach A flexible design model means you keep control of the look and the budget instead of being funneled into one in-house package. We build your project and collaborate with the independent designer or architect you choose — or you can be your own designer: we send you to our trusted material sources, follow your requirements, and install the materials you purchase. Your design, your decisions — we are flexible In-house design/build — their designers and architects handle the full process.
Pricing transparency An itemized scope lets you compare apples-to-apples and see exactly what you are paying for. Itemized, transparent pricing — labor is not marked up through layers of middlemen Some firms subcontract the trades and add a labor markup on top; ask for an itemized scope and who actually performs the work.
Who does the work Who actually holds the tools — and who supervises them — drives quality and accountability on site. Owner-led crew self-performs most trades; specialists are vetted and supervised by us Ask how much is self-performed vs. handed to subcontractors, and who supervises them on site.
Combined experience 40+ years Verify directly.
Primary service area A contractor who works your area daily knows local permitting, inspectors, and supply houses. Northwest Chicago suburbs (Arlington Heights, Palatine, Schaumburg, Barrington, etc.) Chicagoland, Southern Wisconsin, and Harbor Country Michigan
Project types Kitchen, bathroom, and whole-home remodeling, additions, exteriors, basements, and mudrooms Luxury custom homes plus remodeling and additions
Permit handling Unpermitted work can stall a future home sale and void insurance — confirm who is responsible. We pull permits and coordinate inspections Varies — verify directly with the company.
Project communication A live portal means you always know the schedule, what changed, and what you owe — no waiting for a callback. Daily — your private client portal to track your schedule (past and upcoming), current change orders, and up-to-date balances — plus a direct line to the owners and weekly progress updates Ask whether you get a real-time client portal for your schedule, change orders, and balances, or just occasional email/phone updates.
Photo proof Hundreds of in-progress and completed project photos on-site Varies — verify directly with the company.
Public reviews Reviews across multiple independent platforms are harder to game than testimonials on a company's own site. Verified reviews on Google, Houzz, Yelp, and Angi Varies — verify directly with the company.
Estimates Free in-home estimate with itemized scope Varies — verify directly with the company.
Licensed & insured Proper licensing and insurance protect you if something goes wrong on the job. Yes Varies — verify directly with the company.

We compare publicly available information only. Always verify details directly with each company before making a decision. Information verified June 2026.

How GS Construction compares to Orren Pickell Building Group

Orren Pickell Building Group focuses on luxury custom homes and high-end remodels across a wide region that includes Southern Wisconsin and Harbor Country, Michigan. GS Construction is a Northwest-suburbs remodeling specialist — kitchens, baths, whole-home, additions, basements, and exteriors — with itemized, transparent pricing and the owners on site rather than a large luxury-build organization.

Want a second opinion before you decide?

Get a free estimate Call (224) 735-4200

The GS Construction difference

Your designer, your decisions

We build your remodel hand-in-hand with the independent designers and architects you choose — or you can be your own designer. We send you to our trusted material sources, follow your requirements, and install the materials you purchase. You are never funneled into one in-house look — we are flexible.

Transparent pricing — no labor upcharge

Many firms hire out the trades and mark up the labor on top. We give you an itemized scope and clear pricing, so you know exactly what you are paying for and who is doing the work.

One team, start to finish

Patryk and Greg Szady are your first and last point of contact. With bigger firms a new coordinator owns each phase — and every hand-off is a chance for confusion and costly mistakes.

Daily — your project portal

Log in to Daily any time to see your past and upcoming schedule, current change orders, and up-to-date balances — no guessing, no waiting for a callback to know where things stand.

Testimonials

Your Neighbours Love Us

Real reviews from homeowners. Ask us for live phone references.

5 Stars

After reviewing three contractors for our kitchen and first floor remodel we decided to move forward with GS Construction and were very pleased we did. From the very beginning process, Patryk was very clear and detailed about the quote and communicated next steps and expectations. Both Greg and Patryk came up with solutions when issues came up and made sure the project moved along. Overall we are very pleased with the work done and would highly recommend them for any home remodeling project.

Josephine P
Josephine P
· Feb 2025
Read More Testimonials Show This Review →

Why homeowners choose GS Construction

  • Family-owned father-son team; you talk directly to the owners.
  • 71+ verified reviews across Google, Houzz, Yelp, and Angi.
  • We partner with the independent designer or architect of your choice — or you can be your own designer using our trusted material sources.
  • Itemized estimate and transparent pricing before work begins.
  • Permit pulling and inspection coordination handled for you.
  • Daily client portal to track your schedule, change orders, and balances in real time.
  • Hundreds of in-progress and completed project photos on this site.

How to decide

  1. Request itemized estimates from at least two contractors.
  2. Ask whether you can bring your own designer or architect.
  3. Confirm who self-performs the work vs. who is subcontracted and marked up.
  4. Confirm who pulls permits and how inspections are scheduled.
  5. Ask who your single point of contact is — and whether it changes each phase.
  6. Ask whether you get a live portal for your schedule, change orders, and balances.

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Recent GS Construction projects

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This page compares publicly available information about Orren Pickell Building Group for informational purposes. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Always verify details directly with each company.

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