Printer's Row Kitchen and Bathroom Remodeling

Kitchen remodels in Printer's Row all start with the same structural reality: you're working inside a converted printing factory. The heavy timber columns and beams in buildings like the Donohue, Pontiac, and Manhattan cannot be removed, which means the layout question is always about working around the structure rather than through it. Original plumbing stacks were sized for printing presses and machine floors, not for kitchens, so relocating a sink or dishwasher often means a conversation with your building engineer about what's actually behind the wall and under the concrete.

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We handle the reconfiguration side of that work. We install new cabinetry, quartz or natural stone countertops, tile and stone backsplashes, and integrated appliance packages sized to the room. Taller ceilings in Printer's Row lofts open the door to cabinetry that runs 10 or 12 feet high, which changes how we think about storage and sightlines. Exposed brick, timber columns, and industrial windows also change what finishes read well, and we calibrate to the character of the building rather than fighting it.

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Typical Printer's Row kitchen remodels with Wood Contracting run from $15,000 to $80,000+ depending on finishes, whether structural or plumbing-stack changes are involved, and the condition of the building's original systems. Pre-construction planning is where we spend the time to catch the realities of your specific building before demolition starts.

Bathroom remodels in Printer's Row run into a specific challenge: the original buildings were designed for printing presses and typesetting floors, not residential plumbing, so every stack, drain, and vent in your loft was added during the conversion. Our bathroom remodeling work starts with a careful read of what's actually routable in your building and which walls hide converted-era plumbing versus original structure.

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In loft conversions we deal with concrete floors that don't always cooperate with drain relocations, heavy timber partitions that cannot be cut into, and tile substrates that have been patched through multiple remodels since the mid-80s and 90s. That changes what you can realistically achieve inside the existing footprint. We've worked enough Printer's Row bathrooms to know which walls can move, which stacks are worth relocating, and where to keep things simple.

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Our primary bathroom remodels include curbless showers, soaking tubs, double vanities where the layout supports them, heated floors, and the kind of lighting and ventilation these industrial buildings were never designed to have. Guest and powder bathrooms get the same attention to detail in a smaller footprint. Typical Printer's Row bathroom remodels with Wood Contracting run from $12,000 to $55,000+ depending on scope and finish level.

Loft-wide whole home renovation in Printer's Row means rethinking how to live inside what started life as a factory floor. We take on full-loft gut renovations in the Donohue, Franklin, and similar buildings where timber columns, concrete floors, and industrial windows stay put while every kitchen, bathroom, and closet gets rebuilt. Custom carpentry and built-ins are a natural fit here, since dividing an open factory floor often calls for built-ins designed around the structural grid. Ground-floor units with finishable lower levels can add a full floor of basement finishing when the space allows. Every project starts with a clear scope, realistic budget, and construction timeline.

Printer's Row is a condo-building neighborhood, and every residential building has its own board, architectural review process, certificate of insurance requirements, and rules around elevator and loading dock scheduling. Some of these buildings have long-standing preservation-minded review practices because of their age and architectural significance, so even interior remodels can require a review pass with the board before work begins. We help you understand what your building will require so you can plan around approval timelines with no surprises.

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Chicago building permits are required for most kitchen and bathroom remodels that involve plumbing, electrical, or structural changes. We advise you on when a permit is needed for your specific project and coordinate permit pull-through when the scope calls for it. Permits in Chicago typically take 2 to 4 weeks, and we factor that window into your timeline from the beginning.

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We maintain proper insurance coverage and work with licensed subcontractors for all aspects of your project. Our attention to building codes, proper procedures, and quality workmanship ensures your renovation is done right.