Your Custom Home, Built Your Way.

Owner-led design-build for the North Shore — one point of contact from first consult to final walk-through.

★★★★★
5.0
Google Rating
40+
Kitchens Completed
100%
Owner on Every Project
North Shore
Wilmette · Winnetka · Highland Park · Barrington
Sound familiar?

Building a custom home should be exciting. Most of the time, it isn’t.

You hired a contractor to take work off your plate. Instead, you’re coordinating subs, chasing unanswered texts, and managing surprises that keep blowing the budget. It doesn’t have to be this way.

The schedule keeps slipping

Framing waits on permits. Mechanicals wait on framing. Every delay compounds. When you ask for a straight answer on move-in, you get a shrug. The project starts to feel like it’s running you — not the other way around.

Hundreds of decisions with no guidance

Windows, roofing, flooring, cabinetry, fixtures — handed to you without context. You’re making $500K in spec decisions on a schedule you weren’t prepared for, with no one helping you make the right call.

Change orders that never stop

Every change costs triple what it should. Things that should’ve been scoped upfront keep appearing as extras. By the time you move in, the budget you signed is a distant memory.

Why Ultimate Development

One team. One point of contact. Zero finger-pointing.

Gary is your contact

Not a project manager you’ve never met. The owner picks up the phone, shows up on site, and is accountable to you directly — from the first call to the final walk-through.

No blindside change orders

During design and pre-construction we scope for what’s behind the walls. When surprises come up, we explain options and costs before touching anything. You decide.

Design support included

We don’t just sell you the job and hand you a tile catalog. We guide every material and layout decision — so you feel confident, not overwhelmed.

Milestone-based payments

You only pay as work is completed and inspections pass. We never ask for 70% upfront. Your money is protected at every stage of the project.

The Process

Here’s exactly what working with us looks like.

Leave the hard decisions and heavy lifting to us. No surprises, no disappearing acts — just a clear, predictable process from first call to final walk-through.

1
Week 1

Free Consultation

Gary walks your space, listens to what you want, and tells you what’s realistic. No pressure, no salesperson. Just an honest conversation.

2
Weeks 2–4

Design & Materials

We guide every decision — layout, cabinetry, countertops, fixtures. Leave the hard choices to us. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting before a wall opens.

3
Weeks 4–6

Permits & Scoping

We pull every permit and scope what’s behind the walls. Surprises stay off your invoice. Leave the red tape and planning to us.

4
Weeks 6–14

Build

Our crew shows up when we say. Daily cleanup. Weekly updates from Gary directly. You always know what’s happening — without having to ask.

5
Final Week

Walk-Through & Sign-Off

Nothing is done until you say it’s done. We walk every inch together. Final payment only after you’ve signed off on every last detail.

FAQ

Questions we get asked every day

How long does new home construction take?
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A custom new construction project typically takes 6-12  months from permit approval to final walk-through, depending on size and scope. We give you a detailed project schedule before breaking ground — and we hold to it.

Do you handle design or only construction?
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We guide you through every spec and material decision as part of the project — from exterior cladding to interior finishes. You won’t be handed a choices binder and left alone.

Do you pull all permits and handle inspections?
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Yes — fully. We manage every permit, inspection, and code requirement for the full build. You don’t deal with the municipality. We do.

What does new home construction cost?
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Custom new construction on Chicago’s North Shore typically runs $350–$600+ per square foot depending on finishes, complexity, and site conditions. We provide a detailed, itemized estimate after initial design is complete.

Can you build on a lot we already own?
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Yes. We work with existing lots. We’ll assess the site, review any plans or survey documents, and give you an honest read on what’s feasible before you commit to anything.

What if we want to make changes after construction starts?
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We scope aggressively upfront to minimize mid-build changes. If a change is needed, we price it transparently, get your approval, and document it before proceeding — no surprises on the final invoice.