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From Just $3/sq ft
Owner-Led
Company
Serving Chicago & 30+ Suburbs
Free In-Home Estimates
Moisture Checks Done
Big Bro Hardwood is an owner-operated hardwood flooring company serving Wilmette and the surrounding North Shore suburbs. We install, sand, stain, refinish, and repair solid and engineered wood floors, starting around $3 a square foot. In 17+ years, we have completed 500+ floors across the area – sanding down original narrow-plank oak in Wilmette’s pre-war Colonials and Tudor Revivals, refinishing strip floors uncovered beneath decades of carpet in mid-century brick ranches, and installing engineered hardwood over concrete slabs in newer additions and rebuilt homes closer to the lakefront.
You get the same small crew from the first measurement to the last coat – no rotating subcontractors, ever. We price every job line by line so nothing is hidden, run vacuum-assisted equipment that captures 95% or more of sanding dust, and finish with Bona and Loba products that are kid- and pet-safe once cured. Call or email us and we will have a free in-home estimate to you within 24 hours.
High-quality Wilmette flooring doesn’t need a luxury price tag. Our services start at just $3 per square foot. Use our hardwood floor cost calculator for a quick check.
Our hardwood floor specialists use advanced dustless sanding systems to keep your home cleaner and sustain the indoor air quality during the sanding process.
Most of our work comes from word-of-mouth. Clients trust us — and tell their friends. That’s how we’ve earned strong customer satisfaction.
BBH hardwood floor company works with everything from historic bungalows to high-rise condos. Our wood flooring options are built to handle snow, humidity, and the rhythm of city life.
We use only certified products from brands like Loba and Bona — safe for families, pets, and perfect for engineered wood floors or solid hardwood flooring.
Our hardwood flooring contractors keep a tight schedule, respect your home, and stay in communication. The entire process is clear, smooth, and handled by true professionals.
From the older brick colonials near the Village Center to mid-century ranches closer to the lake, we handle every hardwood flooring need Wilmette homeowners run into.
We’re a hardwood floor company based in the Wilmette area, with 17+ years of hands-on experience in hardwood floor installation, floor refinishing, staining, and repair services. Our team is small, focused, and takes pride in doing every job right, from the first measurement to the final product.
We’ve completed 500+ Wilmette-area projects across the city and the Chicagoland area, and we work closely with every client to make sure the results match their flooring needs — no shortcuts, no guesswork. Big Bro Hardwood wood flooring contractors adhere to the industry’s National Wood Flooring Association Technical Guidelines.
Our wood flooring company believes in clear communication, the best materials, and clean, quality work. More than 80% of our new clients come from satisfied customers who recommend us to family, friends, and neighbors — and we’re genuinely proud to earn that kind of trust.
17+ years
Of experience
500+
Hardwood floor projects completed
30+
Suburbs served
1 crew
No subcontractors - the owner is on every hardwood job
Donatas
Owner
Valdas
Team member
Slavek
Team member
Wilmette's mix of pre-war colonials, mid-century ranches, and newer rebuilds means no two floors are quite the same. Here is how we adapt our work to what is actually under your feet:
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Pre-war and early 20th-century homes: Many Wilmette colonials and Tudor-style houses from the 1910s-1930s still have their original narrow-plank red oak floors. In most cases, sanding and refinishing brings them back better than any replacement could. For homes built before 1978, we follow EPA lead-safe RRP protocols – full containment, HEPA equipment, and clearance verification.
2
Mid-century ranches and split-levels: Homes from the 1940s-1960s often mix hardwood in main living areas with carpet or vinyl over plywood in bedrooms and lower levels. We check subfloor thickness and fastening before recommending solid or engineered wood, so the finished floor is stable and level throughout.
3
Teardown rebuilds and additions: Wilmette has seen steady teardown activity since the 1990s. Newer sections sometimes include concrete at garage entries or lower-level rec rooms, where glue-down or floating engineered systems are the right call. We match species and width carefully where old and new sections meet.
4
Basement transitions and crawlspace areas: Many houses have a full basement under the original footprint and a partial crawlspace under an addition. We check moisture levels and subfloor flatness at every transition point before installing anything.
5
Lake Michigan climate and seasonal humidity: Cold, dry winters followed by humid summers put real stress on hardwood. We acclimate wood on site before installation and recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round to prevent cupping, gapping, and crowning.
In many Wilmette homes the original wood is worth saving rather than replacing - the only way to know for certain is to look at the subfloor and the boards up close, which is exactly what we do on every free estimate.
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Call or send the form, tell us about your floors, and we’ll set a time to come look.
2
We measure, check the wood and subfloor, talk through color and options, and leave you an itemized estimate.
3
Our crew handles prep, sanding, install, stain, and finish on a dust-controlled setup, cleaning up daily.
4
We do a final walkthrough, go over care and timing, and stand behind the work.
This one speaks for itself. A homeowner in Wilmette reached out about their original hardwood floors in a pre-war Colonial - boards that had taken decades of foot traffic and were worn through, deeply scratched, and completely dull. We sanded them back to bare wood, repaired the damaged areas, and refinished them from scratch. Same floors, no replacement. Take a look at the before and after photos and judge the work for yourself.
Get a free in-home estimate within 24 hours. No pressure, no hidden costs — just honest advice and expert results, and no cutting corners.
Choose what you'd like an estimate for
Not sure which one? Learn about wood types →
* This estimate is for budgeting purposes only. Actual pricing may vary based on site conditions, moisture levels, subfloor state, and access. A final quote requires an on-site inspection.
Not sure which one? Learn about wood types →
Red Oak $3–$7 / sq ft
White Oak $4–$10 / sq ft
Maple (clear coat) $4–$9 / sq ft
Maple (stained) $4–$9 / sq ft
Cherry $5–$12 / sq ft
Walnut $7–$15 / sq ft
Hickory $4–$10 / sq ft
Exotic / Other $8–$20 / sq ft
No removal needed
Remove carpet +$0.70–$1.60 / sq ft
Remove vinyl / linoleum +$1.00–$2.50 / sq ft
Remove tile +$1.50–$3.50 / sq ft
Subfloor leveling / repairs+$1.00–$3.00 / sq ft
Moisture barrier / underlayment+$0.70–$1.50 / sq ft
* This estimate is for budgeting purposes only. Actual pricing may vary based on site conditions, moisture levels, subfloor state, and access. A final quote requires an on-site inspection.
Not sure which one? Learn about wood types →
Red Oak $3–$7 / sq ft
White Oak $4–$10 / sq ft
Maple (clear coat) $4–$9 / sq ft
Maple (stained) $4–$9 / sq ft
Cherry $5–$12 / sq ft
Walnut $7–$15 / sq ft
Hickory $4–$10 / sq ft
Exotic / Other $8–$20 / sq ft
Subfloor leveling / repairs+$1.00–$3.00 / sq ft
Moisture barrier / underlayment+$0.70–$1.50 / sq ft
* This estimate is for budgeting purposes only. Actual pricing may vary based on site conditions, moisture levels, subfloor state, and access. A final quote requires an on-site inspection.
Donatas May 21, 2026
Donatas April 28, 2026
Donatas March 27, 2026
Absolutely, and it’s usually the right call. Many Wilmette homes built before 1970 have site-finished red or white oak that has decades of good life left once it’s properly sanded and recoated. We assess the wood thickness first, then sand with vacuum-assisted equipment that captures 95% or more of dust. We finish with low-VOC Bona or Loba products that are safe for kids and pets once cured. Refinishing starts at $3 per square foot.
Yes. Because so many Wilmette homes predate 1978, we follow EPA Lead RRP protocols on every applicable project. That means proper containment, HEPA-filtered equipment, and verification before we leave. We never cut corners on this. If you’re not sure whether your home qualifies, just ask us during the free in-home estimate and we’ll walk you through exactly what’s involved.
Lake Michigan weather brings real humidity swings, and hardwood moves with them. Wet summers can cause cupping; dry winters can cause gaps. We recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30% and 50% year-round, which usually means a humidifier in winter and air conditioning or a dehumidifier in summer. We also acclimate every new wood installation on site before fastening anything down, following NWFA guidelines so the floor settles properly from day one.
We can, though a slab area requires a different approach than the nail-down assembly common on Wilmette’s upper floors. Depending on moisture readings, we’ll recommend either a glue-down solid or engineered product, or a floating engineered installation. We check subfloor flatness and moisture levels before anything goes down. Give us a call and we’ll set up a free in-home estimate within 24 hours to look at the specific conditions in your home.
It depends mostly on square footage, the condition of the floors, and whether you’re refinishing or installing new. Refinishing starts around $3 per square foot; new installation costs more because of materials. You get an itemized price at the free in-home estimate, and you can get a rough number first with our online cost calculator.
Most refinishing projects take 2–5 days, depending on size, stain, and number of finish coats. You can usually stay home – we seal off work areas and keep sanding dust to a minimum with vacuum-assisted equipment – but you’ll need to keep off the floors while the finish cures (water-based finishes are walkable sooner than oil-based). We give you a day-by-day plan before we start.
For most projects, we take a deposit to cover materials and lock in your dates, with the balance due once the work is finished and you’re happy with it. We put the exact terms in writing at the estimate, so there are no surprises.
Tell us what you need — we’ll help you figure out the best way to get it done.
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