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From Just $3/sq ft
17+ Years of Local Expertise
Serving Chicago & 30+ Suburbs
Dust-Controlled Sanding
Low-VOC Finish Systems
Big Bro Hardwood is an employee-owned hardwood flooring company serving Batavia and nearby suburbs. We install, sand, stain, refinish, and repair solid and engineered wood floors, starting around $3 a square foot. Over 17+ years and 500+ floors across the area, we have worked in all kinds of Batavia homes – restoring original red oak in Victorian-era houses near the historic core, refreshing strip floors in mid-century ranches, and laying engineered plank in newer subdivision builds and townhomes throughout the city.
The same small crew handles every Batavia project from the first measurement to the last coat – no rotating subcontractors, ever. We give you a clear, line-by-line estimate, control sanding dust with vacuum-assisted equipment, and finish with Bona and Loba products that are kid- and pet-safe once cured. Call or email us and we will come out for a free estimate within 24 hours.
Premium Results From $3/sq ft
Quality hardwood work in Batavia does not have to mean an oversized bill. Our refinishing services start at just $3, and installation pricing is clear and itemized so you know exactly what you are paying for. New clients also receive 10% off. Use our hardwood floor cost calculator to get a quick sense of where your project might land before we even visit.
80% of Clients Refer Us
We have never built a marketing department. Instead, roughly 80% of our work comes from Batavia homeowners and neighbors recommending us to people they care about. That kind of trust is not something you can buy. It comes from showing up, doing the job right, and leaving a floor that the homeowner is genuinely proud of every time they walk across it.
Floors and Stairs Under One Scope
We handle installation, sanding and refinishing, staining, repair, and stair work as one connected scope. Same crew, same eye for detail across every surface. That means species, board width, stain color, and sheen all get matched deliberately so your finished home looks cohesive rather than pieced together by separate contractors.
Free In-Home Estimate Within 24 Hours
We come to your Batavia home, walk the rooms, check the subfloor, and talk through what you want to accomplish. Then we put together a free, itemized estimate within 24 hours – based on what we actually see, not on generic averages. No guesswork, no vague ballparks. You get a clear scope tied to the real condition of your floors before any work begins.
Owner-Led From Start to Finish
Donatas, Valdas, and Slavek are the crew that shows up on day one and the same crew that does the final walkthrough. No rotating subcontractors, no handoffs mid-project. When the same experienced people are accountable for every stage – whether that is installation, refinishing, repair, or stair work – the details stay tight and nothing falls through the cracks.
Dustless Sanding Technology
Our vacuum-assisted sanding systems capture 95%+ of dust at the source rather than letting it settle into your home. For Batavia families – especially in older homes with layered finishes and tighter rooms – that matters. You get cleaner air during the job, less cleanup after, and a smoother surface because the dust is not recontaminating the finish as we work.
From the historic homes near downtown to the newer subdivisions off the Fox River corridor, we handle every hardwood flooring need Batavia homeowners bring us.
We’re a hardwood floor company based in the Batavia 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+ Batavia-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
Batavia's mix of Victorian-era houses, mid-century ranches, and newer subdivisions means the right approach depends heavily on what is under your feet and how old the structure is.
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Historic and Pre-1940 Homes
Batavia’s historic core and older neighborhoods often have original strip oak or pine floors laid over plank subfloors. These boards are usually worth saving. We sand them down carefully, check for lead-containing finishes in any home built before 1978, and follow EPA Lead RRP protocols – containment, HEPA vacuuming, and clearance verification – before we do anything else.
2
Bungalows and Early Postwar Houses
The 1910s through 1950s homes in Batavia tend to have solid red oak floors that have seen decades of use. Most refinish beautifully with dustless sanding and a fresh stain or clear coat. We check moisture levels and subfloor flatness before we start, because settling and seasonal movement in northern Illinois can create low spots that need attention first.
3
Additions and Blended Spaces
When a newer addition meets an older section of the house, matching the existing floor takes real care. We select species, cut, and stain to blend the transition so the seam is not obvious.
4
Late-20th-Century Subdivisions
Post-1970 Batavia homes typically have plywood subfloors and prefinished or site-finished strip flooring. Wide-plank engineered hardwood is a popular option here, and we always verify subfloor flatness and moisture before installation begins.
5
Fox River Valley Humidity
Batavia’s position in the Fox River Valley means basements and lower levels can see real humidity swings between summer and winter. We acclimate all wood on site, test subfloor moisture, and recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round to prevent cupping, gapping, and adhesive failure.
In many Batavia homes the original wood is worth saving rather than replacing - the only way to know for certain is to look at the subfloor and boards up close.
1
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.
We recently refinished the hardwood floors in an older two-story home in Batavia, one of those well-built places from the early 1900s where the boards had seen decades of foot traffic and were worn, scratched, and completely dull. We sanded them back, repaired the damage, and refinished them from scratch - same wood, no replacement. Take a look at the before and after photos below and judge the results 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.
Get a realistic budget range in about a minute for refinishing, new installation, replacing carpet with hardwood, or stairs. It’s a starting point, not a firm quote, and we confirm the exact figure with a free in-home estimate.
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 July 21, 2026
Donatas May 21, 2026
Donatas April 28, 2026
It does, and we plan for it. Batavia has a real mix: Victorian-era and early 20th-century homes near the historic core, mid-century ranches, and newer subdivisions. Older wood-framed homes often have plank subfloors that need leveling and moisture testing before any install. We check every subfloor before we start, and for pre-1978 homes we follow EPA Lead RRP containment protocols – HEPA vacuums, proper containment, and post-work verification.
Northern Illinois winters are dry and cold, and summers bring real humidity. That swing causes hardwood to expand and contract seasonally, which can lead to gapping in winter or cupping in summer if the floor wasn’t installed correctly. We acclimate wood on-site before installation and recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round. A good humidifier in winter goes a long way toward protecting your investment.
Yes, and it’s worth taking seriously. Homes in the Fox River Valley area can see higher basement and crawlspace humidity, especially after wet seasons. Moisture moves up through subfloors and affects how hardwood performs. We always test subfloor moisture levels before installation and discuss your specific situation during the estimate. Skipping that step is how floors buckle or cup – we don’t skip it.
Almost always, yes. Red oak was the go-to species in this area for decades, and it sands beautifully. As long as there’s enough thickness left – typically at least 3/16 of an inch above the tongue – your floors can be sanded and refinished to look genuinely new. We’ll check the boards during our free estimate and give you an honest answer. Refinishing original hardwood almost always costs less than replacing it.
Refinishing starts at $3 per square foot, and we offer a flat rate for homes under 1,200 square feet. Every estimate is itemized line by line so you know exactly what you’re paying for. For a quick ballpark before we visit, try our cost calculator. First-time clients also receive 10% off when the work is natural finish. The free in-home estimate is always available within 24 hours.
Refinishing makes sense when the wood is structurally sound and has enough thickness for sanding. Replacing becomes the better call when boards are deeply damaged, too thin to sand again, or when you want a different species or layout. We look at both options honestly during the estimate and tell you what we’d do if it were our own home. We never push replacement just to increase the job size.
Refinishing a typical floor takes one to three days, with finish cure time adding a day or two before you walk on it. Installation timelines vary by scope. Most clients stay in their homes during the work, though we ask that you keep the work areas clear and maintain steady indoor temperatures. We’ll walk you through the exact schedule before we start so there are no surprises.
We use Bona and Loba low-VOC finishes as our standard, with Pallmann and DuraSeal available depending on the project. Once fully cured, these finishes are safe for kids, pets, and everyday life. Cure time is typically 24-72 hours depending on the product and conditions. We’ll tell you exactly when it’s safe to move furniture back and let the dog run again – no guessing.
Tell us what you need — we’ll help you figure out the best way to get it done.
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