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From Just $3/sq ft
17+ Years of Local Expertise
Certified Pet- & Family-Safe Finishes
Dust-Controlled Sanding
15,000+ Hands-On Hours
Big Bro Hardwood is an employee-owned hardwood flooring company serving Geneva and the surrounding 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 – restoring original oak in Geneva’s historic downtown homes, refinishing floors in established 1970s and 1980s colonials and split-levels, and installing engineered hardwood in newer builds out in communities like Mill Creek.
The same small crew handles your project from the first measurement to the last coat – no rotating subcontractors, ever. Every estimate is priced line by line so you know exactly what you are paying for. We use vacuum-assisted sanding equipment that captures 95% or more of dust, and we finish with Bona and Loba products that are kid- and pet-safe once cured. Call or email us and we will have a free estimate to you within 24 hours.
Premium Results From $3/sq ft
Quality hardwood work in Geneva does not have to mean an outsized bill. Our services start from just $3 per square foot, and we give you a clear, itemized estimate so you know exactly what you are paying for. Use our hardwood floor cost calculator to get a quick ballpark before we ever set foot in your home. No guesswork, no surprise totals.
Floor Condition and Moisture Come First
Geneva’s housing stock ranges from 19th-century downtown homes to newer west-side subdivisions, and subfloor conditions vary just as much. Before any work begins, we check subfloor flatness, moisture levels, and structural stability. Skipping those steps is how gaps, cupping, and loose boards happen. We find the problems early so the finished floor stays right for years.
Free In-Home Estimate Within 24 Hours
We come to your Geneva home, measure the space, inspect the actual floor, and listen to what you want. Then we prepare a free, detailed estimate within 24 hours, based on what we see, not on generic online averages. You get a real scope for your specific floor before committing to anything.
Floors and Stairs Under One Scope
We handle installation, sanding and refinishing, staining, repair, and stair work through one small, consistent crew. That means your treads, risers, and main floors can be matched in species, stain, and sheen without coordinating between separate companies. The whole home looks intentional when it is all done together.
Complex Projects Planned, Not Improvised
Older plank subfloors in downtown Geneva homes, engineered joist systems in newer subdivisions, water damage, custom stain blending, and tricky room-to-room transitions all require real planning. We map out the sequence, prep requirements, and material choices before the first board goes down, so the job runs cleanly and decisions are not made on the fly.
Dustless Sanding Technology
Our vacuum-assisted sanding systems capture the overwhelming majority of dust at the source, keeping it out of your air, your furniture, and your vents. For families with kids or pets, that matters. You get smooth, freshly sanded floors without the mess and disruption that most people expect from a refinishing project.
From the Victorian-era homes near downtown to the newer builds out in Mill Creek, we handle every hardwood flooring need Geneva homeowners run into.
We’re a hardwood floor company based in the Geneva 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+ Geneva-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
Geneva's mix of 19th-century in-town homes, mid-century subdivisions, and newer west-side communities means the right approach to hardwood depends heavily on what's underneath the floor and how old the house is.
1
Historic and Pre-1940 Homes Near Downtown
Older Geneva homes close to the Fox River often have original oak or pine strip floors over wood joists and basements. We sand and refinish these carefully, and for any home built before 1978 we follow EPA Lead RRP protocols – containment, HEPA vacuuming, and clearance verification before we leave.
2
Additions and Rehabs Blending Old and New
When a remodel adds square footage next to existing hardwood, matching species, width, and stain is the real challenge. We assess the original boards first and source material that finishes to the same tone, so the transition reads as one continuous floor.
3
1970s-1990s Subdivision Homes
Established Geneva subdivisions from this era typically have red or white oak over plywood subfloors. We check flatness and moisture before any install, because decades of seasonal movement can leave low spots that need correcting before new flooring goes down.
4
Newer Communities Like Mill Creek
Homes in planned west-side communities often have engineered floor systems over OSB. Wide-plank engineered hardwood or prefinished solid fits well here, and the flatter subfloors generally make prep faster and more predictable.
5
Condos and Townhomes on Concrete
Some Geneva attached units sit on slab, where glue-down or floating engineered hardwood is the right call. We use low-VOC adhesives and coordinate scheduling around HOA access rules so the project stays on track.
6
Geneva's Seasonal Humidity Swings
Cold, dry winters and humid summers put real stress on wood floors. We acclimate every delivery on site and recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round to protect the investment long after we finish the job.
In many Geneva homes the original wood is worth saving rather than replacing - the only way to know 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.
This one came from a late-1970s subdivision home in Geneva, the kind with original hardwood that had taken decades of foot traffic, pet scratches, and a finish that had gone completely flat. We sanded the boards back to bare wood, repaired the damaged sections, and refinished them from scratch - same floors, no replacement needed. Take a look at the before and after photos 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. Many in-town Geneva homes date to the early 1900s or earlier, which means original plank subfloors, uneven surfaces, and sometimes lead-containing finishes in pre-1978 houses. We check subfloor flatness and moisture before any installation or refinishing job, and we follow EPA Lead RRP containment protocols on older homes. That extra prep work protects both the finished result and your family.
Winter heating drops indoor humidity fast, and wood shrinks when it dries out. We recommend keeping your home between 30-50% relative humidity year-round. Before any installation in Geneva, we acclimate the wood on-site so it adjusts to your home’s actual conditions. That step alone prevents a lot of gapping and cupping problems that show up when flooring is rushed in without proper acclimation.
Yes, though we always verify first. We check subfloor flatness and moisture readings before recommending solid or engineered hardwood. Many Mill Creek and west-side Geneva homes have flat, modern subfloors that handle nail-down solid hardwood well. Where moisture or flex is a concern, engineered hardwood is often the smarter choice and still looks and feels like the real thing. We walk you through the options during the free estimate.
Almost always, yes. Older Geneva homes near the Fox River frequently have solid site-finished oak that has plenty of wood left to sand. We assess the board thickness and overall condition during our free in-home visit. If the floors are structurally sound, refinishing brings them back beautifully and costs a fraction of replacement. We have refinished floors that looked hopeless and had homeowners genuinely surprised by the result.
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 are paying for. For a rough starting point before your free visit, use our cost calculator. New clients also receive 10% off when the project is a natural finish. We schedule free in-home estimates within 24 hours of your call.
We look at board thickness, damage depth, and whether the wood is structurally sound. Most solid hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished multiple times before replacement becomes necessary. If boards are cupped, cracked, or too thin to sand again, we will tell you honestly. Refinishing is almost always less expensive and faster than new installation, and a well-done refinish on quality oak is hard to tell from brand-new flooring.
For refinishing, we recommend staying out of finished areas while coats dry, typically 24 hours per coat. Our vacuum-assisted sanding system captures 95% or more of dust at the source, so the rest of your home stays livable. For installation projects, we work room by room where possible. We will give you a clear day-by-day picture of the schedule at the estimate so you can plan around it without surprises.
Yes. We use Bona and Loba low-VOC finishes as our primary products. Once fully cured, they are safe for children and pets. We will tell you the specific cure time for your finish and conditions before we leave. Cure time varies by product and humidity, but we never leave you guessing. If you have questions about a specific finish or sensitivity concern, just ask and we will match the right product to your household.
Tell us what you need — we’ll help you figure out the best way to get it done.
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