CALL US TODAY!
(630) 418 4139Get a free quote
From Just $3/sq ft
17+ Years of Local Expertise
Employee Owned
Company
Serving Chicago & 30+ Suburbs
Certified Pet- & Family-Safe Finishes
Big Bro Hardwood is an owner-operated hardwood flooring company serving Highland Park 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 and 500+ floors across the area, we have worked on everything from early-20th-century Colonial and Tudor Revival homes near the lakefront ravines to mid-century ranch houses from the 1950s – restoring original oak strip floors, matching boards into additions, and installing new hardwood over wood subfloors and concrete slab alike.
The same small crew handles your Highland Park project from the first measurement to the last coat – no rotating subcontractors, ever. Every estimate is itemized line by line, and we offer a free in-home visit within 24 hours. Our vacuum-assisted sanding captures 95%+ of dust, and we finish with Bona and Loba products that are kid- and pet-safe once cured.
High-quality Highland Park 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 historic lakefront neighborhoods near the ravines to the mid-century ranches and custom homes throughout Highland Park, we offer every hardwood flooring service your home needs, handled by the same small crew from first visit to final coat.
We’re a hardwood floor company based in the Highland Park 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+ Highland Park-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
15,000+ hours
Of hands-on hardwood work
Donatas
Owner
Valdas
Team member
Slavek
Team member
Highland Park's mix of historic lakefront houses, mid-century ranches, and high-end custom builds means no two flooring projects are alike. Here is how we adapt our approach by home type and condition:
1
Early 20th-century and pre-war homes: Many older Highland Park properties still have their original oak or maple strip floors, and in most cases those boards are worth saving. We sand and refinish them rather than replace them. For any home built before 1978, we follow EPA lead-safe RRP protocols – proper containment, HEPA filtration, and clearance verification before we leave.
2
Mid-century ranch and split-level homes: These 1950s-1960s houses often sit on partial basements with some sections on concrete slab. We check subfloor moisture and flatness before committing to a method, and we plan transitions carefully where framed wood subfloor meets slab.
3
Rehabs and historic architect-designed properties: Highland Park has a number of significant early homes where matching the original species, board width, and finish matters. We blend repairs and extensions so new wood disappears into what is already there.
4
High-end custom and renovated lakefront homes: Engineered hardwood over plywood is common here. We verify subfloor levelness closely, because tight tolerances matter on wide-plank installs and complex stair and trim details require careful species and stain matching.
5
Ravine and lakefront moisture: Proximity to Lake Michigan and seasonal freeze-thaw cycles create real humidity swings. We acclimate all wood on site, install appropriate vapor barriers over basements and slabs, and recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round to prevent cupping and gapping.
In many Highland Park homes the original hardwood is worth restoring 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.
1
2
3
4
This one speaks for itself. A homeowner in Highland Park had a classic early-20th-century two-story with original hardwood floors that had seen decades of foot traffic - the boards were worn, scratched, and dull, with the finish nearly gone in the high-traffic areas. We sanded them back, repaired the damage, and refinished them start to finish. Same wood, no replacement. 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.
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 June 30, 2026
Donatas May 21, 2026
Donatas April 28, 2026
In most cases, yes. Early 20th-century oak strip floors in Highland Park are typically thick enough to take several sandings over their lifetime, and refinishing is almost always the right call before considering replacement. We assess the board thickness and condition first, then sand with vacuum-assisted equipment that captures 95% or more of the dust. Because homes from that era predate 1978, we follow EPA Lead RRP protocols throughout – proper containment, HEPA filtration, and verified cleanup. Refinishing starts at $3 per square foot.
It really does. The lakefront location means Highland Park homes deal with higher seasonal humidity, occasional fog, and freeze-thaw cycles that cause solid hardwood to expand and contract more than in drier inland areas. We see cupping in older floors more often here than in many suburbs. We check subfloor moisture before any install, recommend keeping indoor humidity between 30-50% year-round, and allow proper acclimation time for new wood on site. A vapor barrier or dehumidification system can make a significant difference in lower levels.
We handle this combination regularly. The framed main level is straightforward for solid or engineered hardwood. The slab area requires moisture testing first, and we typically recommend engineered hardwood there since it handles concrete-related moisture better than solid wood. We also plan the transitions carefully between the two levels so the finished result looks intentional rather than patched together. We follow NWFA technical guidelines throughout and can walk you through the options during a free in-home estimate, scheduled within 24 hours.
Species and stain matching is some of the most careful work we do, and older Highland Park homes make it genuinely interesting. White oak, maple, and narrow-plank patterns are common in these houses, and getting the blend right takes experience with both the sanding process and our stain selection. We use Bona and Loba finishes, which give us precise color control. We always test in a low-visibility area before committing, so the repaired or extended section reads as part of the original floor rather than an obvious addition.
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.
5.0
