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From Just $3/sq ft
17+ Years of Local Expertise
Serving Chicago & 30+ Suburbs
15,000+ Hands-On Hours
Solid and Engineered Floors
Big Bro Hardwood is an owner-operated hardwood flooring company working across Lake Forest and nearby suburbs. We install, sand, stain, refinish, and repair solid and engineered wood floors, starting around $3 a square foot. In 17+ years, we’ve done 500+ floors around the area, including bringing old oak floors back to life in east side estates, matching new boards into pre-1940 homes, and laying engineered plank over concrete in west side additions.
The same small crew handles your Lake Forest floors from the first measurement to the last coat, with no rotating subcontractors. We price everything line by line and keep dust and odors to a minimum with vacuum-assisted equipment, though it doesn’t eliminate them entirely; edges and corners leave a little fine residue. We finish with Bona and Loba products that are kid- and pet-safe once cured, and we’ll come measure for a free estimate within 24 hours.
Premium Results From $3/sq ft
Beautiful hardwood in a Lake Forest home doesn’t require a top-tier budget. Our work starts from $3/sq ft, and you still get careful, detailed craftsmanship. Curious what your space might run? Try our hardwood floor cost calculator before you even call.
On-Time, No-Stress Projects
We show up when we say we will and keep things moving at a steady pace. Lake Forest homeowners get clear, honest communication from the first visit to the last day on site, so there’s never any guessing about what comes next.
80% of Clients Refer Us
Most of our new work in Lake Forest and nearby suburbs comes from past clients telling their neighbors. That kind of word-of-mouth trust isn’t something you can buy. It’s earned one well-finished floor at a time.
Free In-Home Estimate Within 24 Hours
We walk through your Lake Forest home, measure the rooms, check the boards and the subfloor underneath, and listen to what you want. Within 24 hours you get a free, itemized estimate built around your actual floors, not a generic number.
Floor Condition and Moisture Come First
Great hardwood work starts underneath what you can see. We check for flatness, moisture, movement and old damage before we recommend anything, which matters in a town with so many older homes. That groundwork helps avoid gaps, cupping and loose boards later.
Floors and Stairs Under One Scope
One crew handles your main floors along with steps, treads, risers and railings, so everything gets planned together. Species, board width, color and sheen line up from room to room, giving your Lake Forest home a unified, finished look instead of mismatched pieces.
Big Bro Hardwood wood floor contractor offers all kinds of professional flooring services in Lake Forest:
We’re a local hardwood floor company based in the Lake Forest area, with 17+ years of hands-on experience as professional wood floor contractors. 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+ Lake Forest-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
Dan (Donatas)
Owner
Valdas
Team member
Slavek
Team member
Lake Forest's housing stock and climate change what works on the floors; here is how our specialists adapt the work by home type and condition.
1
East Lake Forest Pre-War Homes
The historic east side has many homes built before 1940, often with original oak or maple strip floors over plank or wood subfloors. These boards can usually be restored and recoated rather than torn out, and we follow EPA lead-safe (RRP) rules whenever we open up a pre-1978 home.
2
Mid-Century West Side Homes
West Lake Forest’s ranches, colonials, and split-levels from the 1950s through 1980s commonly sit over full or partial basements, with additions or lower levels needing their own subfloor check. We confirm joist condition and moisture before touching the existing wood.
3
Additions and Rehabs
When an addition or remodel meets original flooring, we match species, grade, and board width so the new wood blends with the old. Done right, the patches disappear and the transition is invisible underfoot.
4
New Custom Construction
Lake Forest’s newer custom homes and planned communities, including areas like Conway Farms, often call for wide-plank engineered or prefinished hardwood. We check subfloor flatness and moisture before any work so seasonal movement does not open gaps later.
5
Lakefront and Lake Michigan Humidity
Lake Michigan exposure pushes humidity higher in summer and dries out hard in winter with forced-air heat. We let wood acclimate on site and recommend keeping rooms at 30-50% humidity to prevent cupping, gapping, and crowning over time.
In many Lake Forest homes the original wood is worth saving rather than tearing out, but the only way to know for sure is for a professional hardwood flooring contractor to look at your subfloor and the condition of the 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 expert hardwood floor company crew handles all the work on a dust-controlled setup, cleaning up daily.
4
We do a final walkthrough, go over care and timing, and stand behind the work.
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.
Dan September 18, 2026
Dan September 10, 2026
Dan September 09, 2026
Yes. Lake Forest has condo and townhome buildings alongside its larger estates, and we handle the building side of things the same way we handle the house side. That means written dust-control notes for the association, protection for shared hallways and elevators, quiet hours worked out ahead of time, and a certificate of insurance if the building asks for one. We’re fully insured for both houses and condos.
The same small crew, every time, with no rotating subcontractors. Dan (Donatas), the owner, is on every job from the first measurement to the last coat, alongside Valdas and Slavek, who’ve spent decades between them on wood floors and finish carpentry. For a town like Lake Forest, where older boards and custom new builds both need careful judgment, that consistency matters.
Most Lake Forest projects start about 2-4 weeks after the in-home estimate and signed agreement, depending on our current schedule. Shorter jobs can sometimes fit in sooner without that wait. We’ll give you a realistic window during the visit so you can plan around it, rather than guessing.
We work throughout Lake Forest and the surrounding area, including Highland Park, Deerfield, Northbrook, Buffalo Grove, Winnetka and other nearby suburbs. Wherever the job is, the same crew and the same approach to checking subfloors and moisture before we start applies.
Square footage, the condition of the existing boards, the scope of work and building access all play into the price. A standalone house prices differently than a building with elevator logistics or tight parking. Our work starts from $3/sq ft, and the exact number comes after the free in-home estimate. Try our cost calculator for a rough starting figure before you call.
Tell us about your floors and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.
Get a free quote
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