Suburban homes

Many homes in the Chicago suburbs were built in the decades after the Second World War. They often have room to grow but dated kitchens, small bathrooms and closed-off layouts.

What it is

• Across metropolitan Chicago, bungalows lost favor with buyers after World War II, and ranches and split-levels became the dominant house forms in newly built areas.

  Source: Bungalows, by Joseph C. Bigott (Encyclopedia of Chicago, archived copy) (opens in a new tab)

• Ranch and raised-ranch homes (1940s-1970s) are asymmetrical with low-pitched roofs and wood or brick cladding, one story or two if raised. Split-levels (1950s-1960s) have two or three levels, with the garage and family room lowest and bedrooms upstairs.

  Source: Chicago Vintage Home Styles (Chicago Bungalow Association) (opens in a new tab)

• Cape Cods in the Chicago area (1930s-1960s) are typically brick, one and a half stories with a front gable, and belong to the Minimal Traditional trend in small homes, resembling pared-down Tudor Revivals with lower roof pitches.

  Source: Chicago Vintage Home Styles (Chicago Bungalow Association) (opens in a new tab)

Renovating one today

• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says homes built before 1965 rarely have aluminum branch-circuit wiring, but wiring installed from 1965 to the mid-1970s, in new homes, additions or rewires, may be aluminum, whose connections can overheat.

  Source: Repairing Aluminum Wiring, Publication 516 (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) (opens in a new tab)

• Federal rules require anyone paid to disturb painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 to be certified, with workers trained in lead-safe practices. EPA estimates about three-quarters of U.S. homes from before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint.

  Source: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program (U.S. EPA, updated June 17, 2026) (opens in a new tab)

• Illinois public health officials say central and northern Illinois have higher radon levels in soil and that lower floors such as basements tend to test higher. The state emergency management agency licenses radon testing and mitigation professionals.

  Source: Radon FAQs (Illinois Department of Public Health) (opens in a new tab)

Programs and resources

• Home Energy Savings Program (Chicago Bungalow Association with ComEd, Nicor Gas, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas) (opens in a new tab)

  Income-qualified energy assessment and weatherization help for homes located within ComEd's service territory.

• Illinois Property Tax Assessment Freeze for historic residences (opens in a new tab)

  Statewide program that also covers locally designated landmarks in Illinois communities whose preservation ordinances are approved for it, so it applies only to suburban homes with historic status.

How we approach it

Opening up a layout is planned around what the walls are actually carrying, checked with a structural engineer where needed, before it goes into the written scope.

Each suburb has its own permit office and rules. Our area pages link to the official source for each one.

Services that fit

• Kitchen remodeling
• Bathroom remodeling
• Basement finishing
• Rental turnovers
• Repairs and punch lists
• Flooring

Facts on this page were checked on September 30, 2026. Follow the source links for the full details.