Orren Pickell Building Group delivers luxury home renovation in Chicago, from first design to final walkthrough. We are a full-service design-build firm. One team manages every phase so nothing falls through the cracks. From the moment you reach out through our whole home remodeling service, you have one accountable team from vision to move-in day.
Chicago is a city of extraordinary homes, and homeowners who expect the best. Whether you’re reimagining a Gold Coast brownstone or transforming a Lincoln Park townhome, we bring the craftsmanship and vision your project deserves.
Schedule Your Chicago Renovation Consultation
Orren Pickell started with a small house-painting business and has grown into one of the most respected luxury home building and remodeling firms in the Chicago area. Today, every project still reflects that foundation: care, ownership, and a deep commitment to clients.
Renovation Services for Chicago Homeowners
We offer a full suite of renovation services for homeowners across Chicago and surrounding communities. Every project is delivered as an integrated design-build engagement. Your designer and builder work together from day one, always aligned and never siloed.
Whole-Home Renovations
Our in-house team manages all trades and finishes. You get one point of contact, one accountable firm, and a renovation that stays on budget.
Custom Kitchen Remodels
Our designers and craftspeople collaborate on kitchen renovations that blend function, beauty, and quality. From custom cabinetry built entirely in-house to curated stone surfaces, every detail is considered.
Luxury Bathroom Renovations
From master suite spa retreats to powder rooms, every material and fixture is selected with your lifestyle in mind.
Basement Finishing and Transformation
We convert underused lower levels into finished spaces: home theaters, wine cellars, family rooms, or guest suites.
Home Additions and Expansions
Our team plans and builds additions that integrate with your existing architecture. We preserve the character and scale of your home throughout.
Design-Build Project Management
From permitting through punch list, we manage every detail so you don’t have to.
Our Design-Build Process
One of the most common homeowner frustrations is the gap between what was envisioned and what gets built. When architects and contractors work as separate firms, details get lost. Our integrated approach eliminates that risk entirely.
Here is how every project unfolds:
- Initial Consultation and In-Home Assessment: We visit your home, understand your goals, and assess scope before a single line is drawn.
- Design Development and Custom Planning: Our in-house architectural and design team develops detailed plans tailored to your home, your tastes, and your lifestyle, not a template.
- Budget Alignment and Project Agreement: We use open-book pricing. You receive a full cost breakdown so you always know where your money is going. No hidden markups. No vague estimates.
- Permitting, Material Selection and Pre-Construction: We handle city permitting, coordinate material selections, and prepare all trade scheduling before breaking ground.
- Construction and Project Management: Your dedicated project manager communicates progress regularly and keeps your project on schedule.
- Final Walkthrough and Client Satisfaction Review: Our dedicated punch list team does a full walkthrough before we consider the project complete, because we do not consider it finished until you do.
Why Chicago Homeowners Choose Pickell Builders
There is a meaningful difference between a contractor who builds and a firm that designs, builds, and stands behind every decision. Here is what sets Orren Pickell Building Group apart:
| What We Offer | What It Means for You |
| Decades of experience | Deep familiarity with Chicago’s most prestigious neighborhoods and the North Shore |
| In-house design and construction | Your designer and builder work together from day one, with no finger-pointing and no coordination failures |
| 350+ industry awards | Recognition from NARI, NAHB, and the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago |
| Open-book pricing | You always know what you are paying for and why |
| Client-first communication | A named point of contact personally accountable to your project from first consultation to final walkthrough |
Lisa Pickell, President, has led the company since 2003. She has received the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago’s Remodeler of the Year award, been recognized as one of Professional Remodeler magazine’s 40 Under 40 honorees, and named among Constructech magazine’s Women in Construction leaders. That leadership defines how we operate.
For a deeper look at our story, our full custom home building background shows what nearly 50 years of experience looks like in practice.
Chicago Neighborhoods and North Shore Communities We Serve
Our work spans a wide range of architectural styles, and we bring deep experience to all of them.
From the historic limestone greystones of Lincoln Park to the stately vintage coach houses of the Gold Coast. From contemporary builds in River North to classic row homes in Lakeview and Bucktown, our team understands the unique structural and aesthetic considerations each neighborhood presents.
We also serve homeowners in Wicker Park, Naperville, and communities across Chicago’s North Shore, including Glencoe, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Highland Park, and Lake Forest. Every renovation honors the architecture of the home and the fabric of the neighborhood.
Our office is located at our custom home builder, conveniently situated to serve homeowners throughout Chicagoland and the North Shore.
Chicago homeowners planning a renovation should know that most structural work requires a permit before construction begins. The City of Chicago Department of Buildings permit guide walks through which projects require approval, what the process looks like, and how timelines vary by project type. We handle the entire permitting process on your behalf, so you never have to navigate it alone.
Built Right the First Time, Backed for the Long Run
Orren Pickell Building Group has spent decades delivering luxury home renovation in Chicago, on budget, on schedule, and built to the highest standard.
Our in-house design and construction teams work as one. Your vision is never lost in translation, and your investment is always protected.
We bring a rare combination to every project: the creativity of a boutique design studio, the precision of an experienced construction firm, and the accountability of a family-owned business built one home at a time.
No other firm in the region combines this level of design expertise, construction accountability, and transparent pricing under one roof. Whether you are planning a luxury kitchen transformation, a complete whole-home renovation, or something you have not quite defined yet. Our team is ready to listen, advise, and deliver.