Design + Build Services in Chicago – Streamlined Solutions from Concept to Completion
Experience the Simplicity of Integrated Design and Construction
Discover the Benefits of Room Additions in Chicago
A Unified Approach for Seamless Home Transformations
At Pegasus Construction, our Design + Build services offer a streamlined path to realizing your dream home. By integrating both design and construction under one roof, we eliminate the communication gaps and project delays often seen with traditional remodeling methods. Our experienced team handles everything—from initial design concepts to the final walkthrough—ensuring your vision is brought to life with exceptional craftsmanship and efficiency.
Why Design + Build is the Smarter Choice
Seamless Communication and Project Efficiency
With Pegasus Construction’s Design + Build services, one team handles both design and construction. This unified approach ensures fluid communication, real-time adjustments, and faster decision-making, minimizing misunderstandings and delays.
Cost Efficiency and Transparent Budgeting
Our Design + Build model provides upfront pricing with clear cost breakdowns. A single contract covers both design and construction, reducing unexpected expenses and keeping your budget on track.
Accelerated Project Timelines
Streamlined coordination allows for quicker project timelines. Real-time adjustments keep everything moving forward, while permits and inspections are managed efficiently to avoid delays.
Our Design + Build Process
A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Project
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Initial Consultation and Vision Planning
We begin with a detailed consultation to understand your goals, budget, and vision for your space.
Design Development and Permitting
Our design team crafts detailed plans that reflect your vision and comply with all local Chicago building codes.
Material Selection and Budget Estimation
We guide you through material options and provide transparent cost estimates for every phase.
Construction and Project Management
Our skilled construction team brings the design to life with quality craftsmanship and rigorous project oversight
Project Completion and Final Walkthrough
Once completed, we’ll walk you through your new space and make any adjustments.
New Construction
Custom new home construction in Chicago—built with quality, style, and attention to detail.
Home Additions
Seamlessly expand your living space with custom-designed home additions built to match your lifestyle.
Whole House Remodeling
Transform your entire home with a complete remodel that enhances style, functionality, and value.
Kitchen Remodeling
Revitalize your space with a kitchen remodel that blends modern design, functionality, and style.
Bathroom Remodeling
Transform your bathroom into a luxurious, spa-like retreat with modern design and high-quality finishes.
Basement Remodeling
Maximize your home’s potential with a beautifully designed, functional basement renovation.
Exterior Remodeling
Enhance your home’s curb appeal and durability with high-quality exterior remodeling and upgrades.
Construction Consulting
Optimize your project with expert construction consulting—streamlining planning, design, and execution.
Why Choose Pegasus Construction for your Home Addition
Quality, Experience, and Commitment to Excellence in Chicagoland
At Pegasus Construction, we specialize in providing exceptional Design + Build services for homeowners throughout Chicago. Our integrated team of designers and builders works closely with you to transform your vision into reality, ensuring that every project seamlessly blends with your existing home while enhancing its functionality and style. From concept to completion, we prioritize clear communication, superior craftsmanship, and strict compliance with Chicago building codes. With a history of successful projects and satisfied clients across Chicagoland, Pegasus Construction is your trusted partner for delivering beautiful, well-crafted spaces that elevate your home and enrich your lifestyle.
Servicing Chicago and the Surrounding Suburbs
Chicago Neighborhoods
Surrounding Suburbs
Our team of experienced builders has a solid track record when it comes to creating exceptional spaces. We ensure that the construction process is stress free, with transparent communication on both deadlines and cost estimates – guaranteeing you’ll no un welcome surprise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the actual difference between design-build and hiring an architect plus a GC separately?
In the traditional path, you hire an architect (3–6 months, 8–15% of construction cost), they produce drawings, you bid those drawings to multiple GCs (1–2 months), then you manage the relationship between the designer and builder if conflicts arise — and they will. In design-build, one firm handles both under one contract. Design and pre-construction overlap rather than running sequentially. Timelines compress. And when something goes wrong, there is no finger-pointing between a designer and a builder — it’s one team’s responsibility to resolve.
Does design-build cost more than bidding out separately?
Total project costs tend to be comparable or lower — not because design-build firms charge less, but because change orders are dramatically reduced. Industry data shows design-build budgets align with actual costs 74% more often than traditional delivery. The savings from competitive GC bidding are frequently erased by misalignment fees when a GC bids plans they didn’t help design. Chicago’s high subcontractor labor rates ($85–$150/hr for skilled trades) make change orders especially expensive — reducing them by 30–40% can outweigh any premium on the design fee.
How much control do I have over the design decisions?
A lot — that’s the point. Design-build is collaborative, not a hand-it-over-and-see-what-comes-back process. You’re part of design review at every milestone: floor plan approval, exterior selections, interior finish selections. You make the decisions; we bring the construction knowledge to tell you when a design direction will cost significantly more than it’s worth and offer alternatives. What you give up is the ability to hire multiple architects for competing creative concepts — design-build presents options within one cohesive design direction and locks decisions early to protect the budget.
Is a design-build firm’s in-house designer as good as an independent architect?
Ask specifically: is your designer a licensed architect registered in Illinois? Some design-build firms employ AIA-credentialed architects; many employ interior designers or project designers with commercial software but no architecture license. This matters for structural decisions and permit stamping — Chicago’s Department of Buildings requires architect-stamped drawings for structural work, additions, and new construction. A firm with an in-house licensed architect seals their own drawings and controls the permit timeline. One without must hire an outside structural engineer or architect, adding cost and time.
How does payment work in a design-build contract?
Most design-build firms charge a separate design fee — typically $2,000–$10,000 depending on project complexity — before construction contracts are signed. Some credit it toward construction if you proceed; many do not. Clarify whether the design fee is refundable or creditable before signing anything. Construction payments follow a milestone-based draw schedule: deposit at signing, draws at project start and rough-in, and a final holdback until punch list. The Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act requires all contracts over $1,000 in writing — this applies to design agreements too.
What happens if I don’t like the design they produce?
Your contract should specify the number of revision rounds included — typically two or three — and what constitutes a revision versus a scope change that triggers additional fees. Ask upfront who owns the design drawings if you part ways after paying for them. In Illinois, architectural drawings are typically the intellectual property of the designer unless the contract specifies otherwise — if you split with a design-build firm after investing in drawings, you may not be able to take those drawings to another contractor. Clarify ownership in writing before the design phase begins.
How do I verify a design-build firm is legitimate in Chicago?
Verify separately: (1) an active City of Chicago GC license at the DOB database — the license class must match the project value; (2) designer credentials — ask if the in-house designer is a licensed architect (AIA member or NCARB certified), or an interior designer (NCIDQ certified); (3) references from clients who can speak to both the design process and construction quality — not just finished photos; (4) that they pull permits under their own license, not through a subcontracted permit service. The term “design-build” is not regulated in Illinois — any contractor can use it. Verify each credential independently.
How do I get started with a design-build project?
Contact us to schedule an initial discovery meeting. We’ll walk your home or lot, discuss your goals, constraints, and timeline, and give you a realistic budget range based on what you’re describing — before any design fees are discussed. From there, if it’s a fit, we propose a design agreement covering the discovery and design phase. You’ll know exactly what you’re getting and what it costs before construction contracts are signed. We don’t ask for large upfront commitments before you have a design and a price you’ve agreed to.
