Sunlit wood-framed home interior under construction with exposed rafters and windows

Services · Virtue Construction · LAKE FOREST, IL

What We Build, and What Goes Into It.

Six categories of work, built as a general contractor across Lake Forest and 25-plus miles surrounding. Structure through finish, permits pulled and inspections met.

View Selected Work

Virtue is a general contractor. We focus on additions, renovations, and new construction.

What we take on

Project Specialties

Most of our work is residential. Commercial is selective, and bonded where required.

Home Additions. Second stories, rear additions, and expansions on existing homes.
Whole-Home Renovations. Full gut and rebuild, structure through finish.
Kitchen & Bath Remodeling. The rooms with the most trades behind them.
Modern Home Construction. Ground-up builds in a contemporary language.
Design-Build with Your Architect. We enter at the drawing set.
Commercial Remodeling. Tenant improvements and interior fit-outs.

Jump to the work you're planning.

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Open-plan interior addition with wood-front island, ribbed wood cabinetry, gray accent wall, and pale oak floors

Home additions

Room You Didn't Have.

Second stories, rear additions, and expansions on existing homes. Framed, tied into the existing structure, and finished so the seam disappears.

Structural engineering and load transfer into the existing frame
Foundation and footing work sized to the new load
Exterior envelope and window lines matched to the original house
Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing extended and rebalanced for the added square footage
Permits pulled and city inspections scheduled through completion

Scope runs from a single-story rear addition to a full second story with structural steel.

See the full page See addition projects

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Renovated kitchen with vaulted dark timber ceiling, white cabinetry, marble counters, and a wide wood island

Whole-home renovations

Down to the Studs, Back to Finished.

A full gut and rebuild, structure, systems, and finish, with the house handed back complete.

Selective demolition with temporary structural support
Framing revisions, beams, and load transfer where walls come out
Full mechanical, electrical, and plumbing replacement, coordinated before close-up
Insulation, waterproofing, and substrate brought to current code
Radiant floor heating where specified, nVent certified
Permits, inspections, and final sign-off

Most whole-home projects run several months and put every trade in the house at once.

See the full page See renovation projects

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Bathroom with navy patterned wallpaper, marble-tiled walk-in shower, walnut vanity with marble top, and brushed brass fixtures

Kitchen & bath remodeling

The Rooms With the Most Behind Them.

Kitchens and bathrooms carry more trades per square foot than any other room in the house. They are won or lost before the tile goes on.

Plumbing and electrical rough-in set to the final fixture layout, not the other way around
Waterproofing and membrane at wet walls and shower pans, tested before tile
Substrate and backing installed for stone, tile, and wall-mounted fixtures
Radiant floor heat under tile and stone, nVent certified
Cabinetry, stone, and hardware installed to the drawing

Scope ranges from a primary bath to a full kitchen with structural changes and relocated services.

See the full page See kitchen and bath projects

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New custom home under construction with stone and siding exterior, timber brackets, and unfinished landscaping

Modern home construction

Ground Up, Drawn First.

Ground-up residential construction for clients and architects working in a contemporary language. Long spans, flat planes, and details with nowhere to hide.

Site work, excavation, foundation, and drainage
Structural steel and engineered framing for long spans and open volumes
Exterior envelope, air sealing, and window and door systems set to spec
Full mechanical, electrical, and plumbing coordination from the drawing set
Finish carpentry and millwork held to modern tolerances
Permits, inspections, and close-out

Modern detailing leaves no reveal to hide behind. Tolerances are tighter and the sequencing is less forgiving.

See the full page See new construction projects

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Architect drafting plans with a compass and ruler over a site model

Design-build with your architect

We Come In at Drawings.

Most of our work arrives through architects and interior designers. We enter at the drawing set and carry the detail through to hand-off.

Drawing review and constructability input before pricing is set
Scope and budget built against the set, not around it
Design intent held through construction, no unilateral substitutions
Change orders raised in writing, early, before work proceeds
One point of contact for the architect and the client
Permitting pulled and inspections coordinated by us

We take on a limited number of projects at a time, so the architect keeps the same contact from drawings through punch list.

See the full page Start a project conversation

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Open office floor under renovation with a drop ceiling, suspended linear lighting, bare concrete slab, scissor lift, and rolling scaffold

Commercial remodeling

Selective Commercial Work.

We take on commercial remodeling where the scope and schedule fit. Tenant improvements, interior fit-outs, and renovations.

Tenant improvement and interior fit-out
Structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing coordination
Permitting and inspection scheduling through occupancy
Bonding obtained for projects that require it

Residential is our primary practice. Commercial work is taken on selectively.

Talk to us about a commercial project

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The process

The Same Process, Every Scope.

Walkthrough & Drawings

We visit the property, review any drawings with you and your architect, and tell you plainly what the project involves.

Scope & Schedule

A defined scope, a realistic timeline, and permits pulled before anything opens up.

Build & Hand-Off

One point of contact through construction. Clean site, steady updates, and a finished house we'd put our name on.

Most projects begin four to eight weeks after the walkthrough.

Start here

Tell Us What You're Planning.

Send the project type and location. If an architect is involved, we'll bring them into the first conversation.

Request a Consultation

We respond within one business day.