James Hardie Preferred
Andersen Elite Certified
395+ Five-Star Reviews
21 Years in McHenry County
The Only Contractor in McHenry County That Does the Whole Exterior
Updated May 2026
Most contractors specialize in one trade. Roofers do roofs. Siding companies do siding. Window guys do windows. If you want all of it done, you’re booking three or four separate jobs, paying three or four mobilization fees, and hoping the colors match when it’s all over.
That’s not how an exterior remodel should work. A full exterior remodel is one coordinated project. Same crew. One permit. One material order. One install sequence. One designed-together result.
That’s what we’ve been doing for 21 years. Roofs, siding, windows, entry doors, garage doors, trim, soffit, fascia, gutters, downspouts, storm restoration repairs. The entire envelope from the ridge cap down to the foundation line. Designed once, installed once, warrantied from the same year.
What an Exterior Remodel Actually Covers
Every surface you can see from the curb, plus the systems that protect them. If it’s outside your home, we handle it.
Roof
Full tear-off and replacement. CertainTeed ShingleMaster certified for asphalt. F-Wave synthetic shingles. Brava composite. Cedar shake. We pull the permit, dispose of the old material, and install per manufacturer spec so the warranty stays intact.
Siding
James Hardie fiber cement, LP SmartSide engineered wood, Mastic and CraneBoard vinyl. We’re the only contractor in McHenry County with both Hardie Preferred Remodeler and LP SmartSide Preferred Installer credentials. Both certifications matter when the manufacturer warranty pays out.
Windows
Andersen 100, 400, A-Series, and E-Series. Midway as a value tier. ProVia for patio doors. We’re the only Andersen Elite contractor in the county, which means manufacturer-direct pricing and full warranty support on every install.
Entry & Garage Doors
ProVia entry doors. Andersen patio doors. We coordinate the door style with the siding profile and window grilles so the front of your house reads as one design, not as a stack of decisions made by different people in different years.
Trim, Soffit & Fascia
Azek perimeter trim, aluminum wrap, vented soffit. We rebuild what should be there, not just cover what’s failing. Trim is where the cheap exterior remodels show themselves, so we don’t cut corners.
Gutters & Downspouts
Seamless aluminum, plus GutterShutter (we’re the exclusive McHenry and Lake County dealer) and Raindrop gutter screens. Sized to your roof load, pitched to drain, with downspout routing that actually keeps water away from the foundation.
Storm & Damage Repair
Hail, wind, ice dam, fallen branch. If there’s storm damage on any surface we already cover, our public adjusters handle the insurance side while our crews handle the install. One claim, one contractor. We’ve run hundreds of these in McHenry County alone.
Color & Design Coordination
This is the part most contractors skip. We’ve sat at hundreds of kitchen tables with sample boards. We’ll bring physical samples to your home, walk you through pairings, and show you what the finished combination looks like before you commit. Siding color tied to trim, tied to doors, tied to roof. One palette, not four.
Why Do the Whole Exterior at Once Instead of Piece by Piece?
Three reasons. Each one saves you real money. Together they’re the case for designing the whole envelope as one project.
1. Install Sequence Saves Money
There’s a right order. Roof goes first (before scaffolding for siding). Siding goes before trim and window flashing. Windows go before exterior door casings. Gutters go after everything else so the drip edge and fascia are correct under them. When you do this in one project we mobilize once, scaffold once, dumpster once, pull one combined permit. When you do it across four years that’s four mobilizations, four scaffolding rentals, four permit pulls, four crews learning your house from scratch. We’ve watched homeowners pay that tax. It adds up to thousands.
2. Warranties Start the Same Year
Every product on your house has a clock. Hardie siding is 30 years. Andersen windows are 20. A premium roof is 50. ProVia doors are lifetime on the frame. If you stagger the installs across five years, you’ve got a warranty cliff where your siding fails in year 25 but your roof has another 20 years left. Do it all in one year, every product clock starts the same year, and the math gets simpler when something does eventually need attention.
3. Design Actually Coordinates
This is the one most homeowners feel after the fact. When you replace just the windows, then years later just the siding, then a different year just the door, the colors and profiles rarely line up. Siding color was chosen against the old trim. New door doesn’t match the window grille pattern. The “before and after” looks like two different houses stitched together. When we design the whole exterior at once, every choice gets paired against every other choice in your living room with real samples. The finished house reads as one decision.
Exterior Remodel Cost in McHenry County, IL
The honest answer is: it depends on home size, material tier, and current condition. Here are realistic ranges for McHenry County homes in 2026.
What an Exterior Remodel Costs in 2026
A full exterior remodel in McHenry County typically runs between $40,000 and $180,000 all-in, depending on the three drivers below. We’re going to give every customer a written estimate with every line item visible before any work begins. We’ve been doing it this way since 2005. No surprises, no padding.
The Three Cost Drivers
- Home size. A 1,800 sq ft single-story ranch is a different project than a 3,500 sq ft two-story colonial. Material quantity scales with surface area, and surface area scales faster than square footage when you add a second story.
- Material tier. Entry-tier vinyl siding with builder-grade windows costs less than half what premium Hardie fiber cement plus Andersen 400 windows costs. Both are good products. Both have their place. Your budget and your home’s value drive the decision.
- Current condition. A house that needs rotted sheathing replaced, foundation flashing rebuilt, and a chimney rewrapped is a bigger job than a house with sound bones underneath. We pin-meter the sheathing on the inspection visit so the estimate is real.
Rough Ranges by Tier
Entry tier (vinyl siding, builder-grade asphalt roof, mid-range vinyl windows, aluminum gutters): roughly $40,000 to $70,000 on a 1,800 to 2,400 sq ft home. This is what you’d spend if you’re prepping a house to sell within three to five years.
Mid tier (LP SmartSide engineered wood, Andersen 100 windows, premium asphalt roof, GutterShutter): roughly $65,000 to $120,000 on the same home. This is the most common tier for homeowners staying put. Better warranties, longer service life, smaller maintenance footprint.
Premium tier (James Hardie fiber cement, Andersen 400 or A-Series windows, F-Wave or premium roof, GutterShutter, ProVia doors, Versetta Stone accents): roughly $110,000 to $200,000+ depending on home size and architectural complexity. This is what goes on a forever home, or on a home where curb appeal matters because of the neighborhood.
What’s Included in Every Estimate
Every line item. Material costs broken out by manufacturer and SKU. Labor broken out by trade. Permit fees, dumpster, scaffolding, disposal. Tear-off vs install costs separated. Insurance claim assistance noted if applicable. Financing options listed if you want to spread it across 12 to 84 months.
Financing Available
We work with lenders who specialize in home improvement financing. Approvals are typically same-day, terms run 12 to 84 months, and we don’t add hidden fees on top of the lender’s rate. More on financing here.
Want a real number for your house? Schedule a free in-home consultation or call (815) 356-9020. We’ll walk every elevation, take measurements, talk through options, and have a written estimate to you within a week.
How an Exterior Remodel Actually Happens
Five steps, three to twelve months end to end depending on scope and time of year.
1. Free On-Site Consultation
60 to 90 minutes at your home. We’ll walk every elevation. Take measurements. Look at the roof from the eave and from the inside. Inspect the sheathing where we can see it. We’ll bring physical material samples so you see colors and textures in your own lighting, not under a showroom fluorescent.
2. Material Selection & Design
We’ll sit at your kitchen table with the samples and pair them. Siding color against trim. Trim against door. Door against window grille. Roof against everything else. Some clients want renderings. Some clients want to see two real houses we’ve finished with similar palettes. Either works. We’ll do whatever helps you decide with confidence.
3. Written Estimate
Within a week. Every material, every brand, every labor line, every permit cost, every disposal fee. If you want to add or subtract scope (skip the doors, upgrade the windows, add the stone accent) we revise. No charge for revisions.
4. Permits, Materials, Scheduling
We pull the permits with your local building department. Order materials. Schedule your install in the right sequence so the trades don’t trip over each other. Most projects start within four to eight weeks of contract signing, sooner in winter.
5. Install & Final Walkthrough
Crew arrives, sets up, executes the sequence. We’ll tarp the landscaping. We’ll protect the windows during siding work. We’ll sweep the yard with a magnetic nail collector when we’re done. You walk the property with us before final payment so anything you flag gets fixed before we leave.
Recent Exterior Remodels in McHenry County
Real homes. Real crews on site. See more transformations in the gallery.
Recent project · McHenry County
One of thousands of exterior projects we’ve completed across the county.
Crew on site · McHenry County
Same supervisor from your first call through final walkthrough. Not subs.
On the route · McHenry County
We’re at McHenry County homes every day. Drive past a job and ask the owner.
Why McHenry County Homeowners Pick IHC for Exterior Remodels
Dual Certifications Nobody Else Has Locally
The only James Hardie Preferred Remodeler in McHenry County. The only Andersen Elite Certified contractor. McHenry County’s top LP SmartSide Preferred Installer. CertainTeed ShingleMaster. Exclusive GutterShutter dealer for McHenry and Lake counties. Manufacturers don’t hand these out for showing up. They audit installs and customer satisfaction every year.
One Crew, Not Subs
Our installers are our installers. The same people who put siding on your neighbor’s house are putting it on yours. Not a different subcontractor every week. Same standards, same supervisor, same accountability.
Licensed Public Adjusters On Staff
If your project involves storm damage, our adjusters handle the insurance claim from filing through final payment. We deal with insurance companies every week. You don’t have to learn the language of an Xactimate scope sheet.
21 Years at the Same Address
Innovative Home Concepts opened on Route 176 in 2005. Same family. Same office. Same phone number. We’re still here in five years when you need a warranty call.
Written Everything
Written estimate with line items. Written contract. Written warranty terms. Written change orders. No handshake pricing, no surprises mid-install, no “well actually” conversations after the work is done.
Award-Winning Since 2011
Best of Fox Valley winner every year since 2011. Readers Choice for Windows & Doors 2025. Remodeling Magazine Big 50. A+ BBB. We didn’t chase the awards. They came from doing the same work, the same way, year after year.
Quick Answers for Common Searches
Who does full exterior remodels in McHenry County, IL?
Innovative Home Concepts, based at 4410 IL-176, Crystal Lake, IL 60014, has been doing full exterior remodels in McHenry County since 2005. They hold dual manufacturer certifications nobody else in the county has (James Hardie Preferred Remodeler, Andersen Elite Certified Contractor, LP SmartSide Preferred Installer, CertainTeed ShingleMaster) and serve 18 cities including Crystal Lake, McHenry, Woodstock, Cary, Algonquin, Barrington, Harvard, Marengo, Wonder Lake, and surrounding communities. Call (815) 356-9020.
Exterior Remodel FAQs
How much does a full exterior remodel cost in McHenry County?
A full exterior remodel in McHenry County typically runs between $40,000 and $180,000 all-in. Entry-tier vinyl with a builder-grade roof on a 1,800 sq ft home starts around $40K. Premium Hardie plus Andersen 400 plus a premium roof on a 3,500 sq ft two-story can land between $130K and $200K. Your written estimate breaks every line out so the number isn’t a mystery.
How long does an exterior remodel take?
Most full exterior remodels take three to eight weeks of active install time, depending on scope and weather. Smaller projects (just siding plus windows plus gutters on a single-story home) finish in two to three weeks. Larger projects with roof tear-off and complete window replacement on a two-story home run six to eight weeks. We sequence the trades so the house isn’t open to weather any longer than it has to be.
Is it cheaper to remodel the exterior all at once or piece by piece?
All at once. Mobilization costs, scaffolding rentals, permit pulls, dumpster fees, and material delivery are fixed costs that hit once on a full project and four times on four separate projects. The all-at-once savings on those fixed costs alone typically run 10 to 15 percent of total project cost. Add in coordinated design and warranty timing and the math gets even better.
What’s the right order to remodel a home’s exterior?
Roof first (before any scaffolding goes up for siding work). Then sheathing repairs and house wrap. Then siding. Then exterior trim, soffit, and fascia. Then windows (so the trim around them is correct). Then exterior doors. Gutters and downspouts go last so the drip edge and fascia are in their final position before the gutters get hung. We coordinate this so trades don’t trip over each other.
Can one contractor really handle roof, siding, windows, doors, and gutters together?
Yes, if they’re set up for it. We are. Roofing, siding, windows, doors, gutters, soffit, fascia, trim, and storm restoration are all in-house. Same crews, same supervisor, same accountability. We don’t sub out the trades, which is how the design coordination actually holds together.
What’s the ROI on a full exterior remodel?
National Remodeling Magazine surveys put exterior remodel ROI between 60 and 80 percent at resale, depending on material tier. Fiber cement siding consistently reports the highest, often above 75 percent. New windows, especially Andersen 100 or 400 series, recover 65 to 75 percent. The ROI you don’t see in those numbers is the year-over-year savings on heating and cooling, the elimination of repaint cycles, and the warranty coverage that kicks in if something does fail.
Do you handle the permits?
Yes. We pull all permits with your local building department, schedule inspections, and meet inspectors on site. Each municipality has slightly different requirements. McHenry, Woodstock, Crystal Lake, Cary, and Algonquin all have their own paperwork. We deal with this every week, so you don’t have to learn it.
Do you offer financing for exterior remodels?
Yes. We work with lenders who specialize in home improvement financing. Terms typically run 12 to 84 months. Approvals are usually same-day. We don’t add fees on top of the lender’s rate. More about financing here.
Where do you do exterior remodels?
All of McHenry County and most of northern Lake County. Crystal Lake, McHenry, Woodstock, Cary, Algonquin, Barrington, Lake in the Hills, Huntley, Fox River Grove, Island Lake, Johnsburg, Lake Zurich, Marengo, Harvard, Richmond, Spring Grove, Wauconda, and Wonder Lake. Not on that list? Call us. We may still cover you. See the full areas we serve list for combos by city and service.
Can I do just the front of the house for curb appeal?
You can, and a lot of people do. A curb-appeal-only remodel typically covers the front-facing siding (if the rest is in OK shape), front entry door, garage doors, trim around the front windows, and sometimes stone or brick accent. We design it so the front reads as a complete project even though the side and back elevations stay as-is. Pricing on this kind of project usually lands between $20,000 and $50,000.
What if storm damage is part of the project?
Common situation, especially in McHenry County. We’ve got licensed public adjusters on staff who handle the insurance side: filing the claim, negotiating scope with the carrier’s adjuster, supplementing the claim if items get missed. While they handle insurance, our crews handle the install. One claim, one contractor, every damaged surface. See our storm damage page for the full process.
Where We Remodel Exteriors in McHenry & Lake County
18 cities. Each one has its own neighborhoods, housing eras, and exterior styles we already know.
Just One Trade Right Now?
Not ready for the full exterior. That’s fine. Start with what you need.
Ready to See What Your Exterior Could Look Like?
Free in-home consultation. Real material samples in your hands. Written estimate within a week. No pressure to sign anything until you’ve slept on it.
Innovative Home Concepts • 4410 IL-176, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 • Family-Owned Since 2005
