Home Remodeling in Batavia, IL

Batavia is a true mix of old and new. Data from Census Reporter puts the median year built at 1985, which sounds middle of the road until you look at the spread. About 1 in 6 homes was built in 1939 or earlier, and about 4 in 10 went up before 1980. Then there's a big jump in the 1990s, when roughly 1 in 5 of today's homes was built, and another wave in the 2000s. Very few homes are newer than 2010.

The city has about 10,840 housing units. Roughly 7 in 10 are detached houses and about 1 in 10 are townhomes. The rest sit in duplexes, small buildings and larger apartment buildings. Most are lived in by their owners. Census Reporter lists the median home value at about $387,000.

So what does that mean for a remodel? Two Batavia homes a few streets apart can need very different things. A house from the 1920s may have plaster walls, small rooms and one bathroom that has been patched more than once. A 1990s house may have an unfinished basement and a kitchen with its first cabinets. When you ask for a quote, share the year your home was built and anything you know about past work on it.

No city or agency publishes which remodels Batavia homeowners take on. These picks are based on when Batavia's houses were built and what kind they are. Older houses and 1990s houses often call for different work. Your house may match one or two of these, not all.

With so many houses from before 1940, Batavia is a natural fit for a whole home remodel. Here is how one usually goes.

It begins when you send us a few lines about the house and what bugs you about it. Maybe the kitchen is cut off, the only full bath is upstairs, and the floors are a patchwork from three different decades. The written quote is free, with no hook to hire.

If you move forward, plans and the permit come next. Alterations and renovations are both on Batavia's permit list. Agree in writing early on who pulls it.

Then the work starts. In an older house the order usually runs demolition, framing, plumbing, electrical and HVAC rough-in, inspections, then walls and finishes. Old houses can hide rot, odd framing or bad past repairs. A good contract says how surprises get priced before anyone opens a wall. Some families stay and go room by room, while others move out for part of the job.

Batavia permits go through the Building Division of Community and Economic Development at 100 N. Island Ave. The city says a permit is needed for "most residential home improvement and remodeling projects." Its list covers additions, alterations, renovations, decks, porches and sunrooms, roofs, siding, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Not sure? Call the city before scheduling anything.

The same city page links an "Avoid Contractor Scams" handout. Read it before you sign. Ask the Building Division whether your remodeler needs to register with the city.

State law backs you up too. For any job above $1,000, the Home Repair and Remodeling Act wants it in writing: a contract with the full price plus the contractor's business name and address. Separately, the Illinois Attorney General tells homeowners to collect more than one written estimate and not to pay cash or the full amount up front. A contract signed at home can usually be canceled within 3 business days.

Live near the river? Check your address on the FEMA flood map and ask the city what that means for your plans.

Whether your Batavia house dates to the 1920s or the 1990s, it may need to fit a new stage of life.

If you want to stay in your house as you get older, a first-floor bedroom and bath help a lot. Accessible Bathroom Remodeling covers grab bars, curbless showers and wider doors, and our bathroom remodeling options page explains more.

Working from home? A spare bedroom or a corner of a finished basement can become a real office with a door that shuts. A Basement In-Law Suite can give grown kids or a parent their own space.

Before any basement work, test for radon. Kane County is in EPA radon Zone 1, the highest risk group, and the average Kane County home tested at 4.6 pCi/L. Test once before the space is finished and once more after.

Batavia had about 26,000 people at the 2020 census. Most of the city is in Kane County, with part in DuPage County. It took the name Batavia in 1840 and was incorporated in 1872. Mary Todd Lincoln stayed at Bellevue Place here in 1875. Local sites on the National Register of Historic Places include the Batavia Institute, the Campana Factory, the CB&Q Railroad Depot and the Judge Isaac Wilson House.

Batavia School District 101 serves the city, and Fermilab sits just outside its borders. Main roads include IL 31 (Batavia Avenue), Main Street, Randall Road and IL 25. There's no Metra station in town, so riders use Geneva or Aurora.

Batavia sits close to several towns we cover. Geneva is just to the north, North Aurora is to the southwest, and Aurora is to the south. Warrenville is nearby to the east. See the full list on our service areas page. Wherever you live, the offer stays the same: free quotes, nothing to pay and no pressure to hire.

Pick the project you have in mind, or tell us about it.