Home Remodeling in Montgomery, IL

Montgomery's homes skew young. The median home was built in 2004, and roughly half the homes were built in the 2000s. Roughly 1 in 8 came in the 2010s. Homes from before 1980 make up about 1 in 5, so the village has an older side too, but it's the smaller share.

Detached houses make up about 7 in 10 homes, and roughly 1 in 6 is an attached townhome. Fewer than 1 in 10 sit in buildings with five or more units, and a small number are mobile homes. The median home value is about $300,000, and Census counts put the village at 7,507 housing units.

So what does a 2000s house need? Often not new wiring or a gut job. The structure itself is often fine. What shows up instead is wear on the surfaces people touch every day: carpet, laminate counters, builder-grade cabinets and fixtures, and tub surrounds that have lost their shine. If your basement is still unfinished, that's open space waiting for a plan.

In a townhome, think about shared walls and any association rules before planning exterior or structural work. Your association may also need to sign off on things like windows or doors. In one of the village's older houses, from the 1950s through the 70s, ask the remodeler to check the plumbing and wiring before you settle on a scope. Those homes can need more behind-the-walls work than their newer neighbors.

There's no public record of which remodeling jobs Montgomery homeowners take on. This list is built from what the housing data shows: a large group of 2000s homes, a real share of townhomes, and a smaller set of older houses. Use it as a starting point for your list, not a diagnosis.

Say your Montgomery house went up in the mid-2000s and the basement is still bare concrete. Here's how a finish usually plays out.

It usually starts with a visit to check for water, see where the furnace, water heater and sump sit, and talk through how you want to use the space. Test for radon before then. Montgomery spans Kane and Kendall counties: Kane is in EPA radon Zone 1, and about 1 in 5 Kendall County homes tests above 4 pCi/L.

Next come the written quote and the permit. Since contracted work in the village has to be done by a registered contractor, confirm the remodeler's registration before the permit goes in.

Then framing goes up, including walls for any bedroom, bath or storage room. Electrical and plumbing rough-in follow, then inspections. Insulation and drywall come next, then paint, doors, trim and flooring. A bathroom adds drain work, so ask whether a rough-in is already in the floor or the slab has to be opened.

A final inspection closes the permit. Retest radon once you're using the space.

Montgomery's Building Division, part of Community Development, handles permits. The village's list includes basement finishing, decks, driveways, fences, patios, pergolas, sheds, roofing, windows and doors, siding when 50% or more is replaced, and every addition. A/C or furnace replacement and gutters don't.

Unlike North Aurora and Oswego, Montgomery still requires contractor registration. The village says all contracted work must be by a contractor registered to work in the village, and registering takes an application plus a certificate of insurance. Before you sign, ask the remodeler whether their village registration is current.

New construction or a substantial improvement inside the Special Flood Hazard Area needs an Elevation Certificate. Check your lot on the FEMA flood map early, since it can change what an addition can be.

Illinois adds its own protections. Under the state's Home Repair and Remodeling Act, contractors have to hand you a pamphlet called "Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights", and on jobs over $1,000 you both sign an acknowledgment form. Other questions? Check with the village.

A 2000s floor plan can work fine for a family and still fall short today. A formal living or dining room that rarely gets used can become a home office with a door you can shut. The garage entry is another spot to rethink: Laundry and Mudroom Remodeling adds lockers, a bench and storage right where everyone drops their stuff.

If several rooms are on your list, whole home remodeling plans them together so the work happens in order.

For older relatives, or for your own later years, a first-floor full bath helps a lot. Accessible Bathroom Remodeling adds grab bars, wider clearances and a low-threshold shower. A Basement In-Law Suite is another way to give a parent or grown kid their own space, with a bathroom and maybe a small kitchenette. Ask the remodeler to plan wiring for bright lighting and enough outlets, since that's harder to add once the drywall is up.

Montgomery got its start when Daniel Gray built the first wooden house in 1836. The settlement was first called "Graystown" before being renamed for Montgomery County, New York. Gray's mill is still around as the Gray-Watkins Mill, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

At the 2020 census the village had 20,262 people on about 9.3 square miles of land. Students attend schools in parts of five districts: West Aurora, East Aurora, Oswego, Yorkville and Kaneland. Main roads include US 30, IL 31 on the west side of the river, and IL 25 on the east side. The village has no Metra station of its own. Each year on the second weekend of August, Montgomery Fest brings people out.

Montgomery touches Aurora on the north and east and Oswego to the south, so homeowners near either line can use those pages too. Boulder Hill and Yorkville sit to the south and southwest. For North Aurora, Batavia, Sugar Grove, Naperville and Geneva, visit our full service area list. In every town, the quote is free and hiring is your call.

Choose the project that matches what you want to change.