Twice the Measure: Expert General Contractor for Historic & Full Home Renovations in Chicago, IL

Twice the Measure Introduce

For residents of Chicago and the greater Chicagoland suburbs, undertaking a major renovation—especially on a historic property—requires a General Contractor of exceptional skill, integrity, and comprehensive project management. Twice the Measure is precisely that partner. As a highly-regarded, family-owned business established by Dario Dobric, they bring broad international experience and a commitment to excellence that has set a high standard for Home Remodeling Services in the Illinois region since the early 2000s. Their name reflects the commitment to meticulous planning and execution: the adage "measure twice, cut once" is central to their philosophy.

Twice the Measure specializes in complex, substantial projects, as demonstrated by the renovation of an entire 120-year-old historic house in Hyde Park. This project involved the gutting of 50% of the house while meticulously fixing and preserving historical elements, showcasing their rare ability to balance modern necessity with architectural integrity. The scope of their expertise spans all critical trades, from installing new plumbing, electricity wiring, and HVAC systems to detailed finishing work like Custom Tiling, Trim Work, and Woodworking Project completion.

The company’s reputation is so strong that multiple colleagues recommended them for major renovation projects. Clients choose Twice the Measure not only for competitive pricing but because they are exceptionally responsive to needs and ensure customer expectations are met to the full extent. Their project management is hailed as seamless; owner Dario ensures clear, prompt communication and quickly resolves any issues with subcontractors without arguing or increasing the cost. This reliable network of subcontractors is vital, allowing large projects to move forward in a timely manner and preventing the substantial delays often encountered in major construction. For Illinois homeowners, this peace of mind is invaluable, confirming that quality, cost control, and accountability are guaranteed.

Location and Accessibility for Illinois Clients

Twice the Measure is strategically based in Chicago, with their primary office situated in the vibrant North & Clybourn area. This central location ensures their dedicated team can efficiently serve projects across the entire Chicagoland area, from the city neighborhoods like Lincoln Park and Hyde Park to the North Shore suburbs like Highland Park and Northbrook.

Their contact address is:

Address: 939 W North Ave Suit 750, Chicago, IL 60642.

A key feature for Illinois clients is their focus on bringing their services directly to the project site:

Onsite services: All remodeling and construction work is conducted at the client's home, ensuring maximum convenience and minimizing disruption.
Broad Service Area: They cover all of Chicagoland, including the city and suburbs spanning from Gurnee to Geneva, from Northbrook to Norridge, making them accessible across the region.

Comprehensive Services Offered

As a full-service General Contractor and Remodeler, Twice the Measure offers an extensive range of interior and exterior construction services, specializing in comprehensive home transformations and custom finishes.

Their core service categories include:

Full Home and Structural Renovations:
- Home Construction and Custom Build projects
- Home Remodeling Services and Home Renovations (including Whole House Renovation)
- Additions and Basements finishing/remodeling
- Interior Remodeling and updates to Living Spaces
- Structural work: installing new plumbing, water service, electricity wiring, and HVAC systems on all floors
Kitchen and Bathroom Specialization:
- Bathroom remodeling (functioning as a dedicated Bathroom remodeler)
- Kitchen remodeler services, including framing new kitchen layouts
- Redoing all bathrooms and kitchen (as part of large-scale projects)
- Plumbing fixture installation
Finishing, Surfaces, and Detail Work:
- Flooring installation, Install flooring, and new hardwood floors (including preserving/fixing historic floors)
- Tile work installation, Tile work replacement, and Custom Tiling (expert tile contractor services)
- Drywall installation, Drywall repair, and Taping/Drywall for new layouts
- Painting, Paint indoors, and detailed Trim Work and Woodworking Project completion
Exterior and Custom Elements:
- Outdoor Living space construction and design
- Installing new windows while preserving historic windows
- Preserving and fixing old doors and trim (a difficult custom requirement)
- Installation of new sprinkler systems on each floor

Key Features and Highlights for Illinois Homeowners

Twice the Measure distinguishes itself through features that guarantee high-quality craftsmanship, reliable project management, and transparent financial execution—essential for large, complex Chicago renovations.

Expertise in Historic Preservation: They specialize in renovating century-old homes, demonstrating the skill to gut structures while meticulously fixing and preserving historical elements like original doors and trim, a capability many contractors avoid.
Meticulous Project Management: The 12-month completion of a substantial, complex entire house renovation highlights their efficiency and adherence to a timely manner, proving they know how to manage large scopes of work.
Financial Accountability: Projects have no substantial cost overruns, with increases remaining within 10% of the initial price for change orders, showcasing transparency and excellent budget control.
Superior Subcontractor Network: Dario and his team maintain a "very good and reliable network of subcontractors," which is key to facilitating timely execution and quick, cost-effective resolution of any on-site issues.
Dedicated Communication: Owner Dario provides prompt and professional communication via text and email, ensuring clients are kept informed and up to date and that their expectations are met to the full extent.
Post-Completion Assurance: They are responsive to address a few issues that arose during the warranty period and go the extra mile to ensure our satisfaction, building long-term client relationships.
Proven Quality and Meticulous Execution: Clients consistently praise the quality of work and the meticulous execution of details, reflecting their dedication and pride in their trade.

Contact Information

Illinois residents looking for a highly recommended, meticulous, and experienced general contractor for their next home renovation, especially for large or historic projects, should contact Twice the Measure for a consultation.

Address: 939 W North Ave Suit 750, Chicago, IL 60642

Phone: (312) 646-2140

Mobile Phone: +1 312-646-2140

What is Worth Choosing Twice the Measure

For Illinois homeowners, particularly those facing the daunting task of renovating an entire house or preserving a historic property, choosing Twice the Measure is a strategic decision for peace of mind and guaranteed quality. Their commitment to the "measure twice, cut once" principle is evident in the high-quality work with attention to detail and their ability to execute massive scopes of work—like a full gut and preservation of a 120-year-old house—in a timely and financially controlled manner. This is a rare quality among general contractors.

The value is further cemented by the personal involvement of owner Dario Dobric. His accessibility, prompt response times, and commitment to resolving project issues quickly and without cost overruns are key differentiators. By maintaining a reliable network of subcontractors and viewing client satisfaction as a priority that extends through the warranty period, Twice the Measure offers accountability and trustworthiness. For residents in Chicago and the suburbs who demand excellence, transparency, and a dedicated partner for their most ambitious Home Renovations, Twice the Measure is highly recommended to deliver a stunning and enduring result.

Twice the Measure Services

General Contractor
Bathroom remodeling
Drywall installation
Drywall repair
Flooring
Install flooring
Paint indoors
Painting
Plumbing fixture installation
Remodeling
Tile work installation
Tile work replacement
Additions
Basements
Custom Build
Custom Tiling
Home Construction
Home Remodeling Services
Home Renovations
Interior Remodeling
Living Spaces
Outdoor Living
Remodeling Services
Taping/Drywall
Trim Work
Woodworking Project

Twice the Measure Details

Service options
Onsite services

Twice the Measure Photos

Twice the Measure Location

Twice the Measure

Illinois Cook County Chicago Goose Island West North Avenue

939 W North Ave Suit 750, Chicago, IL 60642, USA

Twice the Measure Reviews

An average rating of ★5 from 21 user reviews.

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★ 5★ 4★ 3★ 2★ 1

We hired Twice the Measure to perform renovations of our entire house in Hyde Park. Dario (company owner) was introduced to me by one of my colleagues – his company also did a renovation on their house a while back, and they maintain a good relationship. Three of my other colleagues used Twice the Measure for their renovation projects. During the contractor selection stage, we seriously considered three general contractors. We ultimately chose Twice the Measure because they were more responsive to our needs while also offering competitive prices.The scope of work was substantial and involved the renovation of our entire historic house (120 years old), which has not been renovated for the past 30-40 years. The scope included the demolition and gutting of about 50% of the house while also fixing and preserving historical elements, installing new plumbing, new water service, new electricity wiring, new HVAC for each floor, new sprinkler system on each floor, framing of the new layout of the entire second floor and kitchen, redoing all bathrooms and kitchen, installing drywall and fixing plaster throughout, and installing new hardwood floors on the second and third floors and preserving/fixing some of the historic floors, installing new windows in the back of the house while preserving historic windows in the front. One of the requirements was to preserve old doors and trim – many contractors do not want to deal with this and prefer to tear these down and dispose of them.Overall, this was a large project that required a lot of work, and it was completed in a timely manner. The project started with demolition in early 2023 and was completed in early 2024, taking about 12 months.We are very happy with how everything turned out, with the quality of work, and with how the process was managed throughout the construction phase. Twice the Measure has a great team of dedicated people who know what they are doing. Furthermore, they have a very good and reliable network of subcontractors, which is very important as subcontractors can often substantially delay the execution of the project. This allowed for the project to be moving forward in a timely manner.Throughout the project, I communicated with Dario and this was easy and straightforward. He responded to my text messages and we often communicated via email. He responds promptly and in a professional manner. I felt that one of his priorities was to ensure that our expectations are met to the full extent.Whenever the issue with a subcontractor would arise (e.g., they would do something not in accordance with the plan or not in the way we envisioned it), Dario would quickly talk to the contractors and they would handle the issue in a timely manner without arguing or increasing the cost. Again, I felt that a solid working relationship between the contractors and Twice the Measure was important in facilitating the resolution of any questions that were encountered during construction.Importantly, our project did not have substantial cost overruns. We had several change orders, which mainly involved additional work that was not planned initially, and even taking into account, the increases in the total cost were within 10% of the initial price.Overall, we are fully satisfied with the outcome delivered by Twice the measure. They consistently delivered high-quality work with attention to detail. They were also responsive to address a few issues that arose during the warranty period and went the extra mile to ensure our satisfaction. In sum, we highly recommend them for your project.On a personal note, I would add that Dario is a very good man, and it was also a pleasure to work with him and also to meet some of his family. His son, Alex, also helped with the project and was very kind and attentive to our requests and a pleasure to talk to. We are hoping to continue working with Twice the Measure for future.
March 24 · Valeri Nikolaev
We hired Twice the Measure once back in 2018 for a condo renovation, and more recently for a bathroom and laundry renovation in a single family home. Dario and his team are very professional, kind, and courteous. They executed the work meticulously and you can tell they really take pride in their trade. I also appreciated the frequent communications and check ins on progress. We would definitely hire them again!
March 03 · Rose McClure
We hired Twice the Measure for the full renovation of the primary bathroom in our 100+ year old home in Wilmette. Dario was responsive, honest, and thorough throughout each step of the process. His pricing was competitive and his expertise was second-to-none, which made selecting him an easy choice. The project began and ended on time, and his team was there (with smiles on their faces!) all day every day working hard to bring the project to completion. We chose marble flooring with an exterior border which required many cuts, and his team was incredibly patient and talented. The end-result is stunning. Dario and his team are perfectionists -- the best type of people to have on the job :) Will definitely hire Twice the Measure for our next home project.
May 20 · Emily Williams
Dario and his crew redid our kitchen and laundry room in Elmhurst and did an excellent job. They showed true craftsmanship and detail. Dario is a great communicator and always responds timely to text and email. His crew is very friendly and respectful. He was able to help us through the design and planning of our remodel as well. What I really appreciate about this company is that when they said something was going to be done toast week it was done. I know that is not always the case with contractors, but everything was on time and of quality work. I am really glad we hired Twice The Measure and look forward to working with them again.
August 27 · Tristan Kumor
Twice the Measure renovated a few projects for me,the most recent was a total gut rehab.If any issues arise,which will happen on a large project,Dario always gets things worked out.Will continue to hire Twice the Measure on future projects.This most recent project,if you were to compare the before and after,you wouldn’t know it’s the same building.
May 13 · richard trevino