Chicago, Illinois · Cook County
Trusted House & Commercial Painters in Chicago, IL
Free written estimate · no pressure
Free estimate
Itemized, in writing
Two coats
Brand & line named
Clean every day
Floors & furniture covered
2-yr warranty
In writing
About Our Chicago, IL Painting Services
Meet Your Local Painting Company
The Northwest Side is the part of Chicago we know best, in the bungalow belt and the neighborhoods around it. Portage Park alone has a historic district with 189 brick bungalows from about 1915 to 1930. Jefferson Park, Edison Park, Norwood Park and Hermosa add two-flats, frame houses and later brick homes. If you live elsewhere in the city, call anyway and tell us what you've got.
We're a suburban company, and we'll be straight about that. Level Best is run from Huntley, with our office in Crystal Lake, so we're about an hour out. The owner still comes to see the place and write the price, our crews do the painting, and the owner walks it with you when it's finished. We try to line up city work in solid blocks, so the crew isn't coming and going.
The written estimate names the rooms or surfaces, the prep, the coats and the paint line. Tell us about parking, alley access, shared stairs and anything else that's different about your building. Those details affect how the job runs, so we'd rather plan for them up front. Parts of the Northwest Side, like Portage Park and Hermosa, have recognized bungalow districts, and we treat the original details in those houses with care whether or not yours is on a list.
Serving all of Chicago in Cook County.
Interior House Painters of Chicago, IL
A Chicago bungalow usually has plaster walls, arched openings, built-ins and a lot of original oak. Most owners want to keep that wood exactly as it is. We protect it, cut a careful line along it and repair the plaster before we paint. Hairline cracks are expected in a house this age. Bigger cracks get stabilized and taped so they don't come back the next time the heat kicks on.
Attics and basements are where these houses have changed most. A finished attic has slanted ceilings and tight corners that need to be cut in by hand. Basements can be a mix of paneling, drywall and painted block, and each needs its own prep. Old orange and green paint jobs need a primer to cover cleanly, and we'll write that into the price.
In a two-flat or a bigger building, we can do one unit while you still live in the other, and we keep the shared stairs and halls clear. If you're turning over a rental, tell us your move-in date and we'll work back from it. Old radiators, window sash and painted-shut doors take extra time, so we walk the place and put those on the estimate. That way you know what's being fixed and what's staying as it is before the first drop cloth goes down.
Exterior House Painters of Chicago, IL
Brick does most of the work on a bungalow, so the outside paint job here is usually about the wood: window frames, soffits, fascia, porch trim, back porches and the garage. Back porches and stairs take the most weather and wear. We scrape and sand what's loose, prime the bare spots, caulk and paint. If the brick itself was painted and is flaking, we'll look at it with you and talk about what's realistic.
We don't recommend painting brick that has never been painted. It holds moisture differently once it's coated, and you can't really go back. If you still want it, we'll explain the upkeep it brings first and let you decide.
Frame houses and two-flats with wood or older siding need a full wash and scrape, and nearly all of them were built before 1978. Federal rules set how old paint that may contain lead can be disturbed, and in tight city lots with neighbors a few feet away, that matters. We'll talk through what it means for your building before work starts.
City jobs come with narrow gangways, shared walls and parked cars close by. We cover what's nearby and keep the gangway passable. We work outside from about May to early October, when the weather lets paint cure. Ladders in a gangway take planning, so we'll walk it at the estimate.
Cabinet Painters in Chicago, IL
Older Chicago kitchens often have solid wood cabinets, sometimes painted many times already. If the layers have built up, we strip or sand back what we need to before starting, because more paint on top of a failing finish won't last. The doors and fronts come off and get labeled, then we prime and spray them. In a tight city building, we set up where we can, and we'll tell you at the estimate how that works for your unit.
Drywall Repair in Chicago, IL
Plaster is the rule in most Northwest Side homes, and it's worth keeping. We can usually save it. Loose spots get stabilized, cracks get taped and skimmed, and where a past remodel cut drywall into plaster, we blend the seam. Then we prime and paint so you aren't waiting on a second contractor.
Water stains are common under flat roofs, on top-floor ceilings and below old bathrooms. Have the leak fixed first. We'll seal the stain and repaint the whole ceiling. Small repair jobs are fine, though we may pair them with other city work to make the trip worthwhile.
Chicago, IL Commercial Painters
We take on commercial painting in the city when the scope and timing fit, especially storefronts and small offices along the Northwest Side's commercial streets, like Milwaukee Avenue. We'll walk it, write a proposal and schedule around your hours. Ask about nights or weekends if your hours make daytime work hard.
Small apartment buildings and condo associations are a good fit too. We can price hallways, stairwells and units separately, so a board or an owner can see each line and do the work in stages. Tell us the access rules for your building at the walk-through.
What Sets Us Apart?
- 1
Free Estimate
We come out, look at the job with you, and you get a written, itemized price. No pressure.
- 2
Color Selection & Schedule
Pick your colors. We can help if you want it. Then we set a start date and tell you who's coming.
- 3
Prep, Paint & Clean-Up
Our crew covers your floors, furniture and landscaping, does the prep right, puts on two coats, and cleans up every day.
- 4
Final Walk-Through
We walk the job with you before we call it done. If something isn't right, we fix it.
What You Get With Level Best in Chicago
- Free written, itemized estimate
- Paint brand and line named on the estimate
- Two coats
- Floors, furniture and landscaping covered
- Clean up every day
- Final walk-through with you
- Locally owned, not a franchise
- 2-year workmanship warranty in writing
Painting in Chicago: Common Questions
Do you really work in Chicago if you're based in the suburbs?
Yes, though the Northwest Side is what we know best. We're about an hour out, so we try to line up city jobs in solid blocks. Call us with your address and what you want done, and we'll tell you honestly if it's a good fit.
Can you paint around our bungalow's original oak trim?
Yes. We protect it and cut a clean line along it. Most owners want to keep that wood as it is, and we agree. If it's already been painted, we can talk about what makes sense from there.
Should we paint our brick?
If it's never been painted, we usually advise against it. Once it's coated, it holds moisture differently and needs upkeep you won't get rid of. If it's already painted and flaking, we'll look at the condition and go over your options.
Can you paint one unit in our two-flat while we live upstairs?
Yes. We keep shared stairs and halls clear and clean up each day. It helps if we know who's home and when, so nobody's surprised by the work.
What about parking and alley access?
Tell us at the estimate. Parking, alley access, gangways and building rules all affect how the job runs. We'd rather plan for them up front than find out the first morning.
My house is in a historic district. Does that affect painting?
It depends on the building and the type of designation. Before you change an exterior color or material, it's worth checking with the city. We can work from whatever you're told, and we'll be careful with original details either way.
My house was built before 1978. Does that change anything?
Yes, and it should. Federal EPA rules (the Renovation, Repair and Painting rule) require lead-safe work practices whenever more than a small area of pre-1978 paint is disturbed. That covers most of the homes near the bungalow belt. At the estimate we'll tell you plainly which parts of your project fall under those rules and how we'll handle them. No painter should be scraping old paint without that conversation, so ask anyone you get a bid from the same question.
Proudly Serving McHenry, Kane, Lake & Northwest Cook Counties
Run from Huntley, with our office in Crystal Lake. Pick your town to see what we do there.