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How to Hire the Best Commercial General Contractors in Chicago?

Hiring commercial general contractors is the most effective way to give yourself and your business comfort. These are your go-to experts for everything related to the construction and design of commercial buildings that will plan, oversee, manage the whole project until the moment you get the keys to your new business premises. Your commercial contractor will work and communicate with vendors and staff subcontractors, builders, designers, and architects when dealing with every stage of the process.

This page includes instructions on selecting a commercial contractor that is the best for your business goals. It has been created by a Fortress Home that has been in the Chicago commercial construction industry for more than 20 years. Read through — and if you have any questions, give us a call at 773-770-8607 to discuss your building requirement and to get a free quote.

What is a commercial general contractor?

Usually, commercial building projects are of a much larger scale than residential ones — and it is important to secure yourself with the proper expertise for each step of the way. This is when general contractors that specialize in the commercial sector come to play. The word general is used here for a reason — these are the pros that have enough knowledge, experience, and connections to properly start and finish any commercial project.

Your commercial contractor will manage and be responsible for the hiring process for subcontractors - individuals or businesses that specialize in plumbing, electrical work carpeting, paint, or other substantial roles which require experience and possibly other forms of experience credentials a general contractor will likely not be required.


He also will be responsible for acquiring materials and informing other contractors working on the project if materials were to be installed.

Services that commercial building contractors provide

  • Establishing the budget
  • Planning each milestone of the project
  • Getting all the required permits
  • Hire and oversee subcontractors
  • Purchase materials and deliver them to the building site
  • Preparation of the site for construction (demolition of the old structures, leveling, etc.)
  • Construction management
  • Architectural design
  • Interior design
  • New construction
  • Remodeling projects (for example, turning the residential buildings into commercial)
  • Commercial maintenance and renovation services
  • Project management

Why go local when choosing construction services?

Commercial contractors know how to create a building structure that will be solid and safe. But if you find experienced local specialists, they will also know all the peculiarities of soil, water, underground streams, prone to landslides — and will be able to eliminate all the risks even before the construction has started. They will also make sure that your commercial building meets all the local legal requirements.

Besides managing and overseeing the whole project, great commercial contractors can also have a team of specialized designers to help out with the architectural and/or interior design of the building. So that the quality of the structure that they develop matches the style — and all of it suits their client's goals.

Choose a general contractor wisely: there are solid market requirements for building construction. You'll find more info in the next paragraph.

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How to know that the company is truly professional?

Every contractor has to have a license for a set of jobs that the company provides (the requirements will differ from state to state). To obtain them, the specialists need proof of their professionalism — learning and work experience as well as the successful passing of required tests.

When hiring a commercial contractor, also inquire about the registration certificate and other certificates that are officially required in your state.

Another important thing to check - relevant insurance that will cover the risks. Never work with companies that cannot provide these documents!


The best credentials that prove the professionalism and the ability of the contractor to work hard and quality are their portfolio and customer reviews. If the company has been on the market for decades, it is most likely it has truly earned its professional status. Ask their clients, research the online space, visit completed projects - all that will give you a clear vision of how well established on the market your potential contractor is.

Building construction projects to inquire from a commercial contractor

Commercial contractors have work experience working on construction projects such as:

  • Business centers
  • Offices
  • Restaurants
  • Medical facilities
  • Retail stores
  • Recreational facilities
  • Warehouses, etc.

6 steps to hire a top commercial general contractor for your project

  1. Choose licensed companies with the experience relevant to your project.
  2. Go local: look among contractors that know the area, therefore, can prevent all the climatic and weather risks, choose the best suppliers, hire reliable subcontractors, etc.
  3. Visit the current building site managed by this contractor and go on a tour along the finished projects. Ask questions, see how much order and focus there are at the sites.
  4. Talk in person to the representatives of the companies that you initially chose. Find out about their approach to maintaining every step of the project. Do you find it efficient? Personal communication is super important and cannot be underestimated.
  5. Get and compare the quotes, see if the price you're offered is relevant. Focus on all the details of the quote.
  6. Inquire the contract draft and go through it with a lawyer. See if every milestone is described in detail, if all the responsibilities of both sides are mentioned correctly, if all the risks are to be covered. Never sign a contract that brings even a single seed of a doubt!

Recommended reading

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We think like developers and act like a general contractor.
Fortress Home is a full-service general contractor specializing in commercial and residential construction.
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Commercial Building Contractors in the Chicago, IL area

Fortress Home is a commercial general contractor that has been on the Chicago market for more than two decades. During this time we have successfully completed dozens of commercial construction projects — each of them can be found in our portfolio. Our specialists are familiar with local planning laws: we assure you we'll eliminate any pending planning conflicts. We handle construction management, hire subcontractors, and provide architectural design of the highest quality.

No matter if you are a small shop that needs renovation or a large corporation looking for general contracting or property management — we have enough capacity for the next project of any scale!

Fortress Home's main focus - in the integrity of our services and the satisfaction of our clients. We provide a 100% guarantee on the quality of all our works: check out the Chicago projects that we have brought to life, read testimonials on our site or talk to our clients!


Still have questions left? Give us a call on 773-770-8607 and talk to our specialists about your commercial construction needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you need a commercial general contractor?

Commercial construction is a complex industry that require a lot of skill, knowledge and experience. That's why while planning a commercial construction project you want to choose among specialists that have relevant experience in this particular branch of the business.

If you are looking to build an office, look for the companies that have a significant number of completed offices in their portfolio, if you are about to invest in a large warehouse — hire a commercial construction contractor that does have experience in building a warehouse from the ground up.

What is construction management?

Construction management — is a range of services provided by a commercial construction company. It includes planning of the construction project, establishing its final cost, getting all the required permits and validation processes finished, hiring subcontractors, preparing the building site, providing building and development services, overseeing the process from A to Z.

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FORTRESS HOME

Fortress Home understands how important it is for the customer to implement the future home project at the highest level. And our clients understand that achieving such a level is possible only by choosing a reputable and competent general contractor. If you are one of those customers, you can always rely on us when looking for a reliable construction partner for your new home or renovation.

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