Planning a full exterior renovation in Plainfield? Order of operations, bundling savings, and how one contractor handles your entire project in Will County.
If your Plainfield home needs more than one exterior project, the order you do them in saves money and rework. This guide covers what to do first, what homes in different parts of Plainfield tend to need, and how to plan it over one season or several years.
Plainfield homes at a glance
Plainfield has a small historic core along Lockport Street and a very large ring of subdivisions built between the mid-1990s and 2008. That means most Plainfield homes are now 18 to 30 years old, which is right when original builder windows, roofs and siding come due.
Open exposure also means Plainfield roofs see strong straight-line wind. We check for lifted and creased shingles on the windward slopes even when a homeowner called about something else.
Plainfield is where we see the most failed seals in builder-grade vinyl and aluminum-clad windows from the building boom. Fogged glass on the south and west sides is usually the first sign.
Plainfield sits on open, flat ground with little to break the wind. Thin builder vinyl on the west and south walls takes the worst of it, and loose or rattling panels are a common call.
What Plainfield homes usually need first
In the village core around Lockport Street, start with water. Roof, flashing and gutters come first, then rotted trim and siding, then windows. Old houses hide damage under layers of later material, so set aside part of the budget for repairs that cannot be seen until the old siding or shingles come off.
In the subdivisions built from the mid-1990s through 2008, which is most of the village, everything was installed in the same year, so everything wears out together. Roofs and windows usually go first. Get the roof inspected for hail before paying for one yourself, then plan windows in phases, and finish with siding on the three non-brick sides.
Where we would start in Plainfield
A Plainfield house built around 2003 is due for almost everything at once, which is daunting until you put it in order. Have the roof inspected for storm damage first. Then replace the fogged and rotted windows, usually the south and west sides. Siding and gutters finish the job, often the following year.
The right order for exterior work
- Roof. Everything below it depends on it. Roofing crews also drop debris, so the roof goes before new siding and gutters.
- Windows and doors. They are flashed into the wall, and that flashing sits behind the siding.
- Siding and trim. Installed after the openings so it can be fitted and sealed around them.
- Gutters, soffit and fascia. Hung last, on the finished roof edge.
If you can only do one thing this year, do the one that is letting water in. Water damage grows; faded siding does not.
One season or several years
Doing everything at once has advantages: one crew schedule, one set of colors chosen together, flashing details done once and often a better price. Phasing spreads the cost. If you phase, tell your contractor the full plan up front so this year's work is built to accept next year's. We keep measurements and color selections on file for that reason, and 0% financing for 12 months is available on approved credit.
Choosing colors that work together
Start with what is not changing: brick, stone and, if it is staying, the roof. Pick siding to sit comfortably with those, then trim, then the front door as the accent. Our exterior designer lets you try combinations on three house styles before you commit.
Permits in Plainfield
Permit rules are set by the Village of Plainfield. We check what your project needs and pull the permit when one is required. Homes in a designated historic district may also need design review for exterior changes. See everything we do in Plainfield, or read the guide for Joliet, or read the guide for Naperville.
Common questions
Call (331) 250-3726 or request a free consultation in Plainfield.