Design-build for lake houses
We design and build second homes around Geneva Lake, and we work between October and May so the summer you bought the house for stays yours.
Build windows
Most owners are at the lake from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We use those months for design visits and leave the house alone, then build while you're away.
You're at the house, so we walk the lot with you, see the light on the water and settle the plan, the finishes and the order of rooms.
Jun-Sep
Town and county permits, shoreland review near the water, and the windows, cabinetry and stone that set the schedule.
Aug-Nov
Foundations, framing, roof and windows, closed in before deep winter.
Oct-Jan
Heated and dry: mechanicals, plaster, millwork, tile, cabinets and finish.
Dec-Apr
Exterior finishes and outdoor rooms once the ground thaws, done before the first weekend of the season.
Apr-May
June to September: no builds, only design visits. Dates move with the winter and with your house; this is the order of work, not a promised start.
Projects
Sample work from houses on small lakes and big ones.
Sample photos.
Who builds your house
Aitana Beltran draws your house and her crew builds it, so a question on a Tuesday in January goes to the person who made the drawing. Between us we cover design, site supervision, carpentry and the schedule.
One person answers for the drawings and the work
A site superintendent in the house every working day
Photos to you every week while you're away
Aitana Beltran
Owner and lead designer
What we build
Each one is drawn and priced before it is built.
A cottage rebuilt on its own frame or gutted and re-planned, designed in summer and built in one off-season.
MoreA wing for the family weekends, or a second floor for the view of the water.
MoreA kitchen that feeds the whole house on a holiday weekend, and baths worth the drive up.
MoreThe room the house is really about: screened, glazed or open, framed to face the lake.
MoreA second building on the lot, from a studio over the garage to a small guest cottage.
MoreWhy the off-season
Both can be done. This is how they differ at a lake house.
| June to September | October to May | |
|---|---|---|
| Your summer | June to SeptemberTrucks, saws and a dumpster at your own dock. | October to MayBetter: Untouched. The house is yours and the lot is quiet. |
| Trades | June to SeptemberEvery lake house is hiring the same trades at the same time. | October to MayBetter: Local trades are freer once the boating season ends, so the same crew can stay start to finish. |
| Weather | June to SeptemberBetter: Long days and dry ground, and storms and heat. | October to MayShort days and frost. We close the house in first and heat it for the finishes. |
| Lake roads | June to SeptemberNarrow roads busy with summer traffic. | October to MayBetter: Quiet lanes and few visitors. |
| Seeing the work | June to SeptemberBetter: You see it every day you're there. | October to MayYou come up for a weekend and walk it; we send photos between. |
How it works
We come to the house, look at the shoreline and the frame, and tell you which build window it fits.
We design with you while you're at the lake, with a scope and a written estimate to follow.
The estimate lists scope, allowances and weeks, and the calendar says when the house is closed in.
A weekly photo update, a locked site and a walk-through on your weekends.
A final walk, a short punch list and a clean house before the season opens.
Owners
“We closed in August and spent the summer in the house as it was. In October the crew started, and our weekends turned into walk-throughs with photos in between. The porch was done before opening weekend.”
“The cottage had never been warm in January. Aitana explained what had to happen in what order, and the heat came on the same month the roof closed in.”
“I liked the calendar. It said which months were for building and which were for swimming, and it matched what happened.”
Sample reviews.
Where we build
The house has to be in southeast Wisconsin. Where you live the rest of the year doesn't matter.
We don't build in Illinois, on the Lake Michigan shore or north of Waukesha. If your house is in one of the towns above, we'll come to it.
Questions
Because the house is lived in from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and a lake road in July is a poor place for a loaded truck. We keep those months for design visits so your summer is yours.
Design, yes. We use the summer for walks, drawings and permits. A build is a different matter; if something is already under way, we'll tell you plainly what can and can't be done while you're in residence.
While you're at the lake. Design takes the summer and windows and cabinetry take months to arrive, so the first conversation is the earliest part of the schedule. We say so when a window is full.
Yes. Design is paid work with a defined scope, and the build estimate is written from the finished drawings. How the numbers are built is on the pricing page.
Our carpenters and trades we've named to you in advance. The site is locked, the superintendent is there every working day and you get photos every week.
Yes. For homes built before 1978, federal rules require a renovation firm to be EPA lead-safe certified and to use lead-safe work methods wherever paint would be disturbed. Our certificate is on the credentials page. Minor repairs under 6 square feet inside or 20 square feet outside are exempt, but window replacement and demolition are always covered.
Ask for a build window
We write back with a time to walk the property and the build windows that could fit.
Lake season, June to September: design visits only. We build October to May.