Framing (New Construction)

The Skeleton Everything Rests On

Framing is the largest single cost in new construction—15 to 18 percent of the total build—and it defines everything that follows. Wall locations, window openings, floor levels, roof lines: all determined by how accurately the frame goes up. In Chicago, you're choosing between traditional wood studs or cold-formed steel, each with tradeoffs in cost, durability, and performance.

We frame complete structures from sill plate to ridge beam. Wood framing offers lower initial cost and proven performance, while steel framing provides fire resistance, dimensional stability, and immunity to termites and rot—advantages that matter in Chicago's freeze-thaw climate and aging building stock. Many projects use hybrid approaches: steel for problem areas, wood for standard walls.

The frame is where precision counts most. Walls that are plumb, floors that are level, openings that are square—these determine whether every finish trade that follows fights the structure or flows with it. Our framing crews lay out from engineered plans, check constantly, and correct immediately. What looks like a simple skeleton is actually the most consequential work in your build.