Home Remodeling in Pekin, IL
Home remodeling in Pekin works differently depending on whether your house sits in Downtown Pekin, South of Broadway, or North of Broadway, because this city actually splits into those three distinct, named areas, and each one was built during a different stretch of Pekin's history. Downtown holds Queen Anne and Victorian homes going back to the 1860s, with brick lined streets and footprints often around 1,500 square feet, tight by today's standards.
What Makes Downtown Pekin Homes a Different Kind of Remodeling Project
Downtown Pekin holds some of the oldest housing stock in this part of Tazewell County, with plenty of homes dating to the 1860s through the early 1900s and a mix of cottages, bungalows, Classical Revivals, and Italianates lining streets that are sometimes still paved in brick. These homes were built small by modern standards, frequently sitting around 1,500 square feet, which means a homeowner looking to expand a kitchen or add a primary bathroom usually has to work within a tighter footprint than they would find anywhere else in Pekin.
Framing in these homes goes back far enough that we regularly find balloon framed walls, full dimension rough sawn lumber, and plaster over wood lath rather than drywall, all of which require different handling than a remodel in a newer part of the city. Plumbing tells its own story downtown, since a lot of these homes had a single bathroom added on after the home was originally built, sometimes squeezed into a converted closet or a small addition off the back, and the supply lines feeding that bathroom were rarely sized with future expansion in mind.
We have remodeled enough of these Downtown Pekin homes to recognize this pattern almost immediately, and we plan kitchen and bathroom projects here around the real constraints of a small, century old footprint rather than promising space that the house was never built to hold.
Our Projects
Our Construction Projects
Browse real projects completed by Mathes Construction. From custom home builds and full remodels to decks, additions and kitchen renovations across Tremont, Tazewell County and the greater Peoria area.
South of Broadway and the Architectural Range That Comes With It
South of Broadway covers more architectural range than almost anywhere else on our list of Pekin neighborhoods, with turn of the century Victorian homes sharing streets with ranch houses and a small number of genuine prairie style homes built in the Frank Lloyd Wright tradition. The 1912 Herget House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sits in this part of town and represents the kind of architectural detail that makes remodeling here different from a standard renovation.
Working on a home with this level of historical character means matching trim profiles, window proportions, and exterior detailing with real care, since a mismatched addition can throw off the entire visual balance of a house that has stood for over a century.
Kitchens and Bathrooms Built for a Different Generation
North of Broadway grew up mostly between the 1950s and 1970s, and the bungalow and ranch homes that fill this part of Pekin were built to the standards and family habits of that specific era, which shapes almost every kitchen and bathroom remodel we take on here. Kitchens from this period were typically closed off rooms with a single run of cabinetry and just enough counter space for the appliances available at the time, since the open concept layout homeowners want today simply was not the trend when these houses went up.
Pulling out a wall to connect a North of Broadway kitchen to a dining or living space usually means confirming what that wall is carrying, since homes from this era often used construction methods partway between the balloon framing seen downtown and the standard dimension lumber used in newer builds. Bathrooms in this part of Pekin tend to follow the same one bathroom per house pattern common to mid century construction, sized for a single sink and a tub shower combination that feels cramped against modern fixture sizes. Electrical capacity is another recurring issue, since panels installed during this building boom were sized for the appliance load of their era and rarely have room left for the demands of a modern kitchen renovation without an upgrade.
We have worked through enough North of Broadway kitchens and bathrooms to know these patterns well, though every estimate still starts with an actual walkthrough rather than an assumption based on the decade a home was built. A North of Broadway remodel usually means balancing what the original 1950s or 1960s construction can structurally support against what a homeowner wants their kitchen or bathroom to function like today, and getting that balance right takes more than a generic renovation plan.
How We Approach a Remodel
The first real question on any Pekin estimate is which of the three neighborhoods your home sits in and roughly what decade it was built, since that single answer tells us what kind of framing, plumbing, and electrical systems we should expect before we even step inside. This saves time during the walkthrough and helps us ask better questions once we are there. Every Pekin estimate includes an in person walkthrough of your specific home. We do not price a Downtown Victorian, a South of Broadway prairie style house, and a North of Broadway ranch using the same formula, because the structural realities behind each one are different enough to change both the plan and the cost.
Older downtown homes with plaster walls and balloon framing often take longer to open up carefully than newer construction, while North of Broadway homes may need extra time for electrical upgrades. We tell you which kind of timeline applies to your specific project rather than quoting a generic number. Whether your home is in Downtown Pekin, South of Broadway, or North of Broadway, the same Mathes Construction team handles every phase of the work. We do not rotate in outside subcontractors partway through a job.
SERVICES WE OFFER
Everything We Build & Remodel
From the ground up or a single room refresh. Here's what Mathes Construction handles across Central Illinois.
Mathes Construction provides Full-service home remodeling across Tremont, Pekin, Morton and surrounding areas. One crew, one contractor, start to finish.
- Interior & exterior remodeling
- Whole-home or single room
Mathes Construction redesign and rebuild kitchens across Central Illinois with smart layouts, quality materials and work that holds up for years.
- Full kitchen gut & rebuild
- Cabinets, countertops & fixtures
From a simple refresh to a complete bathroom renovation with clean work, solid materials, no shortcuts and done right the first time.
- Tile, vanity & fixture upgrades
- Full bathroom gut & renovation
Need more space but love where you live? We build seamless additions that match your home's existing structure and style across Tazewell County.
- Structural additions & expansions
- Matched to your home's existing build
Mathes Construction build Durable, low-maintenance decks and patios built for Central Illinois weather and designed around how you actually use your outdoor space.
- Wood, composite & custom builds
- Multi-level & ground-level decks
Custom-built pergolas that add shade, structure, and real curb appeal and we built to hold up through Illinois seasons and look great doing it.
- Freestanding & attached pergolas
- Custom size, style & material options
Crew That Already Understands Their Specific Neighborhood
A city split into three neighborhoods this architecturally different does not work well with a contractor who treats every house the same, and Pekin homeowners have told us plenty of times that a previous remodeling experience went sideways because the crew assumed their home matched whatever they had just finished working on somewhere else in the area. We have been doing this work in Tazewell County since 1977, long enough to have remodeled homes across Downtown Pekin, South of Broadway, and North of Broadway, and that range matters because the right plan for a 1912 prairie style house looks nothing like the right plan for a 1962 ranch. Our crew stays the same from project to project, a group of people who have worked together long enough to recognize what era and neighborhood they are dealing with within the first few minutes of a walkthrough, and Chuck Mathes still personally walks Pekin properties and takes calls directly when a homeowner has a question mid project. We carry full insurance, hold BBB accreditation, and back every estimate with an honest look at the actual house rather than a number based on square footage alone. Homeowners across all three Pekin neighborhoods come to us for the same basic reason, which is that they want a crew that already understands the kind of house they live in before the first wall ever comes open.
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Owner managed
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Written estimates
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No subcontractors
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Serving Across Illinois
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions About Home Remodeling in Pekin, IL
Before starting a remodel, most homeowners in Pekin and across Tazewell County have the same questions. Here are honest answers to the ones we hear most.
Still Have Questions?
We’re here to help you!
Does it matter which Pekin neighborhood my home is in?
Yes, quite a bit. Downtown Pekin, South of Broadway, and North of Broadway were built during different eras with different construction methods, and that affects framing, plumbing, electrical capacity, and even what restrictions might apply to your property. We confirm your neighborhood early in every estimate.
My home is a historic Victorian downtown. Can you still modernize the kitchen?
Yes, and we plan these projects carefully around the home’s original footprint and architectural detail. We work within the tighter square footage common to downtown homes while still delivering the functional upgrades you actually want.
Is my South of Broadway property subject to golf course HOA restrictions?
It depends on the specific property and its proximity to Lick Creek Golf Course, Pekin Country Club, or Sunset Hills. We check this before finalizing any addition or exterior design so you are not caught off guard partway through the project.
Will my North of Broadway home need an electrical upgrade for a kitchen remodel?
Many homes built in this part of Pekin during the 1950s through 1970s have panels that were not sized for modern kitchen appliance loads. We check your panel capacity as part of the estimate and include any needed upgrade in the plan.
Will my Pekin remodel require a permit?
Most structural, electrical, and plumbing work requires a permit through the city of Pekin. We manage this process as part of every project we take on.
Do you subcontract any part of a Pekin remodel?
No. The same Mathes Construction crew handles your entire project, from the first wall opened to the final walkthrough.
What happens if you find something unexpected once the walls are open?
We stop, explain exactly what we found, and walk you through what it changes about cost or timeline before doing anything else. You are never handed a surprise invoice for something we should have flagged as we went.
Have Any Questions?
Whether you're planning a remodel or just exploring your options. Reach out & we'll get back to you promptly.
Let’s Work
Your Trusted Partner in Central Illinois Construction.
From Tremont to Peoria and across Tazewell County, Mathes Construction is ready to bring your project to life with honest pricing, real craftsmanship and decades of local experience.
Phone Number:
(309) 349-4342
Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 08:00 - 17:00 Sat-Sun: Closed
Office Location:
8600 Dillon Rd, Tremont, IL 61568