We Build What
the Pro Forma Promises
10+ development projects. $25M+ in total project value. We develop our own projects and partner with investors who want a team that's been through every phase of the deal — not just the build.
We Develop.
We Also Build.
We're not just a general contractor that works with investors — we're developers ourselves. We've sourced deals, underwritten acquisitions, navigated zoning, managed lender relationships, and held the risk that comes with putting your own capital into a project. That experience shapes everything about how we operate.
When we partner with other investors, we bring that owner's perspective to the table. We think in terms of basis, hold period, and exit strategy — because we've lived on that side of the spreadsheet. We know what it feels like when hold costs are running and the schedule slips. We know the difference between a change order that protects the deal and one that just pads the budget.
We don't publish case studies or post project financials. If our development track record matters to you — and it should — we're happy to discuss specifics in a private conversation.
Three Things That
Matter to Your Deal
We Protect the Basis
Every decision we make on-site gets filtered through one question: does this protect or improve the deal? We understand that construction cost is not just a line item — it's basis. Overbuilding kills returns the same way under-building kills rent premiums. We scope to the market, not to the catalog.
We Compress Timelines
Hold costs are silent killers. We run parallel trades, pull permits early, and pre-order long-lead materials before demo starts. Our scheduling is aggressive but honest — we'd rather give you a realistic number than a comfortable one that slips.
We Communicate Like Operators
You won't get vague progress updates. You'll get draw schedules that match your lender's requirements, budget-to-actual tracking updated weekly, and same-day calls when field conditions change. We report the way asset managers think — by the numbers.
We Walk With You
Through Every Phase
We've been through this entire process ourselves — as developers, not just builders. That means we don't show up at phase four and ask what happened in phases one through three. We understand every step because we've had our own money on the line at each one.
Deal Evaluation & Feasibility
You bring us a property you're looking at — or an idea you're still penciling. Because we've underwritten and developed our own deals, we know what to look for beyond just construction cost: zoning constraints, permit risk, hidden structural issues, and whether the finished product will actually hit the rents or sale price you need. No charge for this stage.
Pre-Construction & Budgeting
Once you're committed to the property, we build out a real budget — not a ballpark. We coordinate with your architect or help you find one. We identify long-lead items, sequence the permit strategy, and build a schedule that accounts for Chicago's actual permit timelines — not the theoretical ones.
Permitting & Approvals
Chicago permitting is its own project. We manage the permit application, coordinate with expeditors, respond to DOB comments, and keep the process moving so your hold clock doesn't start ticking before you're ready. If your project needs aldermanic sign-off, zoning variations, or landmark review — we've been through it.
Construction Execution
We mobilize, we build, and we keep you informed. Weekly budget-to-actual updates, photo documentation, and same-day communication on anything that affects scope, schedule, or cost. Draw requests are prepared in your lender's format. We manage every trade on-site and hold them to the same standard we hold ourselves.
Punch List & Inspections
We don't hand you a building and disappear. We walk every unit, every common area, every system — and build a punch list before you do. We schedule and manage all city inspections, coordinate utility turn-ons, and make sure every detail is closed out before we ask for final payment.
Delivery & Transition
We deliver the project with a clean certificate of occupancy, all close-out documentation, warranty packages, and a building that's ready for its next chapter — whether that's a lease-up, a sale, or your next phase. And when you're ready for the next deal, we're already familiar with how you operate.
Our development experience means we think like owners, not just contractors. Whether you're doing your first deal or your fifteenth, having a partner who's been through every phase themselves — and can anticipate what's coming next — means fewer surprises and a faster path to revenue.
What We've Developed
Speaks Quietly
Our own development portfolio includes ground-up single-family, multifamily gut rehabs, mixed-use repositioning, and condo deconversions across Chicago's south, west, and northwest side corridors. We've taken projects from vacant lot to certificate of occupancy — and from distressed building to stabilized asset.
We also partner with outside investors who want the same development discipline applied to their deals. Whether it's a first-time developer buying their second two-flat or an operator repositioning a 200+ unit portfolio, the approach is the same: think like an owner, price honestly, execute reliably.
We keep project-level financials private out of respect for our partners and our own deals. Happy to walk you through relevant development experience on a call.
Where We Build
in Chicago
We develop and build where the deals are — corridors where we have the deepest permit, trade, and market knowledge because we've put our own capital to work here.
We also take on select projects in the north shore and near-west suburbs when the scope and relationship are right. Still worth a conversation.
We Bring the
Full Stack
A development project doesn't get done by a GC alone. It takes architects, structural engineers, real estate attorneys, lenders, permit expediters, surveyors, environmental consultants, and more. Over 18 years of developing and building in Chicago, we've built deep relationships with every discipline you'll need.
When you partner with us, you're not just getting a builder — you're getting access to a vetted network of professionals who know how to work together and have done so on dozens of projects. If you already have your own team, great — we work with anyone. If you need referrals, we'll connect you with people we trust and have track record with.
No one should have to figure out who to call at each stage of a deal. We've already done that work.
Residential, multifamily, and commercial architects who understand Chicago zoning, FAR, and DOB requirements. We work with firms from boutique to mid-size depending on project scale.
Licensed engineers for structural analysis, HVAC design, electrical plans, and plumbing — all with Chicago code experience and fast turnarounds for permit submissions.
Transactional attorneys who handle closings, entity structuring, contractor agreements, and title work. They know the development side, not just the residential side.
Relationships with local banks, credit unions, and private lenders who finance construction and development in Chicago. We can make introductions when helpful.
Professionals who navigate Chicago DOB, aldermanic processes, zoning board hearings, and landmark review. They know the people and the process.
Phase I/II environmental firms, ALTA surveyors, and soil testing labs we use regularly on acquisition due diligence and new construction.
More Than a Contractor —
A Network
When you work with 32 Build, you're not just hiring a GC — you're joining a network of Chicago real estate investors, developers, and asset managers who operate at a high level and share deal flow, insights, and introductions.
We host private dinners, site tours, and investor roundtables throughout the year — small, curated, no pitch decks. The right room, the right conversations.
Investor Dinners
Private, invitation-only dinners with a curated group of Chicago investors and developers. Off the record, high signal.
Roundtables
Quarterly investor roundtables covering Chicago market conditions, deal structures, and what's actually working.
Warm Introductions
Direct introductions to lenders, equity partners, brokers, and operators in our network — when there's a genuine fit.
Deal Flow Access
Early visibility into off-market renovation opportunities, distressed assets, and development sites sourced through our network.
What Investors
Ask Us
Straightforward answers to what we hear most often before a first conversation.
Still have questions? Let's talkBoth. We develop our own projects and also partner with outside investors as their GC. That dual perspective means we understand your deal from the inside — not just the construction scope.
If This Resonates,
Let's Talk.
No pitch deck, no sales call. Just a direct conversation about your project, our experience, and whether there's a fit. Twenty minutes is usually enough to know.