In a home remodeling industry often defined by

missed deadlines, vanishing subcontractors,

and budgets that balloon mid-project, New

Concept 180 has built a different kind of

reputation across Chicago's North Shore — one

measured less by advertising and more by a

100% client recommendation rate logged over

more than a decade of independently verified

reviews.

Based in Northbrook, Illinois, New Concept 180

is a design-build remodeling firm led by owner

and CEO Gideon Lipnickas, serving

homeowners throughout Chicago, Oak Park,

River Forest, Wilmette, Glencoe, Deerfield,

Winnetka, Western Springs, Northbrook, Northfield, Kenilworth, and Lake Forest. For

close to fifteen years, the company has

focused on a narrow, deliberate service set —

kitchens, bathrooms, whole-home remodels,

and additions — rather than chasing every

category of construction work available in a

major metro market.

The Design-Build Difference

The term "design-build" gets used loosely in

the remodeling industry, but at New Concept

180 it describes a specific operating structure.

Instead of homeowners hiring an architect,

then a separate design firm, then a general

contractor, and hoping the three parties

communicate well, New Concept 180 keeps

design and construction under one roof. The

same team that develops the blueprints

executes them, which removes the finger-

pointing that often happens when a design

firm and a construction firm blame each other

for delays or cost overruns.

This structure gives clients a single point of

accountability from the first consultation through the final walkthrough. Budget

conversations, material selections, and

schedule changes all happen with the people

actually doing the work, not through a chain of

subcontracted intermediaries. The company

has been explicit that this is a deliberate

choice: all carpentry, trim, and interior and

exterior finish work is completed by New

Concept 180's own employees rather than

outsourced to anonymous subcontractors — a

distinction that matters more than it might

sound, since subcontractor turnover is one of

the most common sources of quality

inconsistency and schedule slippage in

residential remodeling.

A Track Record Verified by a

Third Party, Not Just

Testimonials

Plenty of remodeling companies post glowing

reviews on their own websites. What sets New

Concept 180 apart is that its client satisfaction

data is independently tracked by GuildQuality, a third-party survey platform used across the

remodeling industry specifically because it

cannot be edited or curated by the contractor.

Under that independent verification, New

Concept 180 has maintained a 100% all-time

recommend rate, a figure that has held steady

across years of tracked projects, including a

100% recommend rate in 2020 specifically.

Reviews collected under that verified process

describe a consistent pattern: fast response to

initial inquiries, follow-up phone calls rather

than just emails, contractors who show up on

the day they're scheduled, and finished

projects delivered on budget and on time. One

Wilmette client's verified review put it plainly —

that Gideon is "extremely trustworthy and

honest" and that for homeowners prioritizing

high-end craftsmanship over speed or rock-

bottom pricing, he is, in the client's words,

"your guy." Another client recounted a

bathroom remodel disagreement over grout

selection that Gideon won — and turned out to

be right about. Technology as a Transparency

Tool, Not a Gimmick

New Concept 180 uses Buildertrend, the

construction management platform used on

more than 600,000 projects across over 40

countries, to give clients real-time visibility into

their own remodel: blueprints, jobsite photos,

schedules, change orders, and warranty

documentation, all accessible from any device.

For homeowners who don't live in the home

during a remodel — or who travel during

construction — this means they can track

progress without physically being on-site,

closing an information gap that has historically

been one of the biggest sources of client

anxiety during a renovation.

A 5-Year Guarantee in an

Industry That Rarely Offers One

New Concept 180 backs contracted work with

an industry-leading 5-year warranty, a

commitment the company has stated it hasn't found matched by other design-build firms in

its market. Combined with licensing and

insurance across all service areas, and a

stated policy of turning down projects the

team can't properly staff and schedule rather

than overcommitting and disappointing clients,

the warranty reflects a business built around

long-term relationships and repeat referrals

rather than one-off transactions — consistent

with a company that, by its own account, has

completed extensive, multi-year engagements

for individual clients spanning painting,

wallpapering, kitchen and bathroom remodels,

and general home care.

Specialties: Kitchens,

Bathrooms, Additions, and the

Details in Between

New Concept 180's project portfolio centers

on:

Kitchen and bathroom remodels, from

understated updates to spa-like, luxury

transformations Whole-home remodels, both interior and

exterior

Room additions, including in-law suites,

dormers, decks, and garage conversions

turned into home offices, music studios, or

entertainment spaces

General craftsmanship services such as

painting, wallpapering, and post-project

home care for long-term clients

Across all of these categories, the company's

stated philosophy is that a home remodel

shouldn't require homeowners to move out or

live in a construction zone indefinitely — and

that a contractor is, in Gideon's own words, a

guest in someone else's home who should

treat it accordingly.

Why This Matters for North

Shore Homeowners

The remodeling industry in Chicago's North

Shore is dense with competition, but relatively

few firms combine three things at once: in-

house execution with no subcontractor handoffs, a third-party-verified track record

spanning more than a decade, and a warranty

structure that puts real financial weight behind

the company's confidence in its own work.

New Concept 180's growth has come almost

entirely through word-of-mouth and repeat

business from a client base that, according to

independently collected data, recommends the

company without exception.

For homeowners on the North Shore weighing

a kitchen overhaul, a bathroom renovation, or a

home addition, that combination of

accountability, transparency, and a fifteen-year

track record is the kind of signal that's difficult

to manufacture — and, per the verified review

record, difficult to find matched elsewhere in

the local market.

New Concept 180 is a design-build remodeling

company based in Northbrook, IL, serving

Chicago's North Shore. Learn more at

newconcept180.com or call (847) 565-1060.

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New Concept 180: Fifteen Years of Design-Build Craftsmanship on Chicago's North Shore

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