Home Remodeling and Construction in Lake Geneva, WI
Lake Geneva is about ten miles from Twin Lakes, and our crew brings free written estimates and free designs to the city's older and newer homes alike.
Our work in Lake Geneva
Remodeling and building in Lake Geneva.
Lake Geneva has year-round neighborhoods behind the shoreline, and Pembroke Construction works in them. Owner Kyle Pembroke and one crew handle kitchens and bathrooms, basements, decks and screened porches, roofs, windows and siding, painting, flooring and tile. Estimates and designs are free. The city sits about ten miles from Twin Lakes, and the same crew carries the job from first measurement to final sweep, for a primary home or a weekend place.
Lake Geneva has a few extra layers to think through. The city has a Historic Preservation Commission, a downtown design review process, and floodplain and zoning checks before a building permit is issued. None of that has to slow a project down. We ask the right questions early, sketch the design with you, and walk you through the paperwork so the plan holds up at the counter.
The area
About Lake Geneva.
Lake Geneva is a city on the northeastern bay of Geneva Lake, about 75 miles northwest of Chicago and 40 miles southwest of Milwaukee. The 2020 Census counted 8,277 residents and 4,659 housing units. About 14 percent of those units were vacant seasonal or recreational homes, and just over half of occupied homes were rented. After the 1871 Chicago fire, wealthy Chicagoans built summer estates on the lake, and the area became known as the Newport of the West. The Main Street and Maple Park historic districts and The Riviera are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Projects
What we build in Lake Geneva.
Local conditions shape the work. Here is what we pay attention to in Lake Geneva.
Kitchen and bath remodels
Many older city homes have kitchens and baths sized for another era. We rework the layout around how you cook, host and get ready in the morning.
Decks and screened porches
Summers here are lived outdoors. A wood or composite deck, or a screened-in porch, stretches the season for dinners and company, and it has to meet city zoning and setbacks.
Roofs, siding and windows
A house that sits empty part of the year can take on a small leak or draft unnoticed. New roofing, siding and windows help keep weather out between visits.
Basements and flooring
Basements can become guest space for lake weekends. Moisture control, exits and flooring that handles wet feet and heavy use come first.
Every trade
Everything we do, in Lake Geneva.
One crew handles the whole list, so a kitchen and a new roof can share one schedule.
Good to know
Permits and local details.
Every town has its own rules. Here is what we found for Lake Geneva.
Permits and inspections
The City of Lake Geneva Building and Zoning Department, at 626 Geneva Street, handles permits for decks, additions, alterations, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. The city asks for one complete electronic package, and zoning permits cover items like patios, fences and driveways. We help you put the package together so it is ready to go in.
Historic review and floodplain
The city's Historic Preservation Commission issues certificates of appropriateness for exterior changes to designated landmarks and properties in historic districts, and downtown projects have a design review application. Floodplain and zoning rules must also be met before a building permit is issued. Ask us early if your address might be covered.
Rental registration
City code requires owners to register residential rental units with the Building Inspector, and registration is tied to getting building permits. Rentals are inspected at least once every five years. About half of occupied homes in Lake Geneva were rented in 2020, so landlords should check before starting work.
Questions
Lake Geneva questions.
Things homeowners in Lake Geneva ask before they start. Don't see yours? Just call.
Prefer to talk it through? Call and ask for a free estimate.
Does my Lake Geneva house need historic approval before I change the outside?
Only if it is a designated landmark or sits in a designated historic district. In that case the city's Historic Preservation Commission issues a certificate of appropriateness for exterior alterations. Call the Building and Zoning Department with your address, or ask us, before you order windows or siding.
Who issues permits for a deck or addition in Lake Geneva?
The City of Lake Geneva Building and Zoning Department. Decks, additions and alterations each have their own permit, and zoning permits cover things like patios, fences and driveways. The city routes each application to zoning, building, electrical and plumbing staff. We walk you through the forms and the inspections.
I live close to the water. What extra rules might apply?
Inside the city, the zoning site plan asks you to show the ordinary high water mark, navigable waters, floodplains and floodways, and floodplain rules must be satisfied before a permit is issued. State rules also cover shoreland-wetland areas, and county shoreland rules reach 1,000 feet from a lake outside city limits. We help you gather what the city asks for.
Nearby
Towns close to Lake Geneva.
We also work in these nearby towns, and about 45 minutes around Twin Lakes.
Where this information comes from
We checked the details on this page against public sources. Rules and fees change, so confirm anything specific with your local building office or with us.
- City of Lake Geneva, Building and Zoning Department
- City of Lake Geneva, New 1 and 2 Family Residential Permit Packet
- City of Lake Geneva, Historic Preservation Commission
- City of Lake Geneva Code, Historic Preservation ordinance
- City of Lake Geneva Code, Rental housing registration and inspection
- SEWRPC, 2020 Census Profile of General Population and Housing, Lake Geneva city
- Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (geography and history)
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Walworth County, Wisconsin
- Wisconsin DNR, Shoreland Zoning Programs
Free estimate
Thinking about a project in Lake Geneva?
Tell us what you've got in mind. We'll set up a time to look at it, and you'll get the scope and price in writing, with the design work on us.
- Free written estimates and free designs
- Discounts for military, seniors, teachers, 1st responders and people with disabilities
- Twin Lakes, WI and about 45 minutes around it