Custom additions, second stories, and great-room builds for Sister Lakes homes — designed for our lake-country climate and built by Bob personally.
Bob has been building and remodeling homes in Sister Lakes, MI for over a decade. From classic lake cottages on Round Lake and Big Crooked Lake to year-round homes around Little Crooked Lake, Cable Lake, and Magician Lake, he's added square footage to nearly every style of home in the area — and he knows what works here.
Sister Lakes isn't a place where you can build the way you'd build in a flat Chicago subdivision. Lake-effect snow off Lake Michigan piles on roofs all winter, so we engineer load-bearing structures and roof pitches for it. Frost lines run 42 inches deep, which means every footing has to be set below that or it heaves the first hard winter. And on lake-side lots, drainage and grading aren't optional — they're the difference between a dry crawl space in March and a flooded one. Bob plans for every bit of it before the first shovel goes in the ground.
Bob's home from Sister Lakes also reaches Dowagiac, Decatur, Hartford, Lawton, and the surrounding lake communities. If you're within about a 30-minute drive of Sister Lakes, he'll come walk the property and put together a free written estimate.
Bob handles your addition end-to-end — design coordination, permits, structural work, and finishes — so you have one person accountable for the whole project.
Bob pulls all permits with Cass County and works directly with your township inspector. He'll also coordinate with your architect or recommend one if you don't have plans yet.
Footings set below the 42" frost line, proper drain tile, and grading that pulls water away from the structure. The foundation outlasts everything you build on top of it.
Roof pitches and load calculations engineered for Michigan lake-effect snow. Tied properly into your existing roofline so it looks original — not bolted on.
Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC routed through licensed trade partners Bob has worked with for years. Properly tied into your existing systems with capacity to spare.
Drywall, trim, flooring, paint, cabinetry — matched to your existing home so the addition looks like it's always been there. No "obvious addition" lines.
Property restored when Bob is done — grading re-shaped, sod or seed put back where machines drove. You won't be left looking at a torn-up yard for a month after final payment.
Plenty of contractors will drive in from out of town and disappear before the punch list is done. Bob lives and works here.
Fully licensed residential builder in Michigan, bonded, and carrying full liability insurance. Bob can email the cert before the contract is signed.
No phantom foremen, no rotating subcontractor crews. Bob is on the job from foundation to final walkthrough. When you call (708) 549-3180, you get him directly.
Bob has built additions, decks, and outdoor living spaces all around Round Lake, Big Crooked, Little Crooked, Cable, and Magician for over a decade. Local references on request.
You get a detailed scope, a fixed price, and a real start-and-finish date in writing. No vague verbal handshakes — and no surprise change orders halfway through.
"The Brussels block driveway looks like something out of a magazine. Bob and his crew were meticulous — perfectly level, clean edges, beautiful border detail. It held up perfectly through two brutal winters."
Common questions Bob gets from Sister Lakes homeowners planning an addition.
Every home addition is custom — size, room type, finishes, foundation work, and how it ties into your existing home all change the number significantly. Bob walks the project with you, talks through your priorities, and gives you a detailed written estimate broken out line by line — free and no-obligation. He handles permits and trades so the number you see is the number you pay. Call (708) 549-3180 to schedule a free on-site visit.
Zeiler Construction is based in Sister Lakes, MI and also serves the Palos Heights, IL area. We regularly work in Dowagiac, Niles, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Frankfort, and Homer Glen. Call (708) 549-3180 to confirm we cover your address.
Yes — fully licensed for residential and commercial work in both Michigan and Illinois, bonded, and carrying full liability insurance. Bob can email a copy of the certificate before any project starts.
Most home additions run 6–12 weeks from groundbreaking to final walkthrough, depending on scope. A simple single-room bump-out can be 6–8 weeks; a full second-story addition or large great-room build is closer to 10–12 weeks. Bob gives you a realistic schedule in your written estimate and sticks to it.