One .
Discipline, mastered.
Design + Build
One room, a whole house, and everything in between.
Recent Transformations
Educate.
Collaborate.
Create.
Who We Are
Founder led.
Family owned. Family run.
One conviction:
Serve.
↓Reviews from people we’ve served
Nearly two decades and counting serving our industry, our employees, our trade partners, and the greater Chicagoland and Southeast Wisconsin market we live and work in — in every way we can — and bend over backwards for our clients.
“We built Icon so the family across the table from us would get the same answer we’d want if our family were sitting in their chair.”
Letters from the Murphy family · IBG leadership
June 2026 · A letter from Jeremy
A new letter, on a familiar subject.
When my parents — Charlie and Jenny — opened Icon’s doors in 2008, they made the decision that the relationship would be the thing we measured everything else against. Nearly two decades and 400+ homes later, that decision still holds. So does the family. So does the conviction.
I’m Jeremy, the next generation of that family. As we grow toward a regionally dominant practice and a national reputation, the one thing that won’t change is the one that started it: when the call comes from a client at year ten, the Murphy family picks it up. Not a coordinator. Us.
What We Do · And Where
Design + build.One room to the whole home.
What
Design-build remodeling of the highest quality — one room, a whole house, and everything in between, delivered through an unmatched client experience.
Price
Published, by project type — see The Honest Cost Guide
[ real remodeling bands TBD — Jeremy ]
How
Designed and built by one in-house team — start to finish, under one accountability.
Where
Rooted in Lake County & the North Shore; building across greater Chicagoland, SE Wisconsin & NW Indiana. Where we work →
Where we build today
Where we’re expanding
Where we’ll build next
From the portfolio — a selected few
Custom · 2026
Lot 59 Estate
Western Suburbs · Prairie Grove · 4,600 sf · Modern Farmhouse
How We Do It · The Compass
Most builders give you a checklist.We give you a compass.
A checklist is for someone who already knows the way. Building a home of consequence is unfamiliar territory — you don’t need a list, you need a bearing.
Phase 07 · The covenant
Lifetime Partnership
A direct line to the Murphy family, for the life of the home. The 45-day, 11-month, and annual cadence is the floor — not the ceiling.
01
Phase 01 · Education
Before we ever talk.
Read our cost guides, our builder evaluation workbook, and our process overview. Learn what a real build costs and what to watch for in any builder relationship — before you ever pick up the phone.
You walk away with
An informed perspective. No sales pressure. No obligation.
Most builders’ service starts when you sign a contract and ends when they hand you the keys.
We service for life.
Homes · Stories · Experiences
Behind every
Icon home isa relationship.
Hear directly from the families we’ve served — including the ones we never built for.
Uncompromising quality
“I couldn’t be more happy that I chose Icon Building Group to build our dream custom home. The entire experience was a real pleasure.
Jagdamba Seth
Custom Home — Lake Forest, IL
A seamless process
“From start to finish, the attention to detail on every aspect of our home was beyond what we imagined. Every room, every finish, every feature feels thoughtful and beautifully executed.
Mike V.
Custom Home — Barrington, IL
Trust from day one
“We enjoyed working with the Icon team throughout the process — they were very knowledgeable, which was a huge plus for us as first-time homebuyers.
Vincent Scotto
Custom Home — Winnetka, IL
And the part that brings us the most pride —
No contract · No invoice · No build
Served by Icon.Built by someone else.
Icon will take the meeting. Answer the call. Walk the lot. Give you the same hour we’d give a paying client — even when we already know we’re not getting the work. No contract. No invoice. No build. Just the help anyone deserves who’s about to make the biggest investment of their life.
“I called Icon three separate times during a competing bid process. Charlie picked up every time. They never billed us for a minute of it — even after we’d selected another builder. I’ve recommended them to four friends since. That’s who they are.
A homeowner in Lake Forest, IL
Built with another firm, 2023 · Referred two clients to Icon since
“We met with the Icon team, loved them — but the timing wasn’t right for us. Two years later, when we were finally ready, they took us to coffee. No contract. No pressure. Just to share what had changed in the market. I will never not call Icon first again.
A homeowner in Winnetka, IL
First conversation 2022 · Started Icon build 2024
Trade Partners · Architects · Realtors
Built on the best relationships with the
highest quality partners in the region.
Icon believes our partners are just as important to our success as our clients and our process. Trade partners are as much a priority for us as the clients we serve, along with the architects and realtors we work with to make every Icon home possible.
01
02
03
You know who we are and what we build. If you’re hiring a builder, the only question left is whether we’re the right one — for your project, your budget, and the way you want to work. We’ll tell you honestly, even when the answer is no.
If we might be — start where you are:
Still exploring — the honest guides · Ready to begin — Start your journey · Curious about cost — The Honest Cost Guide · Comparing firms — The Right Fit.
From the Journal
Projects, process, andthinking from the field.
Cost Guide · 2026
What luxury custom construction actually costs in 2026.
A candid look at where dollars go on a custom build — from sitework through closeout.
Process
How the Compass's seven phases reduce risk for the client.
Why we anchor pre-construction in fixed-price certainty — and what that means for your build.
Jenny’s Hot Tips · Expert Analysis
Hundreds of homes of expert analysis. The selections that matter most.
Since 2008, our team has served 400+ families across design-build remodeling and new construction. Jenny shares the design and selection decisions that quietly define how every Icon home feels.
Recognized · Affiliated · Federally Certified
Nearly two decades of recognition. Built on relationships, not announcements.
Best of Houzz for eight consecutive years (2019–2026) — Service and Innovator. Affiliated with the leading kitchen, bath, and remodeling associations. Federally lead-safe certified. Member of the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago.
Who We Are
What We Do
How We Do It
Clients
Partners
- Realtor Registration
- Local Market Perspective
- For Architects & Designers
- Collaboration Framework
- Scope & Spec Standards
- Partner Referral Program
- For Realtors + Architects/Designers
© 2026 Icon Building Group. All Rights Reserved.