Somewhere between the first lake effect snowfall and the third round of shoveling, a lot of homeowners in Marquette and across the Upper Peninsula decide their remodel can wait until spring.
So can you build or remodel in the U.P. in the winter? Yes, you can. It takes a good plan, and it looks a little different than building mid summer. But waiting for spring often means months of lost time on a project that could already be underway.
Read below to learn what a winter project really looks like, what winter weather changes, and if your project could benefit from starting during the colder months.
What Most Commonly Gets Built in the Winter
Most winter remodeling happens indoors. While the snow piles up outside, our crews are typically working on the interiors of kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and additions. Once a space is enclosed and protected, the work inside keeps moving no matter what the forecast says. A cabinet goes in the same way in January as it does in July.
What Winter Changes, and How We Plan for It
We want to be honest about what winter does change. Cold affects how some materials behave. Concrete, for example, needs to cure without freezing, and mortar and certain adhesives and finishes have temperature limits of their own. Snow and thaw cycles can also bring moisture onto a job site, and some exterior work really does need warmer weather.
That is exactly why a design-build schedule works in your favor. Because design and construction are planned together, we know from the start which phases need which conditions. Weather-sensitive work gets scheduled for the right window, and work that can happen indoors gets scheduled for the winter, so one piece of the project is not holding up everything else.
Ordering early is part of the plan too. Cabinetry, windows, and specialty finishes can have long lead times, especially when they are shipping to the Upper Peninsula, and making selections early means your materials arrive before the crew needs them.
Can You Build an Addition or Custom Home in the Winter?
Yes, you can. Additions and custom homes are where planning matters most, because they involve both exterior and interior work. For both, we create a detailed plan before construction begins. It lays out each phase of the project, what that phase needs, and when it will happen, so that winter does not interrupt the work or bring it to a halt. The goal is a project that keeps moving from the first day to the last, even when the snow is falling.
Why Winter Can Be a Great Time to Remodel
For many contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, summer is the busiest time of the year. In the winter, there is often less demand on schedules and deliveries, so projects can turn around faster than homeowners expect.
There is also the matter of your summer. Anyone who has lived through a few Upper Peninsula winters knows how precious the warm months are, with time on Lake Superior, long evenings outside, graduations, weddings, and guests who want to see what makes this place special. Picture July with a finished kitchen, the windows open, and friends coming over after a day on the lake, instead of a plywood countertop and a tarp over the doorway. If your project happens in the winter, that is the summer you get to have.
Don't Wait to Get Started
If you have been putting off a remodel or an addition because you assumed winter meant waiting, we would love to talk it through with you. Reach out to Wilbur Design + Construct, and we will help you figure out what can start now, what is best scheduled for a warmer window, and how to build a plan around your Marquette home and your calendar.