North Shore new construction
New construction on Chicago’s North Shore, from the lot up
Who is building, where new houses are going up and what they are actually selling for in Wilmette, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Glencoe, Northfield, Glenview, Evanston and Northbrook.
A listing tells you what is for sale. It often doesn’t tell you who built the house, what the lot sold for or what is going up on the next street. That is the part we research.
Who built it
The listing doesn’t always say who built the house
Builder information is not consistently captured in MLS data, so we verify it separately when we can.
That means checking building permits and village records, the builder’s own project listings and the listing itself, then matching them to the address. When the sources don’t confirm a builder, we say so rather than guess.
By the time a spec house is listed, most of the important decisions have been made.
Which lot, which builder, which plan, which finishes. Knowing about a house while it is still framing can be the difference between choosing and accepting.
Recent closings
What sold as new construction, town by town
In the twelve months to September 2026, 74 of the 1,819 detached houses that sold across these eight towns were new construction.
| Town | New-construction sales | Median sale price | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmette | 18 of 306 detached | $2,602,500 | $1.5M – $3.2M |
| Northbrook | 16 of 323 detached | $1,997,946 | $1.47M – $3.0M |
| Glenview | 15 of 421 detached | $1,837,500 | $1.38M – $3.1M |
| Glencoe | 13 of 123 detached | $2,850,000 | $1.91M – $7.25M |
| Winnetka | 7 of 186 detached | $3,070,000* | $1.89M – $4.25M |
| Kenilworth | 2 of 53 detached | Too few sales for a median | — |
| Evanston | 2 of 339 detached | Too few sales for a median | — |
| Northfield | 1 of 68 detached | Too few sales for a median | — |
A median is shown only with five or more sales. These figures compare new houses with each other; they are not a guide to what an older house in the same town will sell for. Source: MRED closed sales, October 2025–September 2026.
New construction in Wilmette
18 of the 306 detached houses that sold in Wilmette were new construction. The median was $2,602,500, and every one sold between $1.5 million and $3.2 million.
New construction in Northbrook
16 of the 323 detached houses that sold in Northbrook were new construction, at a median of $1,997,946. They ranged from $1.47 million to $3.0 million.
New construction in Glenview
15 of the 421 detached houses that sold in Glenview were new construction, at a median of $1,837,500. They ranged from $1.38 million to $3.1 million.
New construction in Glencoe
13 of the 123 detached houses that sold in Glencoe were new construction, at a median of $2,850,000. The range was wide, from $1.91 million to $7.25 million.
New construction in Winnetka
7 of the 186 detached houses that sold in Winnetka were new construction. Their median was $3,070,000, but with only seven sales one closing can move it. They ranged from $1.89 million to $4.25 million.
New construction in Kenilworth
2 of the 53 detached houses that sold in Kenilworth were new construction. That is too few sales to give a typical price.
New construction in Evanston
2 of the 339 detached houses that sold in Evanston were new construction. New houses are a very small part of what changes hands in Evanston.
New construction in Northfield
1 of the 68 detached houses that sold in Northfield was new construction. With a single sale there is no typical price to report.
For sale now
Current new construction for sale
Listings change daily, so the most current view is a live search rather than a list on this page.
Some new houses are marketed as Coming Soon before they reach the open market. Coming Soon does not guarantee access to a particular home.
Looking for something that isn’t listed yet? Ask what’s being built.
Land
On a new house, the lot does much of the work
Land values vary widely across the North Shore. On many new-construction purchases, the lot represents a meaningful share of the property’s value and can matter substantially to future resale.
Location matters street by street, not just town by town. Two lots a few blocks apart can differ enough to change what a builder can justify putting on top.
Where we can verify it, we look at what the lot, or the house it replaced, sold for and when. We treat that as one fact among several.
The difference between a lot price and a finished sale price is not a builder’s cost or profit. It leaves out demolition, design, construction, financing, carrying costs and time.
Ways to buy new
Spec, semi-custom or custom
New houses reach buyers in different ways, and each asks different decisions of you.
Spec
Built for sale
Built with no particular buyer in mind. You judge decisions someone else has already made, sometimes with room to choose late finishes if you are early enough.
Semi-custom
A plan with choices
A builder’s plan or program with defined options. We use this label only when the builder or the listing describes the project that way.
Custom
Designed for you
Usually an architect and a builder you choose, on a lot you own or buy. The most control, and the longest timeline.
Unknown
Not confirmed
When the record doesn’t show how a house was built and sold, we label it Unknown rather than guess.
A spec purchase is a judgment about someone else’s choices, often made with the drywall already up. A custom build can mean a long working relationship with a builder and architect, with substantially more decisions along the way. We can help with either, and we’ll tell you plainly which fits how you make decisions.
What we track
Ask what’s being built on your street
We keep a private, running record of new-construction and teardown activity across the North Shore. It helps us see when a lot has traded before a sign goes up, which builder is behind a project that hasn’t been announced, and which spec houses may be finished in time for a move.
The record is private and isn’t published here. Tell us the towns and streets you care about, and we’ll tell you what we can.
Recorded for each project, where a source supports it
- Address and town
- Permit date and value
- Builder or developer
- Spec, semi-custom, custom or unknown
- Project stage
- The source, and the date it was last checked
For owners
Own a property that may have redevelopment value?
On some North Shore properties, redevelopment demand can affect what the property is worth and who may be the strongest buyer. Whether that applies to yours depends on the lot, the street, zoning and what new houses nearby are selling for.
We can look at your property both ways before you decide anything.
Ask what’s being built
Tell us where you’re looking
Share the towns, streets and timing you have in mind. We’ll reply with what we know about new construction there.
Lisa Finks, Lourdes Arencibia and Carolyn Duris are independently licensed Compass agents who collaborate. Each represents her own clients.
Method
How these numbers are calculated
- Source. MRED closed sales, the multiple listing service for northern Illinois, checked against its InfoSparks reporting.
- What’s counted. Detached houses marked as new construction in the MLS listing. Year built is used only as a cross-check.
- Period. October 2025–September 2026, the same twelve months for every town. Refreshed monthly.
- Medians. Shown only with five or more sales, with a caveat below ten. Never compared with older homes.
- Price per square foot. Shown for a specific project only when its above-grade square footage is credible. Square-footage reporting practices vary, so the figure is directional.
- Builder and type. Shown only where a source confirms them; otherwise left out or marked Unknown.
- Coverage. This page focuses on eight communities. We work throughout the North Shore, the north suburbs, into the city and well beyond.
New construction
Know before the sign goes up
Tell us the streets you care about. We’ll tell you what we know about what is planned, underway or coming to market.