Donovan Eckhardt Net worth, Wife Erica, Wiki Biography
Donovan Eckhardt is the co-host and lead contractor on the popular HGTV series “Windy City Rehab.” He moves around the Chicago region with his co-star Alison Victoria, hunting for houses that need renovation.
Eckhardt is among the most popular contractor in the region when it comes to restoring old homes. His ability and talent are on full display in the show, where he works his magic on old houses scattered in Chicago.
Furthermore, he is also the founder of the Greymark Development Group’s construction company, which specializes in the Luxury market.
Donovan has made a name for himself in flipping and restructuring houses. Today, we talk about Eckhardt, his net worth, his wife, and his wiki biography.
Donovan Eckhardt Wikipedia
Donovan was born on 25th November 1979. His parents raised him in Arlington, Illinois. Standing at 5’6”, Donovan weighs around 81kg with ginger-colored facial hair.
He completed his master’s and bachelors in construction from the University of Illinois in 2004. Immediately after graduation, he joined his family business as his dad was an architect.
Also, in the same year, he joined a construction-based company CD group as a partner. He then moved on to establish VizCorp and Eckhardt properties. Donovan also established BE Custom Millwork in January 2009.
Later in 2013, Donovan founded his company Greymark Development Group. However, his career flourished when he teamed up with Alison Victoria for the HGTV program.
Since then, he has turned many desperate old homes in need of restoration into Luxury houses.
Donovan Eckhardt family
Donovan Eckhardt is the son of Ted and Melinda Eckhardt. Ted Eckhardt has a degree in architecture from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is a full-time architect.
Furthermore, he has a history of working at Maine West High School, R. Carolla Plumbing Company, and CD group. Moreover, Ted inspired his son Donovan Eckhardt to follow architecture and construction.
Donovan’s mother, Melinda Eckhardt, is a teacher by profession. Furthermore, he has a brother, Theodore Eckhardt, and a sister Liz Eckhardt Niermann.
Donovan Eckhardt wife and Children
Donovan has a wife named Erica Eckhardt. The couple wed 9 years ago in August 2012. And in three years, they gave birth to two beautiful daughters, one in 2014 and the other in 2015.
They named their first baby girl Charlotte, while they have not yet revealed about their second girl.
He currently lives with his wife Erica Eckhardt in Chicago. She ran a vest-themed non-profit charity known as Vest-fest from 2012-2015. Moreover, Erica is lively on Instagram as @ececkhardt.
Lawsuit
Mr. Eckhardt faced many lawsuits throughout his career. He and his wife sold one of their renovated houses to James and Anna in season 1. The couple paid $1.36 million for the house but faced multiple problems in their new house.
Thus, they filed a lawsuit against the Eckhardts for the defects found after the restoration. They were similar lawsuits filed against them by the owners of their renovated homes. Recently in July 2020, they were also sued by Michael Ward Jr. for fraud.
Despite all the lawsuits, the show “Windy City Rehab” was a hit. However, Donovan had to leave the show at the midpoint of season 2. He claimed that the show and HGTV Network falsely portrayed him as a fraudulent character by fabricating the script.
He said that season 2 had fake scenes that they intentionally prepared to make him look awful. Following the accusation, he filed a lawsuit against “Big Table Media” and HGTV’s parent company “Discovery” for his humiliating experience while working with them.
He reportedly filed a defamation lawsuit of $2.2 million.
Net Worth
Donovan has gained prominence in the field with the popular HGTV show “Windy City Rehab.” He, alongside Alison Victoria, renovated and redesigned numerous houses across Chicago in season 1 of the show.
However, he left the show in the mid of season 2 due to a conflict of interests. Despite leaving the HGTV show, Eckhardt has always had his own business.
He has earned fame, popularity, and property through his profession. As of 2021, Donovan Eckhardt has an estimated net worth of $3.5 million.