Single-family homes with yard to spare
If your lot has room behind the house, a rear kitchen addition with a family room or mudroom can solve several problems at once.
Serving Northbrook & nearby Glenview, Highland Park
Kitchen Additions in Northbrook, IL
Bump-outs and rear additions that give your Northbrook kitchen the room it's missing, from zoning check to finished cabinets.
- Local crews working in Northbrook ZIP 60062
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
When a Northbrook kitchen needs more room, not just new cabinets
We build kitchen additions and bump-outs for Northbrook homes where the kitchen has run out of room. One contractor coordinates the drawings, permit, excavation, framing, roofing, mechanical work and the new kitchen inside it.
A 1970s kitchen on a slab or crawlspace
Whether your 1970s house has a basement, crawlspace or slab decides how we build the new foundation and run pipes into it.
More appliances than the electrical panel can take
A bigger kitchen often means more circuits: an extra oven, a second dishwasher, island outlets and more lighting. We check the panel and upgrade service if needed.
The addition has to match the house
An addition that looks tacked on hurts the house. We match rooflines, siding or brick, window styles and trim so it looks original.
Kitchen too small for an island or table
When the room is too narrow for an island and too tight for a table, rearranging won't help. A bump-out of several feet can make room for both.
Heating and cooling the new space
New square footage needs heat and air. We extend ductwork from the existing system when it has capacity, or add a separate unit when it doesn't.
Worried about living through construction
We build the shell first and break through the old wall late in the project, which keeps the time without a kitchen as short as possible.
A back door or deck in the way
Additions usually land where the back door is. We relocate the door, rebuild the landing and tie the deck or patio back in.
Everything in a kitchen addition
- Feasibility and zoning checkA first look at what the property and the village's zoning allow, so the design starts within limits.
- Design and permit drawingsDrawings for the addition and the new kitchen, prepared for plan review and construction.
- Framing and roof tie-inNew framing connected to the house, a roof that ties into the existing one and a weather-tight shell.
- Plumbing, electrical and HVACSupply and drain lines, new circuits and ductwork extended into the addition.
- Grading, gutters and drainageSoil regraded away from the new walls, gutters and downspouts extended so water stays clear of the foundation.
- Opening the existing wallWe break through to the existing kitchen late, with a properly supported opening.
- The new kitchenFlooring run continuously from the old kitchen into the addition, then cabinets, counters and fixtures.
Choices you'll make
Skylights and vaulted ceilingsA sloped ceiling or skylights in the addition add height and light over the new table or island.
Full foundation vs. slab vs. piersFoundation choice depends on the existing house and whether you want basement space under the addition.
Cantilevered bump-outFor a small projection, framing that hangs off the existing floor can avoid digging, if the structure supports it.
Banquettes and built-in seatingA banquette uses the bump-out's walls for seating and keeps the floor open.
Windows and patio doorsA row of windows, a sliding or hinged patio door, or a skylight brings daylight into the new space.
Kitchens like yours in Northbrook: before and after
Before
In progress
AfterA Northbrook postwar Cape Cod: before and after
This one is a postwar Cape Cod near Techny. The kitchen as it was: dark walnut-stained flush-panel cabinets with brass pulls, speckled laminate and a fluorescent box light. What bothered the owners most: a cramped kitchen with one small window. The result: the kitchen extended by a 10-ft bump-out with a row of new windows and a dining area, cabinets in two-tone with brass hardware, white quartz counters, light oak LVP floor through the old and new space and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips. On site this meant framing and roof tie-in, plumbing, electrical and HVAC, plus grading, gutters and drainage.
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1960s ranch in Glenview
A 1960s ranch in Glenview, a typical kitchen for Glenview. What we started with: original birch cabinets painted white decades ago, sagging doors, chrome pulls, laminate with an aluminum edge band and a round fluorescent ceiling ring. The reason for the call: a small, dark kitchen with no room for a table. The result: the kitchen extended by a 10-ft bump-out with a row of new windows and a dining area, cabinets in deep olive with polished nickel pulls, warm walnut butcher block counters, light oak hardwood flooring through the old and new space and two glass pendants and recessed lights. The job covered feasibility and zoning check, design and permit drawings, plus plumbing, electrical and HVAC.
Kitchen Additions in Glenview →
Before
AfterMount Prospect kitchen, 1950s ranch: kitchen additions
A 1950s ranch in Mount Prospect, a typical kitchen for Mount Prospect. What we started with: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets, light beige laminate and a dome ceiling light. The reason for the call: no space to eat together and too little daylight. The result: the kitchen extended by a 10-ft bump-out with a row of new windows and a dining area, cabinets in pale mint green with matte black pulls, black honed granite counters, hickory luxury vinyl plank flooring through the old and new space and two glass pendants and recessed lights. The job covered framing and roof tie-in, opening the existing wall, plus the new kitchen.
Kitchen Additions in Mount Prospect →
Before
AfterNorthbrook kitchen, 1950s ranch: kitchen design & layout planning
What changed: a new layout with an island, cabinets in warm white shaker, light gray quartz counters and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Northbrook →
Before
AfterA Northbrook postwar bi-level: before and after
What changed: a lowered black honed granite counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in deep burgundy with polished nickel pulls, pull-down shelves in the uppers, drawers instead of base doors, a side-opening wall oven, a lever faucet and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Northbrook →From first visit to final walk-through
- Site visit and feasibilityWe look at the kitchen, the house and the lot, and check the zoning limits that apply.
- Design and estimatePlans, elevations and a line-item quote for the full project.
- Permit and plan reviewWe submit to the village and respond to plan review until the permit is issued.
- Building the shellWe build and close in the addition while your kitchen stays in use.
- Connecting and finishingThe final stretch: break-through, drywall, cabinets, counters and a walk-through with you.
Kitchen Additions questions from Northbrook homeowners
Do I need a permit for a kitchen addition in Northbrook?
Always. Additions go through plan review and inspections, and we take care of both.
What does a kitchen addition cost?
There's no honest number without seeing the house and lot. We send a detailed estimate that separates the addition from the kitchen work.
Does a bump-out need a foundation?
Larger bump-outs need footings below frost depth. Short projections can sometimes cantilever off the existing floor; an engineer or the code tells us when.
Can I stay in the house during construction?
In most cases, yes. We schedule the messy break-through as late as possible and seal it off with dust walls.
Will my furnace and air conditioner handle the extra space?
Sometimes. We check the system's capacity; if it can't take the added area, we add a separate heating and cooling solution for the addition.
Does Northbrook require a licensed plumber for kitchen addition?
Plumbing contractors: no village fee; must submit a copy of the State of Illinois Plumbing Contractor Registration (055). Our plumbing connections are made by licensed plumbers.
Do I need a Northbrook-registered contractor for kitchen addition?
Village contractor license required, good for one year: general contractors $100; electrical $70. We take care of that before work starts.
What is the Northbrook building department phone number?
Permits go through Development & Planning Services, phone 847-664-4050. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
What does Northbrook ask for on electrical work?
Electrical contractor license $70; must submit a copy of a valid electrician's registration with the application. New circuits and wiring are done by licensed electricians.
Do I need a permit for kitchen addition in Northbrook?
It depends on the scope. Northbrook's rule in short: Village lists separate permit types: Single Family Alterations - Interior, Electrical (new wiring/outlets), and Plumbing (new fixtures). We handle the permit when one is needed with Development & Planning Services.
Do you work in my part of Northbrook?
Yes. Our crews work across Northbrook, including Techny, Downtown Northbrook — ZIP 60062 — and nearby Glenview, Highland Park, Mount Prospect.
Working in Northbrook
- A lot of Northbrook kitchens date from the 1970s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Northbrook homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Development & Planning Services handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
TechnyDowntown Northbrook
ZIP 60062
Kitchen Additions nearby
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Other kitchen services in Northbrook
Kitchen Design & Layout PlanningLayouts, 3D plans and material picks before work starts.
Accessible Kitchen RemodelingKitchens that work for every age and ability.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural AssessmentOpen the kitchen up with an engineered beam.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.