Lead paint on older walls
We treat old paint as possibly lead-based on pre-1978 homes and follow lead-safe work practices throughout demolition.
Serving Northbrook & nearby Glenview, Highland Park
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Northbrook, IL
We find out what your Northbrook kitchen wall carries, then open it safely with an engineered beam and a permit.
- Local crews working in Northbrook ZIP 60062
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
Walls that close in Northbrook kitchens, and what it takes to remove them
A kitchen wall can hold up a floor, hide a vent stack or carry the ductwork for the whole upstairs. We open the wall to see, bring in a structural engineer when the wall carries load, and handle the beam, posts, permit and inspections in your Northbrook home.
A narrow doorway that bottlenecks traffic
Traffic piling up at a single kitchen door is common in older layouts. A wider opening with a correctly sized header is often enough.
Pipes, ducts or wires inside the wall
What is inside the wall matters as much as what it holds up. Wiring, gas lines, ducts and vents each need a new route.
Daylight stuck in the next room
A dim kitchen beside a sunny family room is a layout problem, not a lighting one. Opening the wall shares the windows between both spaces.
Partial wall or half wall
Sometimes the best answer is a large cased opening or a counter-height wall with seating. It keeps a structural element and still opens the room.
A wall that hides a structural problem
Cracks over a doorway, a sagging ceiling or a floor that dips at the wall can point to an overloaded header or past changes. We check before removing anything.
Doing it without a permit
A permitted, engineered wall removal protects the house and its resale. We handle the paperwork as part of the job.
Patching floors and ceilings
Hardwood can often be woven in where the wall was; other floors may need replacing through both rooms. We plan the floor as part of the job.
What the project covers
- Structural assessmentA check of joist direction, loads above, support below and utilities in the wall.
- Permit and inspectionsWe file the permit with the engineer's documents and schedule the inspections.
- DemolitionWe take the wall out carefully and clear the site.
- Beam and post installationThe engineered beam set, joists connected with hangers and posts bearing on solid support.
- Ceiling, wall and floor patchingWe finish the ceiling, patch the floor where the wall stood and repaint.
- Records for resaleWe hand over the structural paperwork so the change is documented when you sell.
- Lighting and outlets in the new openingNew ceiling lights, relocated switches and code-required outlets for the open space.
Materials and options
Cased openingsA trimmed, enlarged doorway that opens the view while keeping some wall for cabinets.
Steel beamsUsed for long spans or heavy loads where a wood beam would be too deep.
Posts and columnsWhen a post is needed, we hide it in a cabinet run or finish it as a column.
Wrapped and decorative beamsWe wrap visible beams in drywall, trim or stained wood to suit the room.
Dropped beamHangs below the ceiling; simpler to install and sometimes required by span or load.
Kitchens like yours in Northbrook: before and after
Before
In progress
AfterNorthbrook kitchen, 1950s ranch: kitchen wall removal & structural assessment
This one is a 1950s ranch near Techny. Before: original birch cabinets painted white decades ago, sagging doors, chrome pulls, laminate with an aluminum edge band and a round fluorescent ceiling ring. What bothered the owners most: a closed-off kitchen that stayed dark all day. After: the wall removed and a flush beam in the ceiling, the kitchen open to the next room, cabinets in cobalt blue with satin brass pulls, black honed granite counters, light oak hardwood flooring through both rooms and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights. On site this meant beam and post installation, ceiling, wall and floor patching, plus records for resale.
Before
AfterA Glenview 1950s ranch: before and after
The site: a 1950s ranch near The Park. What we started with: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets, light beige laminate and a dome ceiling light. The main complaint was a wall that kept the cook out of every conversation. After: the wall removed and a flush beam in the ceiling, the kitchen open to the next room, cabinets in light warm taupe with satin brass pulls, warm walnut butcher block counters, hickory luxury vinyl plank flooring through both rooms and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights. On site this meant structural assessment, beam and post installation, plus ceiling, wall and floor patching.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Glenview →
Before
AfterKitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in a two-story colonial from the 1990s, Buffalo Grove
This one is a two-story colonial from the 1990s near Windfield. The kitchen as it was: honey-oak cathedral raised-panel cabinets with worn finish near the handles, brass knobs, almond laminate with a backsplash lip and a fluorescent box light in the ceiling. The reason for the call: a wall that kept the cook out of every conversation. The result: the wall removed and a flush beam in the ceiling, the kitchen open to the next room, cabinets in powder blue with brushed nickel bar pulls, charcoal concrete-look quartz counters, large-format light stone-look porcelain tile flooring through both rooms and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips. The job covered structural assessment, beam and post installation, plus lighting and outlets in the new opening.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Buffalo Grove →
Before
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a 1960s ranch, Northbrook
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
AfterNorthbrook kitchen, postwar Cape Cod: accessible kitchen remodeling
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 →How your kitchen wall removal goes
- Assessment visitAn inspection of the wall and the framing around it, plus your plans for the new space.
- Engineering and estimateFor load-bearing walls, an engineer sizes the beam; you get a written, itemized estimate.
- PermitPermit filed and issued before any structural work starts.
- Removal and beamShoring, utility reroutes, demolition and beam installation, followed by inspection.
- Finish workCeiling, floor and wall patching, paint and lighting, then a walk-through.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment questions from Northbrook homeowners
How long does it take to remove a kitchen wall?
The structural work itself often takes days to a couple of weeks, plus engineering and permit time beforehand. Finish work follows.
How much of a load-bearing wall can be removed?
Often all of it, with a beam that spans the full opening. Very long spans may need a steel beam or a post.
Will removing the wall affect heating and cooling?
Sometimes. Ducts in the wall get rerouted through the ceiling, floor or another wall, and we check that both rooms still get enough air.
Do I need a permit to remove a wall?
Almost always for bearing walls. Non-bearing walls with electrical or plumbing changes often need one too.
Do I need an engineer to remove a kitchen wall in Northbrook?
For a load-bearing wall, yes. A structural engineer sizes the beam and posts, and villages typically want those documents with the permit.
Do I need a Northbrook-registered contractor for kitchen wall removal?
Village contractor license required, good for one year: general contractors $100; electrical $70. We take care of that before work starts.
Does kitchen wall removal need a Northbrook building permit, and who files it?
Permits go through Development & Planning Services, phone 847-664-4050. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Do I need a permit for kitchen wall removal 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 Wall Removal & Structural Assessment nearby
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 AdditionsBump-outs that add room for an island or dining area.
Kitchen RemodelingFull kitchen remodels, from layout to last cabinet pull.
Kitchen Cabinet PaintingFactory-smooth painted cabinets without replacing them.