Older homes on narrow lots
Many older Oak Park homes sit on narrow lots with tight side setbacks. A rear bump-out is often the one direction left to grow.
Serving Oak Park & nearby Berwyn, Chicago
Kitchen Additions in Oak Park, IL
Bump-outs and rear additions that give your Oak Park kitchen the room it's missing, from zoning check to finished cabinets.
- Local crews working in Oak Park ZIP 60302, 60304, 60301
- Design, permits and every trade on one schedule
- A written, itemized estimate before any work
When a Oak Park kitchen needs more room, not just new cabinets
We build kitchen additions and bump-outs for Oak Park 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.
Remodeling alone won't solve it
An addition is a bigger project than a remodel. We compare both options on your floor plan so the decision is clear.
Second cook, second sink, no space
A bigger island with a prep sink, a beverage area or a second dishwasher all need floor space the original room lacks. An addition supplies it.
Zoning and setback questions
Every village sets limits on how close you can build to lot lines and how much of the lot can be covered. We check those limits before you invest in design.
No spot for a mudroom or drop zone
Adding a few feet at the back entry gives the family a landing spot for gear and leaves the kitchen for cooking.
Kitchen too small for an island or table
If you eat standing at the counter because there's no space for chairs, adding floor area is the honest fix, and a bump-out is often enough.
More appliances than the electrical panel can take
New space and new appliances can overload an older panel. We size the electrical work for the whole kitchen, not just the addition.
Dark kitchen with one small window
Adding space lets us add daylight too, with windows on two sides of the new section or a patio door that opens the kitchen to the backyard.
Everything in a kitchen addition
- Permits and plan reviewWe submit the permit application, answer the plan reviewer's comments and schedule inspections.
- Excavation and foundationDigging, footings and foundation walls or a slab, depending on how the existing house is built.
- Framing and roof tie-inFloor, walls and roof framed and tied into the existing structure, with flashing at every joint.
- Windows, doors and exterior finishExterior cladding, windows and an entry door that blend with the original home.
- Plumbing, electrical and HVACSupply and drain lines, new circuits and ductwork extended into the addition.
- Insulation and drywallEnergy-code insulation, air sealing and finished drywall in the new space.
- The new kitchenFlooring run continuously from the old kitchen into the addition, then cabinets, counters and fixtures.
Choices you'll make
Matching exterior materialsBrick, siding and trim sourced to match the house as closely as possible.
Rear kitchen additionA full room added at the back, giving the kitchen space to grow and room for more.
Windows and patio doorsGlass is often the reason to build out: windows on the new walls and a door to the yard.
Bump-outA modest extension of the kitchen wall that adds depth without a full addition.
Full foundation vs. slab vs. piersWe match the foundation type to the house and the size of the addition, always below frost depth.
What the work looks like in Oak Park homes
Before
In progress
AfterAn Oak Park 1920s bungalow: before and after
A 1920s bungalow near Harrison Street arts district, a typical kitchen for Oak Park. Before: 1960s birch cabinets painted cream over the years, chipped door edges, old brass hardware, worn beige laminate with a metal edge strip and a single glass ceiling fixture. The main complaint was no space to eat together and too little daylight. After: 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, dark soapstone-look quartz counters, black-and-white checkerboard tile flooring through the old and new space and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights. The job covered excavation and foundation, plumbing, electrical and HVAC, plus the new kitchen.
Before
AfterKitchen Additions in a postwar Cape Cod, Elmhurst
The site: a postwar Cape Cod in Elmhurst. The kitchen as it was: 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 cramped kitchen with one small window. Finished kitchen: 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. Work included permits and plan review, windows, doors and exterior finish, plus the new kitchen.
Kitchen Additions in Elmhurst →
Before
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a prewar foursquare, Oak Park
Finished: a new layout with an island, cabinets in light greige uppers and muted blue lowers, creamy quartzite-look quartz counters and two glass pendants and recessed lights.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Oak Park →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a prewar brick bungalow in Oak Park
A lowered dark soapstone-look quartz counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in cream uppers and walnut-stained lowers with satin brass pulls, pull-down shelves in the uppers, drawers instead of base doors, a side-opening wall oven, a lever faucet and two glass pendants and recessed lights.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Oak Park →
Before
AfterOak Park kitchen, 1920s bungalow: kitchen wall removal & structural assessment
The wall removed and a flush beam in the ceiling, the kitchen open to the next room, cabinets in light warm taupe with matte black pulls, bright white quartz counters, warm oak luxury vinyl plank flooring through both rooms and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Oak Park →How your kitchen addition goes
- Site visit and feasibilityA visit to measure the house and lot and confirm an addition is possible.
- Design and estimateDrawings for the addition and kitchen, plus a written, itemized estimate.
- Permit and plan reviewPermit application, review comments and approval before any digging.
- Building the shellFoundation, framing, roof, windows and exterior, with inspections at each stage.
- Connecting and finishingWe open the old wall, finish the mechanical work and install the new kitchen.
Kitchen Additions questions from Oak Park homeowners
What if my home is in a historic district?
Additional design review may apply. We find out early and design the exterior to meet it.
How long does a kitchen addition take?
Expect months, not weeks. The exact timeline depends on size, foundation type and the village's review.
What does a kitchen addition cost?
It depends on the size, the foundation type, the roof tie-in, the mechanical work and the kitchen inside it. We give a written, itemized estimate after the visit.
Is a bump-out enough, or do I need a full addition?
It comes down to what you're missing. We sketch both on your floor plan so you can see what each one fits.
Can I stay in the house during construction?
Usually. The time without a working kitchen is mostly at the end, when the old and new spaces are joined.
Do I need a Oak Park-registered contractor for kitchen addition?
Contractors must be registered with the Village and keep a valid certificate of insurance uploaded in Village View. We take care of that before work starts.
What kind of Oak Park homes do you work in?
In Oak Park we see homes built 1892-1950, Queen Anne, Prairie School and Craftsman. Each comes with its own walls, wiring and plumbing, and we plan the job around them.
Does kitchen addition need a Oak Park building permit, and who files it?
Permits go through Permit & Development Division (Development Services Department), phone 708-358-5430. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Does Oak Park require a licensed electrician for kitchen addition?
Separate electrical permit required. New circuits and wiring are done by licensed electricians.
Does Oak Park require a licensed plumber for kitchen addition?
Separate plumbing permit required; single-family owners may obtain permit by affidavit to do work themselves. Our plumbing connections are made by licensed plumbers.
Do I need a permit for kitchen addition in Oak Park?
It depends on the scope. Oak Park's rule in short: Permits needed for installing new cabinets and countertops and for any extension or alteration of electrical, plumbing or HVAC systems; separate electrical and plumbing permits. We handle the permit when one is needed with Permit & Development Division (Development Services Department).
Do you work in my part of Oak Park?
Yes. Our crews work across Oak Park, including Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District, Gunderson Historic District, Harrison Street arts district — ZIP 60302, 60304, 60301 — and nearby Berwyn, Chicago, Elmhurst.
Working in Oak Park
- Most Oak Park homes are prewar. We work around plaster walls, radiators and out-of-square rooms every week.
- Condo or townhome? We follow association rules on work hours and elevators and bring the insurance certificate your board asks for.
- Live in the Ridgeland/Oak Park Historic District? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic DistrictGunderson Historic DistrictHarrison Street arts district
ZIP 60302ZIP 60304ZIP 60301
Kitchen Additions nearby
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Other kitchen services in Oak Park
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.