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.
Serving Orland Park & nearby Tinley Park, Woodridge
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Orland Park, IL
We find out what your Orland Park kitchen wall carries, then open it safely with an engineered beam and a permit.
- Kitchen remodels across Orland Park ZIP 60462, 60467
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Walls that close in Orland Park kitchens, and what it takes to remove them
Taking out the wall between the kitchen and the dining or family room is one of the most requested changes in Orland Park homes. Before any demolition we find out whether the wall is load-bearing and what runs through it, then remove it with an engineer-sized beam, a permit and proper temporary support.
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.
Partial wall or half wall
If the full wall can't come out, a wide opening, a half wall or a pass-through still opens the view. We compare the options with you.
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.
A wall that hides a structural problem
If the ceiling sags or the floor slopes near the wall, the structure needs attention. The engineer's design accounts for it.
Posts where you don't want them
A long opening may need a post or a heavier beam. We look at options with the engineer: a larger beam, steel, or a post placed where it works with the island.
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.
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.
Everything in a kitchen wall removal
- Structural assessmentWe inspect the wall, the framing above and below it and what runs inside it.
- Protection and lead-safe setupDust walls, floor protection and lead-safe containment on older homes.
- Temporary shoringShoring holds up the ceiling and floor above during the work.
- Utility reroutingVents, drains, circuits and ducts rerouted before the wall comes down.
- Beam and post installationLVL, steel or glulam beam installed flush or dropped, with posts and support down to the foundation.
- 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.
Choices you'll make
Glulam beamsGlued-laminated timber, an option when the beam will stay exposed or carry a long span.
Wrapped and decorative beamsWe wrap visible beams in drywall, trim or stained wood to suit the room.
Flush beamSits within the ceiling joists for a flat, uninterrupted ceiling.
LVL beamsEngineered laminated lumber, strong and straight, the most common beam for residential openings.
Steel beamsA steel beam carries more load in less depth, which can avoid a dropped beam or a post.
Before and after: kitchens near Orland Park
Before
In progress
AfterBefore and after: a 1990s two-story colonial in Orland Park
A 1990s two-story colonial in Orland Park, a typical kitchen for Orland Park. Before: 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. Finished kitchen: 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. Work included protection and lead-safe setup, temporary shoring, plus records for resale.
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1990s two-story colonial in Tinley Park
A 1990s two-story colonial in Tinley Park, a typical kitchen for Tinley Park. Before: golden-oak cabinets with oak soffits above, white Corian-style solid surface with a yellowed seam and two hanging glass pendants. The main complaint was a kitchen walled off from the rest of the house. After: the wall removed and a flush beam in the ceiling, the kitchen open to the next room, cabinets in light terracotta with brushed nickel bar pulls, black honed granite counters, light oak hardwood flooring through both rooms and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips. Work included structural assessment, protection and lead-safe setup, plus lighting and outlets in the new opening.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Tinley Park →
Before
AfterA Downers Grove postwar bi-level: before and after
A postwar bi-level near E.H. Prince Subdivision, a typical kitchen for Downers Grove. The kitchen as it was: 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 protection and lead-safe setup, utility rerouting, plus lighting and outlets in the new opening.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Downers Grove →
Before
AfterAn Orland Park 1980s two-story: before and after
What changed: a new layout with an island, cabinets in white uppers and dusty blue lowers, warm walnut butcher block counters and recessed lights and under-cabinet LED strips.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Orland Park →
Before
AfterOrland Park kitchen, two-story colonial from the 1990s: accessible kitchen remodeling
A lowered charcoal concrete-look quartz counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in deep burgundy with brushed nickel bar pulls, pull-down shelves in the uppers, drawers instead of base doors, a side-opening wall oven, a lever faucet and a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Orland Park →The project, step by step
- Assessment visitWe look at the wall, the attic or basement and what's inside, and talk about the open layout you want.
- Engineering and estimateFor load-bearing walls, an engineer sizes the beam; you get a written, itemized estimate.
- PermitWe submit the permit with the engineer's documents and wait for approval.
- 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 Orland Park homeowners
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 the ceiling be flat after the wall is gone?
We aim for a flat ceiling with a flush beam where the structure allows. Otherwise a wrapped beam looks deliberate.
Do I need an engineer to remove a kitchen wall in Orland Park?
Yes, when the wall is structural. We coordinate the engineer as part of the project.
Can I remove a wall between the kitchen and living room?
Most kitchen walls can come out with the right support. We find out what the wall carries and plan the beam and reroutes.
How do I know if a wall is load-bearing?
Common signs are ceiling joists that rest on top of it, a beam or wall directly below it, or another wall stacked above it. Only an inspection confirms it.
What is the Orland Park building department phone number?
Permits go through Development Services Department - Building Division, phone 708-403-5300. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Do I need a Orland Park-registered contractor for kitchen wall removal?
Contractors must be licensed with the Village before permits issue; apply via Civic Access portal. We take care of that before work starts.
Do I need historic review for kitchen wall removal in Orland Park?
Orland Park has locally reviewed areas, including Old Orland Historic District. Exterior changes there can need review; interior-only work usually does not. We check before anything changes on the outside.
Do I need a permit for kitchen wall removal in Orland Park?
It depends on the scope. Orland Park's rule in short: Permit needed for remodeling; application lists electrical and plumbing contractors. We handle the permit when one is needed with Development Services Department - Building Division.
Do you work in my part of Orland Park?
Yes. Our crews work across Orland Park — ZIP 60462, 60467 — and nearby Tinley Park, Woodridge, Bolingbrook.
Working in Orland Park
- A lot of Orland Park kitchens date from the 1990s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Orland Park homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- Live in the Old Orland Historic District? Interior kitchen work is usually not reviewed. We check before anything touches the exterior.
ZIP 60462ZIP 60467
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment nearby
Other kitchen services in Orland Park
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.