Lead paint on older walls
Tearing out painted plaster in an older house can release lead dust. Our crews contain the area and clean with HEPA vacuums.
Serving Skokie & nearby Evanston, Park Ridge
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Skokie, IL
We find out what your Skokie kitchen wall carries, then open it safely with an engineered beam and a permit.
- Kitchen remodels across Skokie ZIP 60076, 60077, 60203
- One project manager from drawings to final walk-through
- Permits and inspections handled for you
Walls that close in Skokie 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 Skokie home.
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.
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.
Kitchen layout after the wall is gone
Losing a wall means losing cabinets and outlets. We redesign the kitchen so storage moves into an island or other walls.
Pipes, ducts or wires inside the wall
Kitchen walls often carry plumbing vents, drains, heating ducts and circuits. We locate them first and plan the reroute before the wall comes out.
Posts where you don't want them
Sometimes a post is unavoidable. We try to put it at the end of a peninsula or inside a cabinet run so it disappears into the design.
Doing it without a permit
Unpermitted structural work can show up during a home inspection. We file the permit and pass the inspections so the change is on record.
What's included
- Structural assessmentA check of joist direction, loads above, support below and utilities in the wall.
- Engineer's beam designEngineered beam sizing and a sealed letter or drawing for the permit.
- Permit and inspectionsWe file the permit with the engineer's documents and schedule the inspections.
- Utility reroutingPlumbing, ducts, wiring and gas moved out of the wall by licensed trades.
- DemolitionControlled removal of the wall, studs and debris, hauled away.
- Beam and post installationLVL, steel or glulam beam installed flush or dropped, with posts and support down to the foundation.
- Records for resaleYou keep the permit, the engineer's letter and the inspection sign-off for future buyers.
Materials and options
Cased openingsA trimmed, enlarged doorway that opens the view while keeping some wall for cabinets.
Dropped beamHangs below the ceiling; simpler to install and sometimes required by span or load.
LVL beamsEngineered laminated lumber, strong and straight, the most common beam for residential openings.
Glulam beamsGlued-laminated timber, an option when the beam will stay exposed or carry a long span.
Wrapped and decorative beamsA dropped beam finished in painted trim or wood so it looks intentional.
Before and after: kitchens near Skokie
Before
In progress
AfterKitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in a 1960s ranch, Skokie
The site: a 1960s ranch in Skokie. 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. The reason for the call: 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 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 permit and inspections, utility rerouting, plus demolition.
Before
AfterEvanston kitchen, 1920s bungalow: kitchen wall removal & structural assessment
The site: a 1920s bungalow in Evanston. The kitchen as it was: 1980s honey-oak raised-panel cabinets installed over the old plaster, dark brown speckled laminate and a brass ceiling fixture with a glass dome. The reason for the call: 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 matte black pulls, bright white quartz counters, warm oak luxury vinyl plank flooring through both rooms and black cage pendants and slim recessed lights. On site this meant engineer's beam design, utility rerouting, plus records for resale.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Evanston →
Before
AfterBefore and after: a 1960s ranch in Park Ridge
The site: a 1960s ranch in Park Ridge. What we started with: 1970s dark pecan-stained cabinets, light beige laminate and a dome ceiling light. The reason for the call: a dark kitchen cut 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 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 engineer's beam design, demolition, plus records for resale.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment in Park Ridge →
Before
AfterKitchen Design & Layout Planning in a 1950s ranch, Skokie
Finished: a new layout with an island, cabinets in light greige uppers and muted blue lowers, black honed granite counters and two glass pendants and recessed lights.
Kitchen Design & Layout Planning in Skokie →
Before
AfterA Skokie postwar bi-level: before and after
A lowered charcoal concrete-look quartz counter section with knee space under the sink, cabinets in pale sage uppers and light gray 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 a flush drum fixture and under-cabinet lights.
Accessible Kitchen Remodeling in Skokie →How your kitchen wall removal goes
- 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.
- PermitPermit filed and issued before any structural work starts.
- Removal and beamTemporary support, wall removal, beam and posts set and inspected.
- Finish workCeiling, floor and wall patching, paint and lighting, then a walk-through.
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment questions from Skokie homeowners
How do I know if a wall is load-bearing?
Check whether the joists above run perpendicular to it and whether it sits over a beam in the basement. We verify on site.
Will removing the wall affect heating and cooling?
Possibly, if ducts run through it. We reroute them and adjust register locations for the new open space.
What does it cost to remove a kitchen wall?
There's no honest number before seeing the wall and what's in it. We price it after the inspection.
Can I remove a wall between the kitchen and living room?
In most homes, yes. The question is what it takes: a beam, a post, rerouted utilities. We answer that after the assessment.
Will the ceiling be flat after the wall is gone?
With a flush beam, usually yes. If the engineer requires a dropped beam, we finish it cleanly and can make it a feature.
Skokie contractor registration: do kitchen contractors need it?
Many contractors must be registered and insured with the Village each year; permits are not issued unless all listed contractors are registered and insured. We take care of that before work starts.
Skokie building permit for kitchen wall removal: where do I apply?
Permits go through Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services Division (www.skokiepermits.com), phone (847) 933-8223. When your scope needs one, we prepare the application and schedule the inspections.
Do I need a permit for kitchen wall removal in Skokie?
It depends on the scope. Skokie's rule in short: Electrical work and plumbing or electrical system changes need a permit. We handle the permit when one is needed with Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services Division.
Do you work in my part of Skokie?
Yes. Our crews work across Skokie — ZIP 60076, 60077, 60203 — and nearby Evanston, Park Ridge, Glenview.
Working in Skokie
- A lot of Skokie kitchens date from the 1950s. We know these layouts well and what is worth keeping.
- Most Skokie homes are single-family. We protect floors and driveways and leave the site clean every day.
- We know how Community Development Department - Building & Inspection Services Division handles kitchen permits and pull them for you.
ZIP 60076ZIP 60077ZIP 60203
Kitchen Wall Removal & Structural Assessment nearby
Other kitchen services in Skokie
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.