Do you need a permit to replace kitchen cabinets or a vanity in La Grange Highlands, IL?
Ask Cook County first. La Grange Highlands is an unincorporated community in Lyons Township, so building permits go through Cook County Building and Zoning. The county says all work in unincorporated Cook County, other than ordinary repairs as its building code defines them, requires a permit application. Its page doesn’t name cabinets, so ask before you order.
Who issues permits in La Grange Highlands?
La Grange Highlands is an unincorporated community in Lyons Township, in Cook County. It isn’t part of a village or city, so building permits there go through Cook County Building and Zoning.
If you’re not sure whether your home sits in unincorporated Cook County, ask the county before work starts.
What does Cook County say?
The county’s building permits page (opens in a new tab) says: “All work in unincorporated Cook County, other than ordinary repairs subject to provisions of Section 102-105.3 of the Cook County Building Code... requires the submittal of a permit application.”
So the county starts from a permit application. The exception is ordinary repairs, as that section of its building code defines them.
What about swapping cabinets or a countertop in place?
The county’s page doesn’t name kitchen cabinets, countertops or vanities. Don’t assume a swap counts as an ordinary repair.
Most swaps still mean disconnecting the sink and hooking it back up, and a new countertop often goes in with a new sink or faucet. Mention those details when you ask the county, and ask before you order.
Replacing a vanity almost always touches the sink and faucet. Our guide to what to ask before buying a bathroom vanity covers the parts to ask about, and our bathroom vanities page lists every model.
