Bathroom remodeling in Evanston, IL

Bathroom plumbing in Evanston follows the Illinois Plumbing Code as adopted by the City, and the plumber is a state regulated trade, so the City asks for a copy of the state licence when the contractor registers. A plumbing worksheet signed by that contractor goes in before the permit is issued, and the same contractor has to be present for the plumbing inspection. Simple fixture swaps and clearing a stoppage are exempt from a permit. Replacing concealed drain, waste or vent pipe is not.

Evanston's amendment to the residential code requires walls containing plumbing to be built with structural members at least five and a half inches deep. In practice that is a 2x6 wall behind the vanity and toilet. It matters most in a bungalow or two flat bathroom, where an extra two inches can decide whether a 60 inch tub still fits between the walls.

The Ridge district nomination describes its houses as mostly two to two and a half storeys, and that top half storey is where many owners find room for a bath. Height is capped at 35 feet or two and a half storeys in R1 to R3, and dormers above the second storey have their own rules. Side dormers may take up no more than 30 percent of the side wall and must stay out of the 20 percent nearest the front. A front dormer is limited to 30 percent of the front and must sit in the centre. A dormer seen from the street in a historic district also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.

Evanston's combined sewer still backs up into some basements when it is overwhelmed, and the City says nothing can relieve that until the rain stops. For new construction the City requires all plumbing to run overhead, with fixtures below grade drained to an ejector pit and lifted up. For a new bathroom in an older basement we use the same approach, so the toilet and shower are not the lowest openings to the sewer.

An Evanston building permit expires if work does not start within 180 days of issue, if work stops for 180 days, or two years after issue, with one extension available. Bathrooms that stall waiting on tile can hit that. The permit also has to be posted within 48 hours, visible from the public way, and noisy work stays within 7am to 7pm on weekdays and 8am to 5pm on Saturdays.