Industrial & Warehouse Appeals
Request Your Free Industrial Assessment Review
If you own or manage industrial or warehouse property in Cook County, your assessment deserves scrutiny. Overpayment is common, the appeals process is well-defined, and the contingency structure means there is no financial risk in finding out.
Submit your property address below or call our office directly. We will return a preliminary analysis within one business day.
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No upfront fees. 98% success rate. Contingency basis — you pay nothing unless we reduce your taxes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How are industrial and warehouse properties assessed in Cook County?
Cook County assesses industrial and warehouse properties using the income approach (capitalizing stabilized NOI), the cost approach (reproduction cost less physical and functional depreciation), and the sales comparison approach. Assessors often default to reproduction cost for special-purpose facilities, which frequently overstates market value because they ignore functional and economic obsolescence — the actual market rent the building can command today relative to its replacement cost.
What is the Class 6b incentive and how do I qualify?
Class 6b is a Cook County assessment reduction for newly constructed, substantially rehabilitated, or abandoned industrial facilities. Qualifying properties are assessed at 10% of market value for 10 years, 15% in year 11, and 20% in year 12 before reverting to the standard 25% industrial rate. Eligibility requires municipal resolution, meaningful job creation or capital investment, and a property that qualifies as abandoned under the Cook County ordinance.
Can I appeal a vacant or underutilized warehouse?
Yes. A building operating at 30% utilization is not worth what the assessor says it is. We document actual occupancy, rent rolls, and comparable vacant-warehouse sales. Illinois law requires assessors to consider all factors affecting value — including functional and economic obsolescence. Vacancy alone doesn’t trigger a reduction, but persistent sub-market performance relative to comparable buildings usually does.
What’s the difference between Class 5a and Class 6b?
Class 5a is the standard industrial classification — 25% of market value. Class 6b is the incentive rate — 10% for 10 years — designed to attract industrial development to municipalities that pass a resolution supporting the classification. Not every industrial property qualifies for 6b; new construction and substantial rehab on historically industrial sites are the two most common routes.
How long does an industrial property tax appeal take?
At the Cook County Assessor’s Office, decisions typically arrive 60–90 days after filing. Board of Review appeals run 90–150 days after the township closes. If the case goes to the Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) or Circuit Court, resolution can take 18–36 months. Most industrial cases we handle settle at the Assessor or Board of Review level.
Does functional obsolescence apply to warehouses?
Absolutely. Older warehouses with 18-foot ceilings in a market demanding 36-foot clear heights, buildings with column spacing that prevents modern racking, or properties lacking dock-high loading in a market dominated by cross-dock facilities all suffer functional obsolescence. The assessor’s cost-approach math often misses this entirely, and it’s the foundation of most successful industrial appeals.