Not Car Related - Building Permits in Illinois

[Seattle Sam]

This is not car related!
For all you Chicago-area folks,
Thanks for any help or direction you can offer -

Our company (based in Seattle) is attempting to install self-serve coffee kiosks in a couple of retail locations in Illinois, one in Downer's Grove and one in Wheaton. These kiosks require a water supply line, a drain line, and power.

In hiring local contractors to do this work, we have run into a problem getting permits from these two municipalities. Both are treating this work at the same level as if we were putting up a new building.

We want to make sure our installations are safe and up to code, and we are not against paying these municipalities the fees they require to permit and inspect the work we are having done. However, as a remotely based group and without any in-house general contractor experience, we can't figure out how to get past the bureaucracy that wants us to hire an architectural firm to create site plans and drawings for this simple job.

Does anyone have a recommendation as to someone local we could hire to help us negotiate through the various municipalities? Is there some better way to tackle this?

Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks for tolerating a non-Super Car off-topic, I'm not sure where to turn for a solution.
Regards,
-Sam