Chicago Contractor License Lookup: How to Check Any Contractor in 5 Minutes

A Chicago contractor license lookup takes a few minutes, and it is the cheapest protection you have before you hand anyone a deposit. The catch is that "licensed" means different things for different work. A roofer, a mason and a general contractor are checked in different places. Here is how to find the right one and what to match.

Which license does your job need?

Start with the work, not the contractor. Chicago's Trade License Information Center lists the license types: general building construction, renovation and demolition (general contractor), electrical, elevator, mason, plumbing and sewer, boilers, cranes and specialty (City of Chicago). In practice, for a building owner:

• General contractor (GC). Required for most building construction, alteration, repair and demolition work, including work that is exempt from needing a building permit. Only one general contractor is allowed on a project at a time (City of Chicago).
• Mason contractor. Required for work in stone, concrete, terra cotta (including clay brick) or structural tile (City of Chicago). That covers tuckpointing and brick repair.
• Plumbing and electrical. Separate City licenses.
• Roofing. A state license from IDFPR, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. It is unlawful to provide professional roofing services or hold yourself out as a roofing contractor without one (Illinois law).

One more wrinkle: a separate Chicago Home Repair license exists, but if the work needs a building permit, a GC license is required instead (City of Chicago). A GC license also covers the consumer protections of the home repair license (City of Chicago).

Where to look each license up

The City's Trade Licensing page says you can verify:

Search by the exact business name on the contract or estimate, not just the name of the person who showed up. If you cannot find a business, ask the contractor for the name the license is held under. A different name is not automatically a problem, but it has to be explained and you should be able to find it.

What to match once you find the record

Finding a name is step one. Then compare the record to what you were told:

1. Business name. Does it match the name on the estimate, the truck, and the contract?
2. License type. A plumbing license does not cover masonry. A mason license does not cover a general rebuild.
3. GC class. Classes are tied to project value, counted as the fair market value of all materials and labor across concurrent or consecutive work at the site. Class E is the lowest, with the smallest project value limit and no demolition. Higher classes allow more value, and Classes A and B allow complex demolition (City of Chicago). Check that the class fits your job. Class limits and insurance minimums change, so confirm current rules with the Department of Buildings.
4. Status. Is the license current? Licenses are renewed, and an expired one is not a license.
5. Insurance. Ask for a certificate of insurance. The City sets minimum insurance by GC class (City of Chicago), and you should have the certificate in hand, not just a promise.

The state lookups: roofers, architects, engineers

Roofing is where owners get surprised. Roofing and waterproofing work may be done only by a licensed roofing contractor or its qualifying party, and roofing contractors may subcontract only to licensed roofing contractors (Illinois law). Check IDFPR for the business. The law also says a permit issuer must confirm that the contractor is licensed before issuing the permit (Illinois law), which is another reason to look first.

For anyone drawing plans, IDFPR is where you verify an Illinois architect or engineer (City of Chicago). Our guide on when Chicago requires an architect or engineer explains when you would need one.

Permit professionals and suspended applicants

Expediters and architects have their own record. The City's Permit Professionals lookup is where you check them, and its help page confirms that the Building Commissioner can suspend a state-licensed professional's ability to start new permit applications (City of Chicago). If you are hiring someone to file for you, check that record too. Chicago permit expediters are licensed by the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP), and must be associated with a licensed expediter company (City of Chicago).

When a contractor does not need a license

Some people are not required to hold a GC license: work done under a licensed GC's supervision, City-licensed electrical, plumbing or mason contractors working within their license, Illinois architects and engineers within their license, and owners of a primary residence who qualify (three stories or fewer, six units or fewer, one property per calendar year, and never for excavation or demolition) (City of Chicago).

So "I do not have a GC license" is not always a red flag. It becomes one when the job is bigger than the exception, or when they cannot tell you who the licensed party is. If a contractor tells you they will "work under" someone else, ask for that company's name and look them up.

What a lookup cannot tell you

A license shows the contractor is allowed to do the work. It does not show they do it well, return calls, or finish on time. After the lookup, read our list of questions to ask a Chicago contractor before you sign, check references you can actually reach, and see the red flags that point to a bad hire.

Hiring for a Chicago building? Our full contractor hiring guide covers the whole process. We are happy to be looked up, and we would rather you check. Reach us through our contact page and we will give you the exact business name to search.

Common questions

This article explains general rules and common situations in Chicago. It is not legal advice, and City rules change. For a specific property, check with the Chicago Department of Buildings or a licensed professional.