To demolish an attached building in Chicago, the City asks you to submit either a survey by an Illinois-licensed land surveyor showing everything to be demolished is on your property, or a letter signed by the adjoining owner authorizing the work. A design professional must also certify the neighboring structure needs no bracing, or drawings and the neighbor's written consent are required. The demolition contractor must indemnify adjacent owners.
If you want to demolish an attached house in Chicago, the shared wall is where the job gets decided. Taking down one side of a pair of buildings is a different problem from taking down a house with grass on every side. The wall that holds your building up may also hold your neighbor's up. This guide covers what the City asks for, who carries the risk, and how to plan so nothing lands on the other owner's side of the line. Rules change, so confirm current steps with the Department of Buildings.
What makes an attached demolition different?
Many Chicago two-flats, three-flats and rowhouses sit against a neighbor, with a party wall (a wall shared between two buildings) or walls that touch along the lot line. When one building comes down, the neighbor's building has a newly exposed side. The risk is not only a cracked wall. It is movement, water getting in and a structure that was never designed to stand alone.
That is why the City treats an attached demolition as more than a detached one. The permit itself is the same wrecking permit that applies to any demolition of an entire building (City of Chicago). The attached case adds requirements on top.
What the City asks for on an attached building
For a building attached to a neighbor, the applicant must submit one of two things:
- A survey by an Illinois-licensed land surveyor showing that everything to be demolished is on the applicant's property, or
- A letter signed by the adjoining owner authorizing the demolition (City of Chicago).
On top of that, under the 2019 text of the code, a design professional must certify that the adjoining structure needs no bracing. If it does need bracing, drawings and the neighbor's written consent are required (City of Chicago).
We did not find a general requirement on the Department of Buildings' demolition page to mail a notice to neighbors. That is not the same as "no need to talk to them." The letter route needs the neighbor to sign, and the bracing route needs their consent in writing.
Survey or neighbor letter: which route?
| Survey route | Neighbor letter route | |
|---|---|---|
| What you hand in | A licensed surveyor's survey | A letter signed by the adjoining owner |
| What it proves | Everything coming down sits on your lot | The neighbor authorizes the work |
| Depends on the neighbor | No | Yes, they must agree and sign |
| Good fit when | The line is in doubt, or the neighbor is hard to reach | The relationship is good and the line is clear |
The survey route is the one you control. The letter route is faster only if the neighbor cooperates. If the lot line is unclear in the old brick, a survey answers the question for everyone. Whichever route you take, ask the Department of Buildings to confirm what it wants in the file.
What if the neighbor says no?
The two routes behave differently here. The letter route stops if the neighbor will not sign. The survey route does not need a signature, because it proves the work stays on your lot. But the bracing question is separate. If a design professional says the adjoining building needs bracing, the code calls for drawings and the neighbor's written consent (City of Chicago). So a neighbor who refuses can still stop a job that needs bracing.
That is why the conversation with the neighbor, and an honest look at their wall, come before the application. If you cannot reach agreement, ask the Department of Buildings what it will accept, and consider an attorney. Do not start work and hope.
Who carries the risk when the wall is shared?
Under the 2019 code text, the wrecking contractor must file an annual bond with the City Clerk and carry general liability insurance that names the City as additional insured. The contractor must also indemnify adjacent owners (City of Chicago, City of Chicago). The bond and insurance amounts are set in the code and change, so confirm the current figures with the Department of Buildings.
Do not read that as "someone else will sort it out." A bond and a policy are a backstop. They do not put a cracked wall back. Whether you or your contractor ends up responsible for neighbor damage is a legal question, so talk to an attorney before you sign a contract, not after something moves. Our demolition contractor guide explains the license, bond and insurance you should see in writing.
How to plan an attached demolition
- Talk to the neighbor first. Even if you take the survey route, tell them what is coming and when.
- Get the survey or the letter early. Both are part of the application, and the City checklist is long (City of Chicago).
- Ask who certifies the bracing question. A design professional makes that call, not the crew foreman.
- Document the neighbor's wall before work. Photos of your side and, with permission, theirs. The checklist already asks for photographs taken within 60 days (City of Chicago).
- Hire a City-licensed general contractor. Demolition work needs one (City of Chicago), and the owner-contractor exception for a primary residence excludes demolition (City of Chicago).
On attached brick buildings, the demolition itself is rarely the hard part. The hard part is the wall that stays: old mortar, patched openings, a roofline that tied the two buildings together, and no one sure exactly where the property line runs. Good jobs spend the effort up front on the survey, the bracing question and the exposed wall, before the first brick moves.
Starting without the permit or the required documents can get a stop work order posted, and work resumes only after the permit is obtained and the stop-work penalty is paid (City of Chicago). Damage to the neighboring building is a separate problem, and one a stop work order does not fix. See what goes wrong when a demolition hits the next building.
For the full picture of permits, sequence and cost, start with our house demolition guide, then see the permit requirements. If your building shares a wall, our demolition crew will look at the address and tell you what the file will need.
Common questions
The City asks for either a licensed surveyor's survey showing everything to be demolished is on your property, or a letter signed by the adjoining owner. If the neighbor's building needs bracing, their written consent and drawings are required.
We found no general notify-your-neighbors mailing requirement on the Department of Buildings' demolition page. The party wall requirements still involve the neighbor, so talk to them early and confirm the current rules with the Department of Buildings.
The demolition contractor must indemnify adjacent owners, and carries a bond and liability insurance under the code. Who ends up liable in your case is a legal question, so talk to an attorney.
No. Demolition must be done by a City-licensed general contractor, and the owner-as-contractor exception does not cover demolition. See our guide on whether you can tear down your own house.
Sources
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: Demolition (Wrecking) Permits
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: General Contractor License
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: General Contractor License FAQ
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: What Happens If I Start Work Without a Required Permit?
Facts last checked: October 7, 2026.
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.