Chicago Building Permit Cost: How Permit Fees Are Figured

The first thing most owners ask is "what will the permit cost?" The honest answer is that the City, not a contractor and not a blog, sets that number, and it varies by job. You get the real figure from the Department of Buildings for your scope. What we can do is show you what moves it, so the estimate you receive makes sense. For the whole permit process, start with the Chicago building permits guide.

Why we will not print a permit fee table

Permit fees come from the Municipal Code and the City's fee schedule, and both get amended. A printed table goes stale, and an owner who budgets from a stale table is the one who pays the difference. When the Department of Buildings lists the code sections that govern a masonry permit, it points to the fee provisions in chapter 14A-12 of the code (City of Chicago). That tells you the fee is a matter of code and fee schedule, not negotiation.

So the useful questions are not "how much is the fee" but "what is the fee based on" and "what else is on the bill." We answer both below. For the number itself, check with the Department of Buildings or have your contractor or expediter pull the current fee for your scope in writing.

What shapes the permit fee

Even without a table, these factors decide which fee schedule applies and how big the number gets:

• Which program the work falls under. The City runs the Express Permit Program for most repair work, Standard Plan Review for projects that need drawings, a self-certification program and Developer Services for moderate to complex projects (City of Chicago). Each has its own application path, and different work types carry different fees.
• The type of work. A porch repair, a reroof, a masonry permit and an electrical permit are separate permit types. Several of them can be needed on one project.
• The scope. Bigger work, in size or value, can be a bigger fee. How the City measures that depends on the permit type, so ask for the measure that applies to yours.
• Number of permits. A job that touches masonry, electrical and plumbing usually needs more than one permit, each with its own fee.
• Whether work was done without a permit first. That can multiply the fee. See below.

If a contractor gives you a permit number as a flat round amount without asking what the work is, treat it as a placeholder, not a quote.

What sits outside the permit fee

Owners get surprised here more than anywhere. The City permit fee is one line. These are separate:

• Drawings. For a plan-based permit, an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer has to prepare the plans (City of Chicago). Their fee is not the City's fee. See when your permit needs drawings.
• Permit expediter. If you hire a licensed expediter to open and manage a plan-based application (City of Chicago), that is a service fee. We break down what drives it in what decides an expediter's fee.
• Public way permits. Scaffolding, dumpsters and material storage in the street, alley, sidewalk or parkway need a separate permit from CDOT (City of Chicago).
• Licensed trades. The contractor's labor and materials are the construction price, not the permit.
• Re-inspection or correction. If work fails an inspection, fixing it is a repair cost.

When you compare bids, ask each contractor to list the permit fee, drawings, expediting, public way permits and the construction price as separate lines. That way you are comparing the same things.

When the permit fee triples

The one fee fact the City states plainly is the penalty for skipping the permit. When a City employee finds unpermitted work, a stop work order is posted. Work can resume only after the required permit is obtained and the stop-work penalty, which the City lists as $1,000 or more, is paid. In most cases the permit fee is tripled, the City may start an enforcement case, and the owner may have to correct or remove the work at their own expense (City of Chicago). The City page that states this was checked October 2026. Confirm the current amounts with the Department of Buildings.

The math is simple. A permit pulled on time costs the permit fee. A permit pulled after the fact costs a tripled fee plus the penalty, plus whatever it costs to open walls or redo work for inspectors. We cover that path in getting work done without a permit onto the record and what happens when a Chicago permit catches up with you.

Is there a fee waiver?

Yes, for some owners. The City offers a permit fee waiver for long-term senior homeowners, age 65 and older, who meet income criteria, for repairs and alterations on one to three unit residential buildings they live in (City of Chicago). The criteria and the paperwork are specific. We walk through them in the Chicago senior homeowner permit fee waiver. Confirm eligibility with the Department of Buildings before you assume it applies.

How to get the real number

1. Define the scope in writing. What is removed, what is replaced, how much, on which part of the building.
2. Ask which permit types the job needs. Masonry, porch, reroof, electrical and plumbing are different permits.
3. Ask for the current fee from the Department of Buildings or have your expediter confirm it.
4. Separate the lines on every estimate: permit, drawings, expediting, public way, construction.
5. Ask what happens if inspectors require more. Corrections cost money, and so do re-inspections.

What we do

We tell owners the number from the City, not a guess. Our expediting team scopes the work, identifies which permits it needs, pulls the current fees and sends you an itemized breakdown before any work begins.

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.