Demolition Permit Checklist for Chicago: Print It and Work Down the List

Before you apply: confirm the basics

• The job needs a demolition (wrecking) permit. A permit is required to demolish an entire building, substantially all of its above-grade portion, or alter a building and permanently reduce its area
• You checked the exceptions: wood-frame private garages replaced through Express, small structures that need no permit to build, and emergency work authorized by the Commissioner
• You are the property owner. The permit applicant must be a property owner
• You have hired a City-licensed general contractor. Demolition must be done by a licensed general contractor, and an individual without a GC license cannot do work needing a demolition permit
• You understand the owner exception does not cover demolition. The owner-as-contractor exception excludes demolition and excavation
• You checked whether the building is orange or red on the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, or is a landmark. If it is orange or red, a permit may be held for up to 90 days for a preservation review

Documents to gather

• Photographs of the building, taken within 60 days of filing
• A signed contract with the demolition contractor
• Excavation certification, where required
• Structural condition report and site safety plan, where required
• Keep copies of everything. The DOB page lists these items alongside its required approvals checklist

City approvals before the permit issues

The Department of Buildings checklist lists these approvals that must be in place before the permit is issued. Mark each as you get it.

• Demolition Notice of Intent to CDPH. Submitted through the City permit portal at least 10 working days before the start of any non-emergency demolition. This covers dust and hazardous materials measures
• Asbestos abatement notice, if needed. A Notice of Asbestos Abatement is due at least 10 working days before work that disturbs any amount of asbestos in any building except single-family homes
• Rodent control. A licensed pest company baits the building, files an affidavit, and the site passes inspection. If rodents are found, abatement is required within 14 days before filing
• CDOT public way permit, or a written determination that none is needed
• Sewer disconnection (cut and seal) permit from Water Management, or a written determination
• Water disconnection (cut and seal) permit, pulled by a licensed plumbing contractor, plus a hydrant use permit or an alternative water source
• Department of Housing approval, if the building has dwelling units
• Historic Preservation review (Department of Planning and Development), for orange or red buildings and landmarks
• Pre-permit inspection, for complex demolitions
• Flammable tank permits, where applicable

If the building is attached to a neighbor

• 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 demolition
• Certification from a design professional that the adjoining building needs no bracing, or drawings and the neighbor's written consent (this is the party wall rule)
• Your contractor will indemnify the adjacent owners
• You told your neighbor yourself. The City page does not describe a general mailing requirement, but a neighbor who hears about it from you is a better neighbor than one who hears it from a backhoe

After the permit is issued

• Start work within 6 months of the permit being paid. Work cannot stop for more than 12 months
• Note that an application expires after 120 days of inactivity, with one 90-day extension
• Request the required inspections online at completion and after grading
• Complete the construction and demolition debris recycling paperwork with CDPH. The page states that 50 percent of recyclable debris must be recycled
• Confirm utility shutoffs for gas and electric with the Department of Buildings and the utilities. Do not assume. The City's demolition page lists water and sewer cut and seal, not gas or electric

What to do with what you find

Count the boxes you could not check. Each one is a delay waiting to happen, and every item can be found in advance.

Missing documents or a contractor: fix first. Nothing else moves without an owner of record, a signed contract and a licensed general contractor.

Missing City approvals: start the long ones now. The CDPH notice has a lead time of at least 10 working days, rodent baiting has to pass inspection, and an orange or red building can add up to 90 days on its own. We do not promise a permit timeline, because the City sets it. See what slows a demolition permit down.

Asbestos question mark: do not guess. Have a licensed professional test and read what must happen first before anything is disturbed.

Attached building: talk to the neighbor and a surveyor early. This is the item that can stall a demolition, and it carries real risk if it goes wrong.

A permit is not a formality. It is a stack of City approvals from different departments. Our demolition team can walk the list with you, pull the approvals and file through the portal. See the full demolition guide for the whole process, and ask us for a free estimate.