Chicago Senior Homeowner Permit Fee Waiver: Who Qualifies

Chicago lists a permit fee waiver that is easy to miss. If you own your home, are 65 or older and plan repairs, it is worth a phone call before you pay anything.

Who qualifies for the Chicago senior permit fee waiver?

The Department of Buildings (DOB) permits page lists a permit fee waiver for long-term senior homeowners (City of Chicago). The outline is:

• Age: 65 or older.
• Ownership: a long-term homeowner. We do not have the number of years the City uses, so confirm it.
• Income: you must meet income criteria. We do not have the current limits, so ask DOB for them.
• The building: a one to three unit residential building that you live in.
• The work: repairs or alterations.

That is everything we can support. Rules like these change, so treat the list as a reason to ask, not as the final word. The permits page is also where DOB describes its permit programs, so the waiver sits next to the same system that handles your repair permit (City of Chicago).

What does the waiver cover, and what doesn't it?

It covers a fee. Nothing we found says it replaces the permit, the license requirements for whoever does the work, or an inspection. A waived fee is still a permit. Work that needs a permit still needs one.

If your repair is small, the City may run it through its Express Permit Program, which has worktypes such as masonry, reroofing, porch repair, windows and doors, and fences (City of Chicago). When you ask DOB about the waiver, ask which permit your job will use and whether the waiver applies to that permit type.

Be careful not to confuse this waiver with a different program. The Shared Cost Sidewalk Program has its own senior discount, a 50 percent discount for owner-occupants age 65 and older (and people with disabilities) of non-commercial properties of four units or fewer (City of Chicago). That is for sidewalk replacement through CDOT. It is not a permit fee waiver, and one does not apply to the other.

How do you ask, and what else should you know?

Call the Department of Buildings or use its permit contacts and ask three things: does my situation meet the senior waiver, what documents prove age, ownership and income, and how is the waiver applied when I apply.

If you want to pull the permit yourself, you may be able to act as your own contractor on a primary residence of three stories or fewer and six or fewer units. The City asks for its owner-as-contractor form and a government ID showing you live there, and you take on responsibility for safety, inspections and code compliance (City of Chicago). Many seniors prefer to hire a licensed contractor to carry that load.

For how permit fees are figured in general, read Chicago building permit fees. To see how the quick online permit works, see the Express Permit Program, and for the owner path, pulling your own permit. Our permit expediting team can help with the paperwork for a repair, and our Chicago permits guide covers the whole system.

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.