What Is a Chicago Workers Cottage?

What is a Chicago workers cottage? It is the name people use for a small, older house, often wood frame, that sits modestly on its lot. It is a nickname, not a technical category in the building code, and we cannot give you a build date or a story about who lived in them, because we cannot source one. What we can tell you is how owners recognize one and what a small frame house asks for.

For the wider picture, see our Chicago building types guide. For how wood frame compares with masonry, see frame versus brick two-flats.

How do you recognize a Chicago workers cottage?

Here is what owners commonly describe:

• A small house, usually a story or a story and a half, with a modest footprint.
• Wood frame, usually with siding, rather than a brick or stone wall.
• A simple roof and a plain shape. Few projections and little ornament.
• Steps, a small porch or a stoop at the front, and sometimes a small rear entry.
• Alterations over time. Additions, new siding, replaced windows, a changed rear.

The name is used loosely. A house can be called a cottage by its owner, its neighbors or a listing without matching any formal definition. If the label matters for a sale, an insurance form or a tax record, read the documents and check with your attorney or the Department of Buildings. For finding out when a particular house was built, the steps in what age tells you about a Chicago two-flat apply to a cottage too.

What does a wood frame cottage need from its owner?

The City's rule is the same one every existing building has to meet. The exterior of a structure must be maintained in good repair, structurally sound and sanitary. The unsafe conditions it lists include siding that is not maintained weather resistant or water tight, trim and facings that are not properly anchored, and exterior stairs, porches and balconies, including guards and handrails, that are not structurally sound or properly anchored (City of Chicago). For porches specifically, the rule is that they must be structurally sound, in good repair, properly anchored and capable of supporting the imposed loads (City of Chicago).

For a wood frame house, that turns into a short list:

1. Siding and trim. Look for cracked, loose or soft boards, open seams and gaps around windows and doors.
2. The base of the walls. Wood fails where water sits. Check the lowest boards, the corners and anywhere soil, snow or a downspout is against the house.
3. Steps, porch and railings. Anything that moves, bounces or has soft posts needs attention.
4. The roof edge and gutters. Water that runs down a wall instead of off the roof ends up in the siding.
5. Water around the house. A one inch rain puts about 1,250 gallons on a 2,000 square foot roof, according to the University of Minnesota Extension, and soil that slopes toward the wall or downspouts that empty next to it send that water at the foundation (University of Minnesota Extension). It is a general building science point, not specific to Chicago.

What to know before you repair, sell or tear one down

Paint and lead. The EPA's renovation rule covers paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978 and requires lead-safe certified firms and trained renovators (EPA). If your cottage could be that old, ask any contractor how they handle it.

Siding and permits. The City's no-permit list includes in-kind siding replacement on residential buildings up to four stories (City of Chicago), but Chicago requires a permit before most construction, repair and demolition work, with limited exemptions (City of Chicago). Confirm what applies to your job with the Department of Buildings.

Demolition. If a building is rated orange or red in the City's 1996 Chicago Historic Resources Survey, a demolition permit may be held for up to 90 days so the Department of Planning and Development can explore preservation options (City of Chicago). Ask the Department of Buildings whether yours is rated before you plan a teardown.

Akats is a family-operated Chicago contractor, licensed and insured in Illinois, and bilingual in English and Spanish. We handle porches, concrete, roofing, masonry and demolition in-house. See our services and ask for a free estimate. We will walk the outside, tell you what needs attention now and what can wait.

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.