Lintel Replacement in Chicago: Permit and Process

Lintel replacement in Chicago usually needs a permit, and the size of the opening decides which kind. The City's Express Permit program covers replacing a lintel with a span up to 6 feet. Longer than that, up to 25 feet, needs drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer. Over 25 feet is outside Express entirely (City of Chicago, City of Chicago).

A lintel is the beam over a window, door or garage opening that carries the brick above it. On most older Chicago buildings it is a steel angle or beam. When it fails, the wall above it moves.

How do you know a lintel is failing?

You rarely see the lintel itself. You see what it does to the brick. Look above windows, doors and garage openings for:

• Rust stains running down the face of the brick below the opening.
• Cracks above the corners of a window or door, especially ones that run up and out at an angle.
• Brick that sags or steps over the opening, or a line of brick that has dropped below the course beside it.
• Mortar joints that open along the underside of the brick above the opening.
• Loose or missing brick above an opening.
• A window or door that binds, cracks its glass or stops closing right.

Technical guidance from the Brick Industry Association ties steel lintel cracking above openings to excessive deflection, and says unprotected steel needs maintenance (Brick Industry Association). We are not going to tell you what is happening inside your wall from a photograph. A mason can open a small area and look. For the signs and what they mean, read rust stains under a window: is your lintel failing.

Why do lintels fail?

The steel is protected by flashing, weepholes and paint, and by the brick staying dry. Guidance on steel angle lintels says continuous flashing should be installed over the angle, with weepholes at the lintel level, and that lintels need periodic maintenance to avoid corrosion (Brick Industry Association). Flashing is the layer that collects water that got behind the outer brick and sends it back out (Brick Industry Association).

Put those together and the usual picture is simple. Water gets behind the brick, there is no working flashing to send it out, and the steel sits wet through years of Chicago freeze-thaw. We say "usual picture" on purpose: every wall is different, and only an inspection tells you which is true of yours.

What does the permit process look like?

The City's rules depend on span, so measure the opening first.

Ordinary window openings tend to land in the first row. A wide opening such as a storefront or garage door can land in the second or third. The Express application asks for the address and PIN, owner information, a description of the work, at least one photo of the existing condition, and the names or license numbers of the contractors (City of Chicago). The City's own architect-or-engineer page lists lintels over 6 feet as a trigger for drawings (City of Chicago).

Rules and fees change. Confirm the current requirements with the Department of Buildings before you sign anything.

Who is allowed to pull the permit?

A masonry permit requires a City-licensed mason contractor (City of Chicago). The mason license covers work in stone, concrete, clay brick and similar materials, and the business has to own or employ at least one person who passed the City's mason exam (mason contractor license).

There is an owner exception. If the building is your primary residence, three stories or fewer with six or fewer units, you may act as your own contractor for one property per calendar year (City of Chicago). That makes you responsible for safety, inspections and code compliance, and a lintel is not the place to learn on the job.

If scaffolding or a dumpster will sit on the sidewalk, street or alley, that needs its own permit from the Chicago Department of Transportation (City of Chicago).

How does a mason replace a lintel?

The details depend on the wall, the opening and what the engineer or the inspector requires. In general, the sequence looks like this:

1. Inspect and decide the scope. Open the wall at the opening and see how far the damage goes. Check the lintels beside it.
2. Support the wall above. The brick over the opening has to be held up while the old lintel is out. This is the step that separates a safe job from a dangerous one.
3. Take out the failed lintel and the brick that was damaged around it.
4. Set the new lintel in the size and material the plan or the mason's specification calls for. Guidance on steel angle lintels says to consider galvanized steel in harsh climates and a thickness of at least 1/4 inch (Brick Industry Association).
5. Install flashing and weepholes above the lintel, so water that gets behind the brick has a way out (Brick Industry Association).
6. Rebuild the brick above and tuckpoint the joints to match.
7. Remove the supports, and request the inspection if the permit calls for one.

You are not looking at a one-brick repair. The work usually involves the wall above the opening, which is why we keep this with a licensed mason. See the owner's guide to brick and masonry repair for how lintel work fits with other repairs.

What drives the cost?

We do not publish prices, because every opening is different. These are the drivers:

What drives brick repair cost in Chicago goes through the rest of the list.

What should you ask before you hire?

1. What span is the opening, and does this need drawings?
2. Who pulls the permit, and what is the number?
3. How will the wall above be supported while the lintel is out?
4. Will you flash the new lintel and add weepholes?
5. Are you checking the lintels next to this one?

Our masonry crew can look at the openings on your building and tell you what we see.

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.