Straight Answers for Chicago Property Owners
Building violations, permits, porches, brick, concrete and roofs, explained by a Chicago contractor that fixes them. In English and Spanish.
Building violations, permits, porches, brick, concrete and roofs, explained by a Chicago contractor that fixes them. In English and Spanish.
What the 2003 Chicago porch collapse put in front of the owner, what the City's code requires of porches, and why to call an attorney before a failure.
Read →Landlords and Buyers · ArticleInherited a house with building violations in Chicago? What to find out first, what the City's cases and liens can mean, and when to call an attorney.
Read →Landlords and Buyers · ArticleBuying a two-flat in Chicago with open violations? Why the City's search is not enough for a closing, where cases hide, and how to price the repair first.
Read →Landlords and Buyers · ArticleBuying a two-flat in Chicago? What to check on the outside before you make an offer: mortar, porches, roof edge, drainage, records and who to call.
Read →Landlords and Buyers · ChecklistWalk a Chicago two-flat before you buy: brick, porches, roof, lintels, drainage and records. A buyer's exterior checklist with next steps.
Read →Landlords and Buyers · GuideChicago building owner responsibilities for the exterior: what the City expects, where brick, porches and roofs fail, and what buyers should check first.
Read →Chicago Building Types · Quick answerThe typical Chicago two-flat layout, floor by floor, and why stacked apartments, shared walls and a shared roof change how every repair gets done.
Read →Chicago Building Types · Quick answerWhat a Chicago workers cottage is, how owners recognize one, and what a small frame house needs: siding, wall bases, porch steps and water control.
Read →Chicago Building Types · Quick answerChicago common brick vs face brick: how to tell them apart on your own walls and why it changes the mortar, the repair and the permit. A mason's guide.
Read →Chicago Building Types · Quick answerThe Chicago bungalow belt is a loose name, not a legal boundary. How to tell if your block is in it, and what a bungalow usually needs from its owner.
Read →Chicago Building Types · Quick answerChicago two-flat history in short: we do not date them by decade. How to find your own building's age, and what an older two-flat usually needs from you.
Read →Chicago Building Types · Quick answerChicago greystone vs brownstone: both names describe a stone front. What the words mean to owners and why the stone matters more than the name.
Read →Chicago Building Types · What went wrongChicago brick two-flat problems show up in the mortar, brick face, lintels, roofline and back porch. Learn the warning signs before the City cites them.
Read →Chicago Building Types · ArticleOwning a Chicago mixed-use building with a shop below and apartments above? What fails, what the City expects and what changes when there is a storefront.
Read →Chicago Building Types · ArticleChicago frame two-flat or brick two-flat? What wears out on each, how the City treats both, and what to check before you buy or repair. From a contractor.
Read →Chicago Building Types · ArticleChicago courtyard building owners: what shared walls, stairs and balconies mean for upkeep, and what the City expects. A contractor's plain guide.
Read →Chicago Building Types · ArticleWhat is Chicago common brick, why old walls need softer mortar, and what hard repairs do to it. A plain explanation from a Chicago masonry contractor.
Read →Chicago Building Types · ArticleWhat is a Chicago bungalow, and what does it need as it ages? Roof, chimney, brick and basement care explained by a Chicago contractor. Call for a look.
Read →Chicago Building Types · ArticleWhat is a Chicago greystone, which parts wear out first, and what the City expects of the owner. A plain upkeep guide from a Chicago masonry contractor.
Read →Chicago Building Types · ArticleWhat fails first on a Chicago three-flat: stacked rear porches, roof and parapet, brick joints and lintels, then basement water. What to check first.
Read →Chicago Building Types · ArticleWhat is a Chicago two-flat, what parts wear out first, and what the City expects of the owner. A plain guide to owning one from a Chicago contractor.
Read →Chicago Building Types · GuideTwo-flat, three-flat, greystone, bungalow or storefront? What each Chicago building type is, what the City requires of it, and where owners get surprised.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · Quick answerWhat hydro and vacuum excavation are, why Illinois law points crews to them near marked utility lines, and what to ask a contractor. Akats, Chicago.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · Quick answerWhat decides foundation repair cost in Chicago: the cause, depth, access, drawings and permits. Why two quotes differ and how to compare them. Akats.
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