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.
Can you excavate in a Chicago winter? What frozen ground changes, what the 811 call still requires, and why concrete and masonry need extra care. Akats.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · Quick answerHow deep is the frost line in Chicago? The one City figure we can cite is a 42 in. footing depth from 2011 guidance. Here is its limit and who to ask.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · Quick answerFiled a Chicago 811 (DIGGER) ticket? What to keep, what to check before anyone digs, and when to call back. Straight answers from a Chicago contractor.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · ArticleExcavation near a neighbor's property line in Chicago: the City's 5 foot and 10 foot permit limits, 811, and why shoring and liability need an engineer.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · ArticleDo you need a permit for excavation in Chicago? The 5 foot and 10 foot depth exemptions, the 12 foot review line, and the 811 call that always applies.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · ArticleFoundation repair in Chicago starts with a diagnosis. Which cracks are normal, what to fix before you dig, and when exterior excavation is the real fix.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · ArticleDigging out or lowering a Chicago basement touches permits, drawings, 811 and your neighbors. What it takes and what it triggers. Call Akats.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · What went wrongChicago digging without calling 811 is how buried lines get hit. What the City requires, the warning signs, how a dig gets fixed, and who can do the work.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · Code explainerIn Chicago you call 811 Chicago (DIGGER), not JULIE, two business days before any dig, including your own yard. What the City and state law say. Akats.
Read →Excavation and Foundations · GuideExcavation in Chicago starts with an 811 call, then a depth check for permits and a licensed contractor. Here is what to know before anyone digs.
Read →Demolition · Quick answerWhere Chicago demolition debris goes: the 50 percent recycling rule, the CDPH paperwork at the end, and the separate permit for a public way dumpster.
Read →Demolition · Quick answerWho handles the sewer and water cut and seal before a Chicago demolition, and why gas and electric are a separate call to the DOB and your utilities.
Read →Demolition · Quick answerChicago wants rodent baiting done, with an affidavit and a passed inspection, before a demolition permit issues. What it is and how to avoid a stall.
Read →Demolition · Quick answerChicago demolition permit cost: where the City's Pilsen and 606 surcharge applies, what it was set to in 2024, and what to confirm with the DOB first.
Read →Demolition · Quick answerNo. A City-licensed general contractor must do a Chicago demolition, and the owner-contractor exception excludes it. Here is what you can do yourself.
Read →Demolition · Quick answerHow to look up a Chicago demolition permit by address, what the City's records search shows, and what it will not tell you. Check before you buy or build.
Read →Demolition · ArticleHiring a house demolition contractor in Chicago? Which licenses can legally demolish, the wrecking bond and insurance, and how to verify before you sign.
Read →Demolition · ArticleTearing down a garage in Chicago: when a wood-frame garage skips the demolition permit, when it does not, who can do the work, and what to check first.
Read →Demolition · ArticleDemolishing an attached house in Chicago takes a surveyor's survey or the neighbor's signed letter, plus proof the next building needs no bracing.
Read →Demolition · ArticleNobody can honestly promise a Chicago demolition permit date. Here are the approvals, notice periods and clocks that decide how long yours takes.
Read →Demolition · ArticleTear down and rebuild or rehab a Chicago house? The permit paths, the demolition delay and surcharge rules, and the questions that actually decide it.
Read →Demolition · ArticleWhat decides a Chicago house demolition bill: building type, permits, utilities, party walls, asbestos, debris. No made-up prices. Get a real estimate.
Read →Demolition · What went wrongWhen a Chicago demolition damages the building next door, it usually starts at the shared wall. What fails, the warning signs, and how to protect yourself.
Read →Demolition · Code explainerChicago can hold a demolition permit up to 90 days on orange or red rated buildings. See who it hits, who it does not, and what to do before you file.
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