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 demolish a house with asbestos in Chicago? The CDPH notices, the 10 working day lead time, and what must be filed before a wrecking permit issues.
Read →Demolition · Code explainerA Chicago demolition permit is a multi-agency checklist, not one form. Who applies, what must clear first, and what the City says. Talk to Akats first.
Read →Demolition · ChecklistA printable Chicago demolition permit checklist: who files, which City approvals come first, party wall papers, and what to do after. Free estimate.
Read →Demolition · GuideHouse demolition in Chicago takes a wrecking permit, a licensed general contractor and a stack of City approvals first. Here is the order it happens in.
Read →Roofing · Quick answerNo single month wins for every Chicago roof. What actually sets the timing: leaks, product, permit and crew schedule. Plan it before the weather forces it.
Read →Roofing · Quick answerFlat roof bubbling usually means moisture or air is trapped under the membrane. What blisters mean, when they are a leak risk, and what to do about them.
Read →Roofing · Quick answerA flat roof cricket is a small sloped section that sends water around an obstacle toward a drain. Where crickets go, what they fix, and what they don't.
Read →Roofing · Quick answerCan you roof over old shingles in Chicago? What the City says about a recover over one layer, when drawings are needed, and why a tear-off shows more.
Read →Roofing · Quick answerIce dams form when roof snow melts from below and refreezes at the eave. What causes them on Chicago roofs, the warning signs, and what really fixes them.
Read →Roofing · Quick answerHow much snow Chicago gets, why depth is not weight, the warning signs of an overloaded flat roof, and why the design load number comes from the City.
Read →Roofing · Quick answerA flat roof coating can work on a sound roof and fails on a wet one. How to tell which you have, the permit question, and what to ask a Chicago roofer.
Read →Roofing · Quick answerDo I need a permit to repair a roof in Chicago? The 25 percent patch exemption, why flat roofs complicate it, and what to confirm with the DOB first.
Read →Roofing · ArticleThinking of a flat roof with a deck on top? What to check first in Chicago: structure, permit, drainage, guards and the roof under it. Free estimates.
Read →Roofing · ArticleFlat roof drainage explained for Chicago owners: slope, drains, scuppers, overflow, what to check, and how drainage gets fixed. Free roof estimates.
Read →Roofing · ArticleReplacing the shingle roof on a Chicago bungalow: tear off or recover, what the City says about layers and permits, and what a licensed roofer must handle.
Read →Roofing · ArticleThe drip is rarely under the hole. How to trace a flat roof leak in Chicago, what a real patch involves, and when a permit or licensed roofer is required.
Read →Roofing · ArticleModified bitumen roof pros and cons for a Chicago two-flat: what torch down is, how it is installed, what to ask a roofer, and when another system fits.
Read →Roofing · ArticleTPO roof vs EPDM on a Chicago flat roof: how each is seamed, where each is weak, and the questions that matter more than the material. Free estimates.
Read →Roofing · ArticleHow long does a flat roof last in Chicago? We won't hand you a number we can't source. What decides lifespan, and how to read a warranty. Free estimates.
Read →Roofing · ArticleTwo Chicago flat roofs the same size can price very differently. Here is what moves the number: tear-off, drainage, insulation, permits. Free estimates.
Read →Roofing · ArticleLeaks, ponding water or bubbles on a Chicago flat roof? How to tell when a repair is enough, when replacement is the honest answer, and what to ask.
Read →Roofing · What went wrongFlat roof flashing repair usually starts at the parapet. Warning signs, why flashing and coping fail, how it is fixed, and the permit question.
Read →Roofing · What went wrongWhy do flat roofs leak in Chicago? Seams, flashing, drains and ponding water are the first places to check. What a leak means and how it gets fixed.
Read →Roofing · What went wrongStanding water on a flat roof is a drainage failure, not a puddle. The 48-hour definition, what it does to the roof, and how ponding is fixed in Chicago.
Read →Call or send the form. Bilingual team, free estimates subject to scope, and we respond within one business day.
Tell us about the property. No obligation.