Yes, in almost every case. The City of Chicago lists tuckpointing as masonry repair that goes through its Express Permit Program, and tuckpointing is not on the City's list of work that needs no permit. The only masonry exemption covers in-kind replacement of up to 50 square feet of brick or concrete on residential buildings up to four stories. The permit is pulled by a licensed mason contractor, or by an owner who qualifies to act as their own contractor.
Most owners find out about tuckpointing permits the hard way: a neighbor calls 311 about scaffolding, or an inspector walks by and asks to see the permit that isn't posted. Here is what the City's own pages say, in plain English, so you can ask your contractor the right questions before anyone touches a joint.
What Chicago's rules say about tuckpointing
The Department of Buildings runs most small repair permits through the Express Permit Program, an online system that replaced the old paper "Easy Permit" process in November 2023 (City of Chicago). If someone tells you to "just get an Easy Permit," they are working from old information.
The City's Express Permit page for masonry work lists, as eligible work, "routine maintenance and repair for masonry walls, such as tuckpointing, up to 50,000 square feet of work." That is the City naming tuckpointing directly as permitted masonry work. The same page also covers replacing the outer layer (wythe) of a masonry wall, replacing a lintel with a span up to 6 feet, and rebuilding a masonry parapet wall up to 2,500 square feet.
To apply, the City asks for basics: the property address and PIN, owner contact information, an emergency contact, basic facts about the building, a description of the work, at least one photo of the existing condition, and the names or Chicago license numbers of the contractors doing the job (Express masonry page).
The one exemption, and why it rarely covers tuckpointing
Chicago publishes a list of work that does not need a building permit. For masonry, the exemption is narrow: on a residential building up to four stories above grade (or a garage on the same lot), you can remove and replace up to 50 square feet of masonry in kind, meaning the same material, size and shape (City of Chicago).
Tuckpointing is not on that list. A whole elevation of repointing on a two-flat is far more than 50 square feet, and a typical tuckpointing job is joint work across a wall, not swapping a few bricks. If your job is genuinely a small patch, ask the Department of Buildings whether it fits the exemption before you rely on it.
The general repair exemption has limits too. Repairs only skip the permit if they don't involve cutting away part of an exterior wall, removing structural supports, or changing required exits, and exterior work on a designated Chicago Landmark still needs a permit (City of Chicago).
When tuckpointing turns into bigger masonry work
Repointing jobs often uncover more than loose mortar. When that happens, the permit picture changes:
- Lintels. Replacing a lintel up to 6 feet fits the Express masonry permit. Over 6 feet (up to 25 feet) needs drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer (City of Chicago).
- Parapets. Rebuilding a parapet up to 2,500 square feet fits Express. Rebuilding one taller than 48 inches does not (City of Chicago).
- Whole walls. Rebuilding all layers of an exterior wall, or building new masonry, falls outside Express entirely (City of Chicago) and goes through a different review.
A good contractor tells you about these before the scaffolding goes up, not after.
Who can pull the permit
Masonry permits in Chicago require a City-licensed mason contractor (City of Chicago). The mason license covers work in brick, stone, concrete and similar materials, and the business must have at least one person who passed the City's mason exam (mason contractor license). For brick work that means a Class A or Class B mason contractor, since Class C is limited to site-formed concrete.
There is an owner exception. If the building is your primary residence, three stories or fewer with six or fewer units, you can act as your own contractor for one property per calendar year (City of Chicago). For an Express permit the City asks for its owner-as-contractor form plus a government ID showing you live there, and you take on responsibility for safety, inspections and code compliance (City of Chicago).
The usual trouble isn't owners avoiding permits on purpose. It's a crew that works without one and leaves the owner holding the risk. Ask for the permit number before work starts, then look it up yourself on the City's building records search.
Sidewalk, alley and scaffolding permits are separate
A building permit covers the work on your building. If scaffolding, a dumpster or material storage goes on the sidewalk, street, alley or parkway, that is the public way, and it needs a separate permit from the Chicago Department of Transportation (City of Chicago). Front-elevation tuckpointing on a building that sits at the lot line almost always touches the public way.
The permit doesn't choose your mortar
A permit tells the City who is doing the work and roughly what it is. It does not make anyone use the right mortar. On older Chicago brick, the repointing mortar should be softer and more vapor-permeable than the brick, and no harder than the original mortar (National Park Service). Hard modern mortar on soft brick is how faces start popping off a few winters later. That is a contractor-skill question, and the tuckpointing guide covers it in depth.
Grinding out old joints also throws silica dust. Federal rules require tuckpointing grinders with a shroud and dust collection, plus respirators for the crew (OSHA). A contractor who skips that is probably skipping other things.
If the City finds work underway without a required permit, it can post a stop work order. Work resumes only after the permit is issued and the stop-work penalty is paid, the permit fee is tripled in most cases, and the City can open an enforcement case. You may also have to correct or remove work at your own expense (City of Chicago). Rules and fees change, so confirm current details with the Department of Buildings.
What to ask before you hire
- Who is pulling the permit, and what is the permit number?
- Is your company a City-licensed mason contractor, and which class?
- Will scaffolding or a dumpster go on the sidewalk or alley, and who gets that permit?
- What mortar will you use on this brick, and why?
- If you find a bad lintel or parapet, how will you tell me and what changes?
For how to read the brick itself, see how to tell if your brick needs tuckpointing. For brick replacement and bigger masonry repairs, see the brick repair permit rules. Not sure whether you need a tuckpointer or a mason? Start here. When you're ready for a straight answer on your building, our tuckpointing crew can look at it.
Common questions
No. The City lists tuckpointing as eligible work under its Express Permit masonry category, and it is not on the list of work that needs no permit. The only masonry exemption is in-kind replacement of up to 50 square feet on residential buildings up to four stories.
Doing the work yourself doesn't remove the permit requirement. If the building is your primary residence (three stories or fewer, six or fewer units), you may be able to act as your own contractor and pull the permit yourself. Check the current requirements with the Department of Buildings.
Usually the licensed mason contractor doing the job lists themselves on the Express permit. As the owner, ask for the permit number before work starts and look it up on the City's building records search.
No. The Express Permit Program replaced the paper Easy Permit process in November 2023. Masonry work, including tuckpointing, is one of its worktypes.
Yes. Scaffolding, dumpsters or materials on the sidewalk, street, alley or parkway use the public way, and that needs its own permit from the Chicago Department of Transportation.
Sources
- City of Chicago: Express Permit Program: Masonry Work
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: What Types of Work Do Not Require a Building Permit?
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: Express Permit Program
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: Mason Contractor License
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: Mason Contractor License FAQ
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: Porch and Deck Safety
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: What Happens If I Start Work Without a Required Permit?
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: Search Building Department Records
- National Park Service: Preservation Brief 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings (PDF)
- OSHA: 29 CFR 1926.1153: Respirable Crystalline Silica in Construction
Facts last checked: October 7, 2026.
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.