What is a Chicago bungalow? It is a compact house, usually brick, about one and a half stories, with a low profile and a pitched roof, often with a front bay or a small porch. It sits on a standard city lot, and the walls are plain. That simple shape is why bungalows look easy to own, and why the problems tend to arrive from the top and the bottom rather than the middle.
We are not going to say when or where bungalows were built, because we can't source it here, and it does not change what the house needs. This page is about upkeep: what we commonly see on bungalows, what to watch, and when a repair needs a permit. It sits inside our guide to Chicago building types, and our masonry team handles the brick.
What does a Chicago bungalow look like?
Owners tend to describe it the same way:
- One and a half stories. A main floor, a half story under the roof, and often a finished or unfinished basement.
- A brick exterior, usually plain, set over a low foundation, often with stone or concrete trim.
- A pitched roof (gable or hip) covered in shingles, with a chimney coming through it.
- A front bay or small porch, and a back entry and stairs to the yard.
- A narrow side gangway between houses.
If you want to see how bungalows sit across the city, our piece on the bungalow belt covers where you will find them. The brick on many of them is the same plain brick we explain in what Chicago common brick is.
What does a bungalow need over time?
On a house this size, the same four places keep coming up. Here is the order we commonly see them fail.
The roof
A pitched shingle roof is the biggest single item on a bungalow, because it covers nearly the whole footprint. We usually find worn or lifting shingles, failed flashing where the roof meets the chimney or a dormer, and clogged gutters. The City's no-permit list covers roof repair, recover or replacement on roofs with a pitch of at least 2:12 on residential buildings up to four stories. Structural repair and any low-slope work does need a permit (City of Chicago). Check the current rule with the Department of Buildings before you assume your job is exempt. For the full replacement picture, see shingle roof replacement in Chicago.
The chimney
The chimney is the highest masonry on the house and the most exposed. We commonly find open mortar joints at the top, a cracked or missing crown, and leaking flashing at the roof line. Chimney work ranges from a few joints to a rebuild, so see chimney repair in Chicago for how we sort it out.
The brick walls
Plain brick is forgiving, until the mortar goes. We commonly find sandy or open joints, brick faces flaking where water sits, and loose brick around window openings. The National Park Service says repointing mortar must be softer and more vapor permeable than the masonry units, and no harder than the historic mortar (NPS Preservation Brief 2). That is the rule behind our approach to tuckpointing. Start with the Chicago tuckpointing guide if the joints on your house look tired.
The basement
Bungalow basements take water when the ground around the house slopes toward the wall or the downspouts empty at the foundation. University of Minnesota Extension advises sloping soil away from the foundation at least 1 inch per foot for at least 6 feet, and discharging downspouts at least 4 feet from the wall (Univ. of Minnesota Extension). That is a quick thing to check before you assume you have a foundation problem. If the wall itself is cracked or moving, see our foundation repair guide.
On bungalows we often see owners with a small roof leak that has been stained and painted over for years. By the time they call, water has been running down the inside of the chimney or the wall under a dormer, and the damage is a plaster ceiling and a few courses of brick instead of one flashing detail. The house isn't hard to fix early. It is hard to ignore for five winters.
Do bungalow repairs need a permit?
Many do, some do not. Here is what the City's pages say:
- Tuckpointing is listed under the Express Permit program as masonry maintenance and repair (City of Chicago). The only masonry repair on the no-permit list is in-kind replacement of up to 50 square feet on residential buildings up to four stories (City of Chicago).
- Roofs: see the pitch rule above. Low-slope work and structural repair need a permit.
- Plans. Specific triggers for an architect or engineer include roof structural repairs (City of Chicago). Adding a dormer or changing the roof framing is drawings work, not a repair. See dormer plans and permits for a Chicago bungalow.
- Contractor licensing. A Chicago general contractor license is required for most building repair work, including work that is exempt from a permit (City of Chicago).
Rules and fees change, so confirm current details with the Department of Buildings.
What does the City expect of a bungalow owner?
The same thing it expects of any existing building: the exterior must be maintained in good repair, structurally sound and sanitary. Unsafe conditions the code names include masonry joints that are not weather resistant or water tight, and exterior stairs, porches and balconies, including guards and handrails, that are not structurally sound or properly anchored (Title 14X).
City inspections of occupied buildings are largely driven by 311 complaints, and the inspector can issue violations for what is visible from outside (City of Chicago). On a bungalow that usually means a loose brick, a failing front step or a back stair. The bigger cost of waiting is water: it moves into the wall, the ceiling and the basement before you see it.
Warning signs on a bungalow
- Shingles that curl, lift or are missing, or granules in the gutters
- A stain on the ceiling below the chimney or under a dormer
- Mortar you can scrape out with a key
- Brick faces flaking or popping off, especially near the ground or the roofline
- A chimney that leans, or a crown that is cracked or gone
- Water on the basement floor after rain, or a white crust on the basement wall
Our brick facade inspection checklist turns the brick signs into a walk-around. For the single trades, go to the cluster pages: roofing, brick repair and concrete steps and stoops.
When do you need a contractor and what should you ask?
You can look. Fixing roofs and brick is for a licensed contractor. Ask:
- Are you licensed in Chicago for this work, and who pulls the permit?
- Is the flashing at the chimney and dormer part of the quote?
- What is the plan for the old mortar, and what will the new mix be?
- If you find rot in the roof deck or a bad lintel, how will you tell me before it goes on the bill?
Not sure whether your bungalow has a roof problem or a chimney problem? We'll look at it and tell you which one you actually have.
Common questions
A compact house, usually brick, about one and a half stories, with a pitched roof, a chimney and often a front bay or small porch. We describe it from what owners commonly see, not from a build date or a boundary map. What it needs is mostly roof, chimney, mortar and basement water care.
Most often the roof, the chimney and the mortar joints, because they are the most exposed. The basement comes next when the ground slopes toward the wall or the downspouts empty at the foundation. Small leaks that go unnoticed are what turn into big repairs.
The City's no-permit list covers roof repair, recover or replacement on roofs with a pitch of at least 2:12 on residential buildings up to four stories. Structural repair and low-slope work needs a permit. Confirm your case with the Department of Buildings.
It depends on the joints, not the street view. If the sides and back are as open as the front, patching only the front leaves water coming in. A mason should look at all four walls before you decide how much to do.
Sources
- City of Chicago: Code Modernization Ordinance, including Title 14X Minimum Requirements for Existing Buildings (PDF)
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings and Department of Law: Building Code Violation Enforcement Process (PDF)
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: What Types of Work Do Not Require a Building Permit?
- City of Chicago: Express Permit Program: Masonry Work
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: General Contractor License
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: When Is a Licensed Architect or Engineer Required?
- National Park Service: Preservation Brief 2: Repointing Mortar Joints in Historic Masonry Buildings (PDF)
- University of Minnesota Extension: Moisture in Basements: Causes and Solutions
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.