Do You Need an Architect for a Building Permit in Chicago?

Whether you need an architect for a building permit in Chicago depends on which kind of permit your work falls under. A small repair on the City's Express list usually needs no drawings. Anything that goes through a plan-based permit needs plans from an Illinois-licensed design professional. This page walks through the City's own wording, in plain English, so you can tell which side of the line your job sits on before you hire anyone.

This article covers Chicago's permit rules only. Rules and limits change, so confirm the details for your building with the Department of Buildings.

What the City says about architects and engineers

The City's guidance on licensed architects and engineers makes four points (City of Chicago):

• For most Express-eligible repair work, no architect or engineer documents are needed.
• Any plan-based permit requires plans prepared by an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer. For most projects that means an architect or a structural engineer. Professional engineers (PEs) are accepted only for a limited range of work.
• Structural porch repair requires plans by an Illinois architect or structural engineer.
• Some work has named triggers: a lintel over 6 feet, concrete repair over 100 square feet, a roof recover over two or more existing layers, and roof structural repairs.

The City runs several permit programs: Express, Standard Plan Review, Self-Cert, and Developer Services for moderate to complex projects (City of Chicago). The architect question is really a question about which program your job belongs in.

Which jobs skip drawings, and which do not

Here are the triggers we see most often on older Chicago buildings, with what the City's pages say:

The masonry and concrete rows come from the City's masonry Express page, which also lists what is not eligible for Express at all: a new masonry structure, rebuilding all layers of an exterior wall, a lintel over 25 feet, a parapet taller than 48 inches, and reconfiguring concrete elements. The roof rows come from the Express reroofing page. Express reroofing also requires a licensed Illinois roofer.

For the work that skips drawings, Express work types include masonry, reroofing, porch, deck, balcony or fire escape repair, window and door replacement, and other repairs (City of Chicago).

The plan-based programs: Standard Plan Review and Self-Cert

When a job needs drawings, it usually goes one of two ways.

Standard Plan Review is the City's main route when architectural plans are required. It requires an architect to prepare the drawings, submissions go through the E-Plan system, and every project needs zoning approval. The criteria include new construction not greater than 80 feet high, residential projects with fewer than 50 dwelling units, foundations and excavation not more than 12 feet deep, and the removal of non-load-bearing interior partitions (City of Chicago).

Self-Cert lets an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer who has completed the City's training (a registered self-certification professional) seal the drawings and take full responsibility for code compliance. Permit expediters are not allowed to help upload self-certified applications (City of Chicago).

To start a plan-based permit application, you must be an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer, or a City-licensed expediter (City of Chicago). The expediter files. The architect or engineer still prepares the plans.

Who this applies to

It applies to the person getting the permit, which means you as the owner or the contractor pulling it for you. A few points:

• If the work needs no permit, there is no architect requirement from the permit. The City lists a narrow set of repairs that need no permit, but only when they avoid cutting away part of an exterior wall, interior wall, subfloor or roof, removing a structural beam or support, changing required egress, or touching mechanical, electrical, plumbing or fuel gas systems (City of Chicago). Work that skips the permit still has to meet the codes.
• A contractor, handyman or expediter does not stand in for the architect. The City's wording is "plans prepared by" an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer (City of Chicago).
• State-level rules on who may prepare drawings are a separate question. We have not verified the state exemptions, so we do not rely on them here. If a project is small and you wonder whether state law changes the answer, ask the Department of Buildings and a licensed architect.

What it means in practice

Start with the work, then the program. Walk through these questions:

1. Is the work on the Express list? Masonry repair, reroofing within limits, porch repair, window and door replacement. If yes, check the limits above for any drawing trigger.
2. Is any part structural? A porch with failing posts or a roof with rot in the framing moves you toward plans from an architect or structural engineer.
3. Does the job change the layout? Removing walls, converting units or adding space is a plan-based job. Our guide to two-flat deconversion plans shows what plans for a bigger change must show.
4. Is a violation involved? A notice that names a structural defect may need drawings before the repair can be permitted. See when a violation needs drawings.

Specific cases get their own guides. See architect or structural engineer for a porch, and when you need as-built drawings. If you want one team for drawings, permits and the work, our design-build guide explains how that works.

Questions to ask before you hire a designer

• Are you an Illinois-licensed architect or a structural engineer?
• Which City permit program does my job belong in, and why?
• Will you prepare drawings for the City and coordinate the contractor?
• What do you need from me and from the building to start?

If your job needs drawings and the repair, our architectural services team can handle both, so the plans and the work match.

Common questions

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.