Chicago Permit Requirements: Which Permit Do I Need? A One-Page Worksheet

Step 1: What kind of work is it?

Check every line that describes the job.

• Brick or stone repair, tuckpointing, lintel or parapet work (masonry)
• Roof repair, recover or replacement
• Porch, deck, balcony or fire escape repair
• Window or door replacement
• Fence, retaining wall or trash enclosure
• Concrete sidewalk, patio, walkway or driveway
• Tearing down all or most of a building or garage
• Digging, grading or excavation
• New construction, an addition, or changing walls, rooms or the number of units

The City's Express Permit Program covers masonry, reroofing, porch and deck repair, exterior windows and doors, fences, detached frame garages, interior nonstructural work, preparatory demolition and scaffolding, among others. If your job is not on that list, or involves new construction or structural change, plan on a different process (Step 4).

Step 2: Does it fit the no-permit list?

The City publishes a list of work that does not need a building permit. Check only what is fully true. These are narrow, and a "maybe" means ask the Department of Buildings.

• Replacing up to 50 square feet of brick, stone or concrete with the same material, on a residential building up to four stories (City list)
• Replacing a window or door in the existing opening, or siding, in kind (City list)
• Repair that does not cut away part of an exterior wall, interior wall, subfloor or roof, does not touch a structural beam, column or support, does not change required exits, and is not electrical, plumbing, mechanical or gas (City list)
• A fence up to 5 feet that meets zoning, or a retaining wall up to 4 feet with no surcharge (City list)
• A concrete or brick sidewalk, patio or walkway on private property, not more than 30 inches above grade and not over a basement (City list)
• Routine porch maintenance such as power washing or painting, or replacing non-structural pieces like deck boards, stair treads or pickets when you have no violation (DOB porch page)
• Grading or excavation no deeper than 5 feet below grade on private property (City list)

Three traps. Landmark buildings need a permit for exterior work even on otherwise exempt repairs (City list). On a flat or low-slope roof, the City says a permit is required for any work on low-slope roofs, so do not assume a roof repair is exempt just because it is small. And exempt does not mean uninspected: the work still has to meet code.

Step 3: Does it touch the street, sidewalk or alley?

• Scaffolding will stand on the sidewalk or in the parkway
• A dumpster will sit in the street or alley
• Materials will be stored on the public way
• A new structure will extend into the public way

Any yes means a separate permit. Use of the public way for construction comes from the Chicago Department of Transportation, not from your building permit. Ask your contractor who is pulling it.

Step 4: Which lane does the permit run through?

Match your job to the closest line.

• Repair-type work from Step 1 that fits Express limits: online Express Permit Program, which replaced the old paper Easy Permit in November 2023
• Work that needs architectural drawings, a new building, or a larger project: Standard Plan Review, which requires drawings from an architect
• An architect or structural engineer who is registered for the City's self-certification program: ask them whether that lane fits
• Demolition of a building or most of it: a separate wrecking permit (see the demolition permit checklist)

Not sure? The City lists all of these programs on its permits page. Our expediting team can read your job and tell you which one it is before you pay for drawings you may not need.

Step 5: Who is allowed to file and do the work?

• The contractor holds the right Chicago license for the trade (general contractor, mason, plumbing, electrical), and a roofer also holds an Illinois roofing license
• You asked for the license and the permit number before work starts
• If you plan to act as your own contractor: the building is your primary residence, three stories or fewer, six units or fewer, one property per year (owner-contractor rules)
• You know that a general contractor license is required for most building work in Chicago, including some work that is exempt from a permit

Demolition and excavation are not open to owner-contractors under the City's exception, so do not plan on pulling those yourself. See our permit pillar guide for who can file what.

What to do with your answers

Read your boxes like this.

• Step 2 is fully true and Step 3 is empty: you likely do not need a building permit. Still call the Department of Buildings if any line was a "maybe." Work still has to meet code.
• Step 2 is not fully true, Step 3 is empty: plan on a permit. Find your lane in Step 4 and ask your contractor for the permit number before the first day.
• Any yes in Step 3: add a public way permit to the schedule. It is separate and it is easy to forget.
• A Step 1 line about structure, additions, or unit count: expect drawings. Do not start work, and do not pay a contractor to start, until you know which lane you are in.

Do not start work first and ask later. Work done without a required permit can draw a stop work order, a tripled permit fee and an enforcement case, and you may have to correct or remove the work. Our article on work that needs no permit explains the exemption list in more depth, and the Express Permit explainer covers what that lane does and does not skip.

If your answers are still unclear, send us the job. We will tell you straight whether it needs a permit and handle the filing if it does.