In Chicago, the licensed contractor doing the work normally pulls the permit. An owner can pull it only by qualifying as the contractor: the building is your primary residence, three stories or fewer, six units or fewer, one property per calendar year. Then you take on responsibility for worker safety, inspections and code compliance. If a contractor asks you to pull the permit so they can skip their own license, that is a red flag worth stopping on.
A contractor says, "Just pull the permit yourself, it's faster, I'll tell you what to put." Sometimes that is a time saver. Sometimes it is a way to move the risk of the job onto you. Who pulls the building permit in Chicago decides who the City treats as responsible, so it is worth understanding before you say yes.
Who normally pulls the permit?
The licensed contractor. The City requires a general contractor license for most building construction, alteration, repair and demolition work, and only one general contractor is allowed on a project at a time (City of Chicago). Masonry permits go through a licensed mason contractor, and reroofing needs a licensed general contractor, with the contractor or roofing subcontractor holding a valid Illinois roofing license (City of Chicago).
The permit shows who is taking responsibility for the work. You should be able to ask for the permit number before work starts and look it up.
When can you pull it yourself?
The City exempts an owner from the general contractor license for work on an individual's primary residence, when it is three stories or fewer with six or fewer units and no nonresidential use. It is one property per calendar year, and excavation and demolition are excluded (City of Chicago). The mason license has a matching owner exception (City of Chicago).
For the Express Permit, the City asks for its owner-as-contractor form plus a government ID showing you live at the property. By acting as the contractor, you take on responsibility for worker safety, scheduling inspections and code compliance (City of Chicago). The step-by-step rules are in pulling a Chicago permit as an owner. Requirements change, so confirm them with the Department of Buildings.
Why would a contractor ask you to pull it?
Sometimes the reason is innocent: you are a homeowner who wants to hire several people directly, or the contractor is a specialist without a general license. But the request is also a pattern we hear about. A contractor who is not licensed, or does not want their name on the inspection history, asks the owner to pull it. Then the owner holds the responsibility a license is meant to carry.
Ask the contractor plainly:
- Do you hold a Chicago license for this kind of work? What is the license number?
- Why do you want the permit in my name?
- If I pull it, who is responsible for the inspections and for fixing what fails?
- Who is on site, and who supervises?
You can verify any Chicago contractor's license in a few minutes. A contractor who is licensed has no reason to push the permit onto you. More patterns like this are in Chicago contractor red flags.
On two-flats and three-flats, owner-pulled permits show up mostly when the work was already underway or the crew has no license. The owner ends up as the responsible party for a job they did not control.
What should you do?
If you qualify and want to act as your own contractor, do it knowing you are taking the safety, inspection and compliance role. If you do not want that role, hire a licensed contractor and have them pull the permit under their own license. For the whole sequence of hiring well, see the Chicago contractor hiring guide. If you want a licensed crew that handles the permit paperwork, ask us for an estimate.
Common questions
Be careful. By pulling it as owner-contractor, you take on responsibility for worker safety, inspections and code compliance. Ask why the contractor wants this, whether they hold the right license, and who will answer for failed inspections. If they are licensed, they should pull it.
Yes, if the building is your primary residence, three stories or fewer, six units or fewer, and it is one property per calendar year. Excavation and demolition are excluded from the general contractor exemption. Confirm current rules with the Department of Buildings.
The City asks for its owner-as-contractor form plus a government ID that shows you live at the property. Rules and forms change, so check the Department of Buildings' current Express Permit page before you apply.
Sources
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: General Contractor License
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: General Contractor License FAQ
- City of Chicago: Guide to Building Permits: Mason Contractor License FAQ
- City of Chicago, Department of Buildings: Porch and Deck Safety
- City of Chicago: Express Permit Program: Reroofing
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.