Building permits in Chicago, Illinois
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Chicago, 6 need a permit outright and 7 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 1 official source
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 13
- in Chicago
- Permits analysed
- 5,329
- in the last 12 months
- Median to issue
- 57 days
- application to issue
- Typical job value
- $118,600
- declared valuation
Chicago Department of Buildings
- 121 N. LaSalle St., 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60602
- Email: dob-info@cityofchicago.org
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Chicago
Chicago permit records are public, and you can check a property's permit history online.
What needs a permit in Chicago
Of the 13 common home projects we have verified in Chicago, 6 need a permit outright and 7 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Not specified | Nonstructural interior remodel up to 500 sq ft with no occupancy or load-bearing change... |
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Installation or alteration of a deck is $250 per dwelling unit served under the 2026... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Tiered stand-alone schedule: repair or alteration of devices on existing circuits is $75... |
| EV Charger Permit | It depends | Not specified | Not published |
| Fence Permit | It depends | fence 5 ft or less in height on private residential property does not require a permit; fences over 5 ft require a permit | Flat $150 for a nonmasonry fence up to 6 ft high per Table 14A-12-1204.2 |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No permit to repair or in-kind replace a furnace, boiler or AC in a residential building... |
| Patio Permit | It depends | at-grade noncombustible (concrete or brick) patios not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, not over a basement or story below, and not in the public way are exempt; taller, over-basement, public-way, or roofed/covered patios require a permit | Not published |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Repair or in-kind fixture replacement without altering in-wall plumbing is $75 per... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | pools with water depth greater than 48 inches on a lot with 1 to 3 residential units require a full building permit with licensed architect or engineer plans; shallower pools with volume under 5000 gallons may be exempt | Flat $400 to install a private in-ground or fixed pool or hot tub per Table... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No permit to repair, recover or replace a pitched roof of at least 2:12 slope on a... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | single-story detached tool or storage shed under 150 sq ft and not more than 15 ft tall with no plumbing does not require a permit | A single-story shed 150 sq ft or less, up to 15 ft tall with no plumbing needs no permit... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Flat $225 for a rooftop solar PV system under 13.44 kW per Table 14A-12-1204.2, plus a... |
| Water Heater Permit | It depends | Not specified | No permit to repair or in-kind replace a water heater in a residential building up to 4... |
Planning a project in Chicago?
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
Planning several things at once? Check your whole project
Schedule an inspection in Chicago
Permitted work is not finished until it passes inspection. Contractors and owner-builders request all permit-related inspections through the online forms on this page.
Schedule or request a Chicago inspection
Checked . If the office has changed its process, report it.
Chicago permit fees compared with nearby Illinois localities
| Illinois locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Installation or alteration of a deck is $250 per dwelling... | No permit to repair or in-kind replace a furnace, boiler... | Tiered stand-alone schedule: repair or alteration of... |
| Cook County | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Illinois jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Chicago permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Chicago?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 13 permit types we have verified for Chicago, 6 always require a permit (for example a deck permit), 7 depend on size or scope (a bathroom remodel permit, for instance). Each Chicago permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Chicago?
- Chicago publishes a fee for 11 of the 13 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Chicago Department of Buildings; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Chicago?
- Chicago Department of Buildings issues permits in Chicago, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks. The Chicago official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
- How long does a permit take in Chicago?
- A median of 57 days from application to issue in Chicago, measured across 5,329 issued residential permits, from the jurisdiction's open records rather than a published goal.
How the Chicago pages were verified. 13 permit types, 13 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Chicago Department of Buildings or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Chicago is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.
Permit help
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Real permit outcomes in Chicago
- Median fee
- $1,142
- across residential permits
- Median to issue
- 57 days
- 5,329 permits
- Typical job value
- $118,600
- declared valuation
Based on 5,329 residential permits issued in Chicago between 2025-07-12 and 2026-07-12: the median permit fee paid was $1,142; the median declared project value was $118,600; permits typically took 57 days to issue.
Source: City of Chicago building permits (open data), fetched . Figures are medians of actual issued-permit records, not a quote.
Permitting activity in Chicago
In 2024, Chicago authorized permits for 4,371 new residential housing units (325 single-family, 4,046 in multi-family buildings), valued at $1.1B , up from 3,616 the year before. That works out to about 1.6 permits per 1,000 residents. It is a useful gauge of how busy the local permit office is.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual data · population 2,677,643.
About Chicago
Chicago has about 1,268,199 housing units. The median home is valued at $315,200, against a median household income of $75,134. About 46% of homes are owner-occupied, and the typical home was built around 1952. Older housing stock usually means more renovation, electrical, and plumbing permits.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year.