InstaBidsChicago permit search: look up, apply and check a permit
Search Chicago permits by street address on the Department of Buildings records site, which returns the permits, inspections and violation records on file there. The department issues permits, and the city says A permit is required before beginning most types of construction, demolition, and repair work in Chicago. Search Chicago permit and inspection records
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Chicago permit numbers at a glance
| Time to pay for a permit once the city says it is ready for payment | Within 120 days of that notification; the permit becomes active once payment is received.City of Chicago :: Current Operations: Frequently Asked Questions, City of Chicago, read 2026-10-30 |
|---|---|
| Time to begin work after payment | 180 days for a plan-based building permit; 365 days for an Express Permit Program permit.City of Chicago :: Current Operations: Frequently Asked Questions, City of Chicago, read 2026-10-30 |
| Time to pass a first inspection before the permit expires | 540 days (approximately 18 months) from the date you may begin work.Does my building permit expire?, City of Chicago, read 2026-10-30 |
| New housing units authorized in 2025, City of Chicago (Census place file) | 3,916 units, 371 of them in one-unit buildings and 2,899 in buildings with 5 or more unitsCensus Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual county file 2025, City of Chicago (Census Bureau place file) (county grain), read 2026-10-30 |
How to search a permit by address in Chicago
Open the Department of Buildings records page and choose Get Started Online. The records site first shows a user agreement; tick “I accept the terms of this license” and submit, then type the street address.
Use this site to search building permit, inspection and violation records by address.
Source: City of Chicago :: Search Building Department Records, read 2026-10-30
For an address on file, the search returns its address range, building attributes, building permits, enforcement case activity, the inspections the department ran and the alleged code violations it cited.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Chicago?
Not for a low fence. In the city’s list of work that needs no building permit, the Fences heading includes a fence of no more than 5 feet above the ground, measured on both sides, that conforms to the Chicago Zoning Ordinance.
Installing a fence that is no more than 5 feet above the ground (measured on both sides) and that conforms to the Chicago Zoning Ordinance
Source: Full List, read 2026-10-30
Taller fences go through the Express Permit Program, which lists a backyard fence up to 6 feet tall and a front yard fence up to 4.5 feet (54 inches) tall among its eligible fence jobs.
Do I need a permit to repair or replace a roof in Chicago?
On a residential building up to 4 stories above grade, or its garage on the same lot, roof repair, recover or replacement on a pitched roof needs no building permit, but structural repair and low-slope roofs do. On any building, a patch limited to 25% of the area of a roof surface is also on the no-permit list.
Performing roof repair, recover, or replacement on a roof with a pitch of at least 2:12 (A building permit is required for any structural repair and any work on low-slope roofs.)
Source: Full List, read 2026-10-30
When a permit is needed, reroofing is one of the Express Permit Program’s job types, covering roof repair, roof recover and roof replacement.
Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Chicago?
Not for a like-for-like swap in a residential building up to 4 stories above grade: the city lists repairing or replacing a hot water heater in-kind, meaning with one of the same type, size and shape, as work that needs no building permit.
Repairing or replacing (in-kind) a hot water heater
Source: Full List, read 2026-10-30
“In-kind replacement” means replacement of existing materials, objects, or elements using new materials, objects, or elements of the same type, size, and shape.
Source: Full List, read 2026-10-30
The same list covers an air conditioning appliance on the same terms.
Do I need a permit to replace a window in Chicago?
In a residential building up to 4 stories above grade, repairing or replacing a window or skylight in-kind in the existing opening needs no building permit. A new opening in an exterior wall or roof is not eligible for the Express Permit Program, which handles replacement windows, doors and skylights in existing openings.
Repairing or replacing (in-kind) an exterior window or skylight in the existing opening
Source: Full List, read 2026-10-30
Do I need a permit for a shed in Chicago?
Not for a small one. The no-permit list covers a single-story detached tool or storage shed up to 15 feet tall, without plumbing, with a footprint of 150 square feet or less.
Installing, altering, or removing a single-story detached structure that is not more than 15 feet tall, without plumbing, and used as a tool or storage shed, open gazebo, playhouse, or similar use, or that is purely decorative (such as a sculpture), provided that the footprint is 150 square feet or less
Source: Full List, read 2026-10-30
Can a homeowner pull their own permit in Chicago?
Yes, on your own home, within limits. The Department of Buildings lets an individual act as general contractor without a general contractor license for work on an entirely residential property that is their primary residence, with no more than 6 residential units and no buildings taller than 3 stories.
An individual may act as general contractor, without obtaining a license, for work on an entirely residential property that is the individual’s primary residence (as shown on an Illinois driver’s license or similar government-issued ID) if there are no more than 6 residential units and no buildings taller than 3 stories on the property or proposed for the property.
Source: Does my project require a licensed general contractor?, read 2026-10-30
Two limits come with it: the exemption covers one property in a calendar year, and it does not reach work that needs a demolition permit or excavation notice. On the application, an owner acting as general contractor uploads the Owner as contractor form (Form 401) and a government issued ID showing they live at the address of the work.
Plumbing has its own rule: the owner, occupant or lessee of a detached single-family residence may personally install, alter or repair its plumbing. The work must meet the Chicago Plumbing Code and is subject to inspection, and anyone they hire for plumbing must be a plumbing contractor holding the city license.
What work does not need a permit in Chicago?
A building permit is not needed for a limited range of site work, nonstructural repairs, minor alterations, and non-occupied structures.
Source: Full List, read 2026-10-30
Examples from the list: painting, wallpapering, tiling, carpeting and new cabinets or countertops with no plumbing or electrical connections, and removing and replacing up to 1,000 square feet of drywall or plaster without touching mechanical, electrical or plumbing systems.
One caution the city prints under the list: these exceptions may not apply to a proposed or designated Chicago Landmark or a property in a landmark district.
How much is a permit and how long does it take in Chicago?
The fee depends on the job. The city’s Get Started Online fee calculator estimates the cost of a building permit from construction type, occupancy type, area in square feet and project scope, and it reflects the fee structure for permits issued in calendar year 2026. Certain fees are adjusted each year with the Consumer Price Index, and the 2027 rates apply from January 1, 2027.
On timing, a permit must be paid for within 120 days of the notice that it is ready for payment. You then have 180 days from payment to begin work on a plan-based permit and 365 days on an Express Permit Program permit, where beginning work means altering a wall, floor, ceiling or structural element; different deadlines may apply to projects with special zoning terms, such as planned developments.
You then have 180 days from the date of payment to "begin" work for a plan-based building permit and 365 days for a permit issued through the Express Permit Program.
Source: City of Chicago :: Current Operations: Frequently Asked Questions, read 2026-10-30
Inspections are yours to request, rough and final, and permit-related inspections are requested through the city’s online form. If no first inspection is passed within 540 days of the date you may begin work, the permit expires.
Before you apply in Chicago: checklist
The property PIN, which the city says you can look up on the Cook County Assessor website, and a designated emergency contact.
Basic information about the main building: its number of stories and the number and type of units.
For a reroofing permit, at least 1 photograph of the existing condition.
In a condominium, a letter signed by the association that briefly describes the work.
If you act as your own general contractor, Form 401 and a government issued ID showing you live at the address.
Chicago permit application
Smaller jobs go through the Express Permit Program, which you start with Apply Online; some small projects need no drawings. Plan-based permits are filed by an Illinois architect or engineer, or a city expediter, each holding the license the city names. Electronic and in-person filings sit in one queue and are processed in the order received.
The Express Permit Program includes a fully web-enabled customer platform allowing users to apply for building permits for most types of building repairs and administrative changes to issued permits, as well as a limited range of small improvement projects.
Source: City of Chicago :: Express Permit Program, read 2026-10-30
Chicago permit status
Use the city’s Building Permit Application Status site to follow an application. An Express Permit Program applicant can also check status, pay and see inspection results in the same web account, where inspection results show right away to the owner and the contractors listed.
Check the status of a building permit application online.
Source: City of Chicago :: Building Permit Application Status, read 2026-10-30
Chicago building permit records
Past permits and inspections are public: the Department of Buildings records site gives public access to the building permit and inspection records it keeps, searched by address.
This application provides public access to building permit and inspection records maintained by the City of Chicago Department of Buildings.
Source: Building Permit and Inspection Records: Agreement, read 2026-10-30
Work done without a permit can show up there too: when the city finds it, a city employee issues a stop work order and posts warning notices on the property.
How do I contact the Chicago building department?
The Department of Buildings takes questions by phone, email or online, and it has a walk-in front desk on the 9th floor of City Hall. Walk-in help goes first to homeowners and business tenants with limited web access, and no permit application is processed on a walk-in basis.
At City Hall (121 North LaSalle Street): Department of Buildings staff are available at the 9th floor front desk Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to answer general questions about Department of Buildings programs and permitting processes and accept drop-off of permit-application-related documents.
Source: City of Chicago :: Current Operations: Frequently Asked Questions, read 2026-10-30
Sources
- Why do I need a building permit? (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- City of Chicago :: Search Building Department Records (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- City of Chicago :: Building Permit Application Status (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- Welcome (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- City of Chicago :: Current Operations: Frequently Asked Questions (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- Does my building permit expire? (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual county file 2025 (www2.census.gov), row 2025,17,147700 (Chicago, IL, place file), Units cells summed: 1-based column 19 ('1-unit' Units) + column 22 ('2-units' Units) + column 25 ('3-4 units' Units) + column 28 ('5+ units' Units), columns counted from 1 as the file's header counts them, read 2026-10-30
- Building Permit and Inspection Records: Agreement (webapps1.cityofchicago.org), read 2026-10-30
- Full List (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- Fence or Trash Enclosure (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- Reroofing (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- Exterior Window or Door Replacement (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- Does my project require a licensed general contractor? (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- Does my project require a licensed plumbing contractor? (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- City of Chicago :: Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- City of Chicago :: 2027 Fees (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- City of Chicago :: Inspections and Reports (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- City of Chicago :: Express Permit Program (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- Apply for a Building Permit (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30
- What happens if I start work without a required building permit? (chicago.gov), read 2026-10-30