Hey Chicago homeowner!
If you’re planning a renovation, or you’re buying a home where someone else already did one, we need to talk about permits. Unpermitted work can hold up a closing, tank an appraisal, void an insurance claim, or force a buyer to negotiate a price cut for something the seller thought was long finished.
This week, we’re covering what requires a permit in Chicago, what the process looks like, and what buyers and sellers should check before a renovation or a sale.
Welcome back to our weekly article on all things Chicago by the Ben Lalez Team. We sell a whole lot of real estate in Chicago, while promoting all the best things we love about the city.
Let’s get into permits!
When You Need A Permit
The City of Chicago’s official documentation says this about permits:
It is unlawful to construct, enlarge, alter, rehabilitate, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy classification of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert, or replace any fire protection, electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system, or conveyance device, the installation of which is regulated by the Chicago Construction Codes, or to cause any such work to be performed, unless a permit for such work has first been obtained from the building official in accordance with this chapter or the work is exempt from permit under Section 14A-4-402.
You don’t need a permit for most cosmetic work: painting, replacing flooring, wallpaper, cabinetry that doesn’t touch plumbing or electrical, and in-kind replacement of things like windows, doors, or fences under 5 feet, as long as the size and location stay the same.
Also, if you own a single-family home or a building with three units or less: up to 1,000 square feet of drywall without altering the structure, plumbing, or electrical behind it doesn’t need a permit, and neither does interior stair repair within the same footprint, in-kind replacement of toilets and faucets, or low-voltage wiring for things like doorbells and thermostats.
One important caveat: none of these exceptions apply if the building is a Chicago Landmark or is located in a Chicago Landmark District. Landmark properties need permits and Landmark approval for most exterior changes, even ones that would otherwise be exempt.
If you’re not sure whether your specific project needs one, the city provides this link for you to check based on the type of work you’re doing, or you can access the full list of exemptions.
The Different Permit Paths
Chicago’s Department of Buildings has several review tracks depending on the size and complexity of the project.
Express Permit Program
This is the streamlined path for smaller, well-defined projects: replacing windows or doors in the same location, certain roof repairs, tuckpointing, and nonstructural interior work. It’s fully online and lets homeowners and contractors apply, pay, and in many cases get approved the same day. Nonstructural interior alterations up to 2,000 square feet in a single residential unit can qualify, including electrical work, HVAC additions, and limited plumbing changes, as long as walls and doorways for rooms (other than closets) aren’t being reconfigured. Once you start moving walls or doors, adding new interior stairs, or touching a space that’s changing use (like turning a garage into living space), you need drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer, even under the Express path.
Standard Plan Review
This is the typical process for most mid-size renovations: layout changes, additions, basement conversions to living space, and full gut rehabs. It requires a complete online application with sealed architectural drawings, and the project goes through separate technical reviews for architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and zoning.
Self-Certification
Available when your architect or structural engineer has completed the city’s special training and is registered to self-certify that plans meet code, which can speed up review for eligible projects.
Developer Services
Reserved for large or complex projects, like high-rises over 80 feet or buildings with 50 or more units. As a homeowner, you can ignore this track.
How Long It Takes
Express Permits can be issued in minutes to the same day once the application and fees are submitted.
Standard Plan Reviews can be anywhere from 4 to 16 weeks, depending on whether a zoning review is required. Many people who have gone through the process report average approval times to take more than 80+ days (longer than in many other large U.S. cities). If your renovation timeline depends on a permit clearing by a certain date, build in a buffer, especially if the project needs zoning sign-off on top of the standard building review.
Remember that once they’re issued, permits aren’t indefinite. Work generally needs to start within six months of permit payment, and permits stay valid for a defined period after that. If a project stalls past that window, you may need to renew or reapply. For buyers and sellers, open permits that were never closed out can come up during due diligence and may need to be resolved before closing. We’ll talk more about this shortly.
Inspections Are Not Optional
A permit gives you permission to start the project. But inspections are what confirm the work meets code, and skipping them, or not scheduling them at the right point in the project, is why some homeowners end up with an open, unresolved permit years later when they’re selling.
For larger renovations and additions, the typical sequence covers foundation, rough framing, rough electrical/plumbing/mechanical, insulation, and a final inspection, plus any specialty inspections the project needs.
For interior remodels, the two important inspections are:
- rough-in inspection, done before walls get closed up so the city can see the plumbing and electrical
- final inspection for occupancy or completion
If an inspection fails, you’ll need to make corrections and schedule a re-inspection, which adds time and sometimes additional fees. Once every required inspection passes, the permit is formally closed. Until then, it stays open on the city’s records, even if the work itself looks finished.
What Happens If You Skip The Permit
Doing work without required permits can lead to serious consequences. The city may issue a stop‑work order and fines if a project doesn’t have necessary permits or if work exceeds what the permit allows. Fines can begin in the low thousands per violation and escalate with repeated offenses, and the city can require demolition of unpermitted work that cannot be brought up to code. Always apply for permits where required!
For a buyer or seller, the bigger risk beyond a fine is what happens at the time of a property sale. Appraisers and lenders, particularly on FHA and VA loans, are trained to flag unpermitted improvements that affect value or habitability, which can hold up financing. Standard homeowner insurance policies often exclude coverage for damage connected to work that wasn’t done under permit and inspection, which becomes a real problem if that finished basement floods or that new electrical panel causes a fire.
The Disclosure Obligation Sellers Have
Illinois’ Residential Real Property Disclosure Act requires sellers to disclose known material defects, including unpermitted work once the seller is aware of it. This isn’t optional or a matter of preference. If a seller fails to disclose known unpermitted work and a buyer finds out, the buyer can have grounds to rescind the contract within a defined window or pursue damages, and both the seller and their listing agent can carry liability if the concealment was known.
This means that if you renovated your basement ten years ago without pulling a permit and you know it, you can’t just leave it out of the disclosure paperwork when you sell. It’s better to deal with it before listing than to have it surface during a buyer’s inspection.
How To Check A Property’s Permit History
Chicago keeps building permit and inspection records public and searchable by address. The Building Permit and Inspection Records portal lets anyone pull a property’s permit history, application status, and violation records directly.
Buyers should run this search early and compare what’s on file against what they’re seeing during a walkthrough. If the listing shows a finished basement or an added bathroom that doesn’t appear in the permit history, that’s worth asking about before you’re under contract, not after.
Sellers should do the same thing to their own property before listing. If you find an old permit that was never formally closed out with a final inspection, or work that was done without a permit at all, talk to a contractor or the Department of Buildings about what it takes to resolve it, whether that means scheduling the missing inspection or applying retroactively. Resolving it before you list gives you far more control over the outcome than negotiating it after a buyer’s inspector finds it.
A Practical Checklist
- Confirm whether your specific project needs a permit using the city’s own project chart rather than assuming based on what a neighbor did.
- Figure out which review path applies (Express vs. Standard Plan Review) before you set a renovation timeline or budget.
- If you’re an owner-occupant of a single-family home or small building, check whether you qualify to act as your own contractor or use the Homeowner Assistance Program for plans.
- Budget for permit fees, design costs, and the real possibility of delays, not just the contractor’s quote.
- Schedule inspections at the right points in the project, and make sure the permit is formally closed out when the work is done.
- If you’re buying, pull the property’s permit history before you’re under contract.
- If you’re selling, review your own permit history and resolve anything open before you list.
- Keep every permit, inspection report, and contractor invoice. It matters at resale and with insurance.
Final Thoughts
We know that permits are the least exciting part of a renovation, but they’re one of the few parts of the process that follows you into the next transaction. A closing can move a lot faster when there are no surprises in the permit history, and a renovation is worth more when it’s documented as code-compliant work rather than something a future buyer’s inspector has to flag.
If you’re considering a renovation before you sell, or you’re looking at a home with work you can’t quite verify, give us a shout. We have years of experience and insight that we can share with you before you’re deep into a transaction that runs up against a permit surprise.
We hope this helps, and we’ll see you next week!
