General building work permit checklist — Chicago, Illinois
Assembled from Chicago’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Chicago requires a permit for general building work.
A building permit is not required for painting and ordinary maintenance, for grading or excavation no deeper than 5 feet below existing grade on private property, or for a single-story detached structure no more than 15 feet tall with no plumbing and a footprint of 150 square feet or less used as a tool or storage shed, open gazebo, playhouse, or similar structure. Exemptions may not apply to properties designated as Chicago Landmarks, and separate approvals apply to work in the public way.
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Sources
- building — permit rules, building — fee schedule ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Chicago publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Chicago before you build.