Deck 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 a deck.
A permit is not required to paint or power wash a porch, deck, or balcony. Where the building has not received a building code violation, a permit is not required to replace a non-structural element such as a deck board, stair tread, or railing picket in kind. In a residential building up to four stories, or an associated accessory building, a permit is not required to repair or replace in kind an entire exterior porch, deck, or stair system that is no more than 6 feet above the ground and has a landing area of 50 square feet or less.
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Sources
- deck — permit rules ↗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.
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Retaining wall permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
- General building work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Chicago before you build.