Permits and licenses

Permits exist to check that work meets the city's safety codes. Department of Buildings permits help make sure construction work meets the minimum safety standards of the Chicago Construction Codes. A permit is not needed for a limited range of nonstructural repairs, minor alterations and similar work.

The city's guide lists heating and cooling work that needs no building permit. It includes repairing an existing heating, cooling or ventilation appliance, though complete replacement generally requires a permit. It also includes replacing parts of an appliance without changing what it does or lowering its efficiency. Repairing or replacing in kind a furnace or part of its heating system, such as ductwork, is on the list, and so is repairing or replacing in kind an air conditioning appliance. In-kind replacement means new materials or parts of the same type, size and shape.

Other items on the list include installing or removing a portable heater, and installing a low-voltage fixture such as a thermostat. Work done without a permit must still meet all the Chicago Construction Codes. These exceptions may not apply to a proposed or designated Chicago Landmark or a building in a landmark district. If repair work that needs a permit must be done in an emergency to prevent harm, it may start before the permit, and an application must reach the Department of Buildings the next business day.

Source: City of Chicago

Most replacement jobs go through a faster route. The Express Permit Program, launched in November 2023, is a web-based way for homeowners, building owners, tenants and their contractors to get permits to repair or replace existing parts of a building. It covers replacing existing heating, ventilation or air conditioning equipment with equipment doing the same job, and it is fine to change the energy source. It also covers installing a new heat pump or air conditioning system serving one unit, based on proper load calculations.

The load calculation may be prepared by any responsible person following industry standards, such as ACCA Manual J for homes. If the work extends or reconfigures ductwork, water piping or gas piping, a drawing of the work must be uploaded. For rooftop equipment or equipment attached to a truss, drawings by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer are required.

Some work falls outside the program, such as a new type of equipment not named as eligible, or equipment that does not meet the energy code's minimum efficiency. If an application turns out to be ineligible, review and permit fees already paid are not refunded. Every HVAC application lists a licensed general contractor, Class A to E depending on total project cost. In some cases, the owner may act as general contractor.

Source: City of Chicago

New equipment and the work around it must meet Chicago's energy code. The 2022 Chicago Energy Transformation Code, based on the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, applies to projects whose first permit application started on or after November 1, 2022. Projects whose applications started between June 1, 2019 and October 31, 2022 fall under the 2019 Chicago Energy Conservation Code.

Homes are handled under the code's residential rules. Its commercial rules apply to everything except residential occupancies of no more than four stories. Where the code applies, testing of the building envelope and of the ducts may be required. For a permit that needs architectural plans, an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer must complete an Energy Code Compliance Statement.

Source: City of Chicago

Chicago licenses the businesses that work on homes. A contractor in or doing business in Chicago needs a Home Repair license or a General Contractor license. A licensed and insured general contractor is needed for most construction, rehabilitation and tear-down work. A general contractor is not needed for a single-trade job done by a Chicago-licensed trade contractor. A home repair licensee can do the work personally but cannot hire others, while a general contractor can hire subcontractors such as plumbers or electricians.

You can sometimes act as your own general contractor. An individual may do so without a license on an entirely residential property that is their primary residence, if it has no more than 6 residential units and no building taller than 3 stories. Before hiring, ask for the license number and check for complaints with the City of Chicago. Contractors should always be insured, but taking someone's word for it can be risky.

Some parts of a job need their own trade. Electrical work that requires a building permit in Chicago must be done by a licensed electrical contractor. A Chicago plumbing contractor license is needed to install, alter, repair or maintain plumbing, except minor plumbing repairs by an owner on their own property. Electrical, masonry and plumbing contractors and subcontractors must be Chicago-licensed and named on the permit application. Under federal rules, only certified technicians can use non-exempt refrigerants to service air conditioning equipment.

Source: City of Chicago · U.S. EPA

Larger boilers in Chicago get their own inspections. The state's boiler safety law does not apply to boilers in cities of more than 500,000 people. Chicago's Municipal Code requires city inspectors to inspect all boilers and pressure vessels periodically to make sure they are safe to run. The city's Boiler Inspection Bureau inspects boilers at apartment buildings where the boiler heats four or more apartments, and at commercial buildings, schools, churches, hospitals and nursing homes. An external inspection checks safety valves, return lines and the breeching while the unit runs.

Running a larger boiler takes a license as well. A Chicago stationary engineer license is required to use, manage or operate most steam and hot water boilers, or to run a steam plant, in the city. Licensed stationary engineers must follow the laws and industry standards for safe operation of the equipment they run. If you own a building with a shared boiler, ask your boiler contractor which of these apply to you.

Source: Illinois General Assembly · City of Chicago

A leak around a rooftop unit can be a roofing job rather than a heating and cooling one. Under Illinois law, roofing or waterproofing work of any kind may be done only by a licensed roofing contractor or qualifying party. A person working on their own property, or for no pay, does not need a roofing license. Roofing work covers building, altering, maintaining and repairing roofs on homes and other buildings.

Chicago also has its own roof permit rules. A roof repair such as patching, limited to 25% of a roof surface, needs no permit if it does not cut away part of a wall or roof. Any structural repair and any work on a low-slope roof needs a building permit. The contractor doing reroofing work must have a valid Illinois roofing contractor license.

Source: Illinois General Assembly · City of Chicago