Chicago Express Permit Program Explained

Quick Facts

From our city pages and each city's open permit data (refreshed October 30, 2026).

Projects That Qualify

Reroofing

Roof repair, recovering and replacement without structural changes. An Illinois-licensed roofing contractor is required.

Mechanical (HVAC)

Replacement of residential heating and cooling equipment and new single-unit heat pumps or air conditioners, with HVAC load calculations.

Fences

Back-yard fences up to 6 ft; front-yard fences up to 4.5 ft, or 6 ft if at least 80% open. Fences up to 5 ft that meet zoning need no permit.

Porches and Decks

Repair and in-kind replacement of porches, decks and balconies within program limits.

Small Solar

Systems up to 13.44 kW inverter output, with drawings by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer.

Every Project Type in Chicago

These summaries come from the same official sources as our city pages and were last checked October 30, 2026. Permit counts are the city's own open-data records for the last 12 months.

Roofing: Depends on Slope

On a house or other residential building up to 4 stories, repairing, recovering or replacing a roof with a pitch of at least 2:12 needs no building permit. Low-slope (flat) roofs and any structural repair need a permit, usually an Express Permit, with an Illinois-licensed roofing contractor doing the work.

• No permit: repair, recover or replacement of a roof pitched 2:12 or steeper on a residential building up to 4 stories (Municipal Code 14A-4-402).
• Permit needed: any work on a low-slope roof and any structural repair.
• Express reroofing permits require an Illinois roofing contractor license; a recover over 2 or more existing layers needs structural calculations.
• Landmark properties and landmark districts may not qualify for the exemption.
• Official fees: Roof recover (no tear-off) or roof repair: $185 per area up to 5,000 sq ft; Roof replacement: $475 per area up to 5,000 sq ft.
• Chicago issued 2,791 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 2 days from application to issue.

Source: Chicago DOB: Roofing Work (work not requiring a permit)

HVAC: Not for In-Kind Swaps

In a residential building up to 4 stories, repairing or replacing a furnace, boiler or air conditioner in-kind (same type, size and shape) needs no building permit. A new system or a replacement that is not in-kind needs a permit, which the Express Permit Program covers with load calculations.

• No permit: in-kind repair or replacement of a furnace, boiler, radiator, ductwork or air conditioning appliance in a residential building up to 4 stories.
• "In-kind" means the same type, size and shape.
• Permit needed: new equipment or non-in-kind replacement; Express Permits require HVAC load calculations, and rooftop or truss-hung equipment needs a structural evaluation.
• Landmark properties may not qualify for the exemption.
• Chicago issued 401 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 37 days from application to issue.

Source: Chicago DOB: Mechanical (HVAC) Work (work not requiring a permit)

Solar Panel: Yes

New small rooftop solar systems up to 13.44 kW inverter output can use Chicago's Express Permit Program, with drawings and calculations from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer. Larger systems, roofs over 40 feet and some ballasted systems need a standard permit.

• Express Permit limit: 13.44 kW inverter output.
• Drawings and calculations by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer are required.
• Associated battery storage is generally limited to 20 kWh under the Express route.
• Chicago issued 1,615 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 10 days from application to issue.

Source: Chicago DOB Express Permit Program: Small-Scale Solar PV System · Full details: Chicago Solar Panel Permits

Fence: Sometimes

No building permit is needed for a fence no more than 5 feet high (measured on both sides) that meets the Chicago Zoning Ordinance. Taller fences use the Express Permit Program; front-yard fences are limited to 4.5 feet, or 6 feet if at least 80% open, and anything over 6 feet needs zoning approval.

• Exempt: fences up to 5 ft that conform to zoning.
• Express Permit: back-yard fences up to 6 ft; front-yard fences up to 4.5 ft, or 6 ft if 80% open.
• Masonry fences need drawings by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer.
• Chicago issued 1,209 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 2 days from application to issue.

Source: Chicago DOB: Fences (work not requiring a permit) · Full details: Chicago Fence Permits

Deck: Usually Yes

A permit is needed for most porch and deck work. The exceptions are in-kind replacement of non-structural parts (deck boards, treads, pickets) and in-kind repair or replacement of a whole porch, deck or stair system no more than 6 feet above ground with a landing of 50 sq ft or less.

• Exempt: in-kind replacement of deck boards, stair treads or railing pickets (if no violation has been issued).
• Exempt: in-kind rebuild of a porch or deck up to 6 ft high with a landing of 50 sq ft or less.
• New decks, size or layout changes and enclosed porches need a plan-based permit.
• Chicago issued 1,350 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 13 days from application to issue.

Source: Chicago DOB: Porches, Decks and Balconies (work not requiring a permit)

Step-by-Step: What to Do

1. Check the Department of Buildings Express page for your work type and confirm the job is inside its limits.
2. Hire the licensed contractors the program requires (or, for some fences, act as owner-contractor with Form 401).
3. The applicant files online and pays the fee; the permit issues without plan review.
4. Do the work and schedule the required inspections.
5. Keep the permit and inspection results with your house records.

2026 Roof Permit Fees

Chicago's 2026 fee tables charge $185 per area of up to 5,000 sq ft for roof recover or repair, and $475 per area of up to 5,000 sq ft for roof replacement. The city has published a new table taking effect January 1, 2027, so check the current table before you budget.

Chicago Permit Pages

For live counts and recent permits, see Chicago Roofing Permits, Chicago HVAC Permits and Chicago Deck Permits, or start at Chicago Building Permits.

When a Project Falls Outside the Program

Express Permits are for routine work within the program's limits. Structural changes, new porches rather than in-kind repair, larger solar systems or work outside the listed scopes go through Chicago's standard permit process with plan review, which takes longer. Chicago's own permit records also show permits issued to legalize unpermitted work; see What Happens If You Build Without a Permit? for why it pays to get the permit first.

Solar Express Permit Limits

The Department of Buildings' solar Express page sets these limits for residential systems:

• Inverter output of 13.44 kW or less; energy storage up to 20 kWh (a lower 10 kWh limit applies to some battery types).
• New installations need drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer.
• The job needs a licensed general contractor and a licensed electrical contractor, and the installer needs ICC Distributed Generation Installer certification.
• Not eligible: roofs with an average height over 40 ft, ballasted systems on sloped roofs or roofs higher than 15 ft, adhesive attachment, and arrays whose panel output exceeds 155% of the inverter rating.

Systems outside these limits go through standard plan review.

Fence Express Permit Limits

Fences qualify for an Express Permit when they stay within these limits:

• Front yard: up to 4.5 ft, or up to 6 ft if the fence is at least 80% open.
• Side and rear yard: up to 6 ft.
• Up to 15 ft with zoning approval.
• Existing fences built without a permit can be legalized through the program.
• Masonry fences need drawings from an architect or structural engineer.

An owner acting as their own general contractor files Form 401 with ID showing they live at the address.

Who Issues Permits in Chicago

Residential permits in Chicago are issued by the Chicago Department of Buildings. Its website has the current application portal, fee schedule and inspection scheduling. Issued permits are published as open data in Chicago Building Permits, which is the source of the permit counts and recent permits shown on our Chicago pages. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the department before you start work.

Frequently Asked Questions