Hiring a contractor in Chicago
Permits issued across Chicago in the last 12 months
Free guides to the City and State records that show whether a contractor is licensed, insured and pulling permits, and what Chicago homeowners report spending on common repairs.
In the last 12 months the City issued 4,702 permits for masonry, roofs, porches, heating and windows, to 1,344 licensed contractors.
City records updated Oct. 24, 2026
Six checks before you hire
Each one takes a few minutes with free public records. The full checklist shows where to look and what you’ll see.
- Look up the licenseCheck the City’s license list, or the State’s for roofers.
- Ask for proof of insuranceIllinois law sets the minimum a home repair contractor must carry.
- Look at their permitsSearch the City’s permit records by address.
- Look for complaintsAsk the Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau.
- Get three written quotesCompare the same job, priced line by line.
- Sign a written contractRequired by state law for work over $1,000.
Repair guides
What the City requires for each kind of outside work, which license to look for, and the middle cost reported on Chicago permits in the last 12 months, across every size of building.
- Masonry and tuckpointing $15,400 middle cost 1,916 permits in the last 12 months
- Roofing $25,000 middle cost 1,306 permits in the last 12 months
- Porch repair $12,500 middle cost 733 permits in the last 12 months
- Boilers and heating $30,200 middle cost 416 permits in the last 12 months
- Windows and doors $11,800 middle cost 331 permits in the last 12 months
Repairs by kind of building
Two-flats, bungalows, greystones and the rest, drawn to scale. Pick yours to see the parts that usually need work.
- Two-flat A flat on each floor, often with the owner in one. Mostly built from 1900 to 1925. More than 76,000 still stand.
- Greystone A two- or three-flat with a limestone front. Mostly 1890 to 1915. The stone front needs a mason who works in stone.
- Three-flat Three stacked flats. Tall parapets and three-level back porches mean more masonry and porch work.
- Courtyard building Three stories around a garden court. Usually owned as condos or by one landlord, so the board or owner hires the work.
- Bungalow One and a half stories of brick under a low hipped roof. More than 80,000 in the city.
- Workers’ cottage A small frame house with its gable to the street, on a tall brick base. Among the oldest houses in the city.
- Frame two-flat A two-flat in wood with a bracketed cornice. Older than most brick two-flats, with more siding and porch work.
- Raised ranch A long, low brick house with the lower floor half below ground. Common on the city’s edges, built after the war.
Brick Wood frame Stone Iron
Repair work by neighborhood
Permits for these five kinds of work in each of Chicago’s 77 community areas over the last 12 months. West Town had the most, with 258.
Common questions
How do I check a contractor’s license in Chicago?
Search the City of Chicago’s trade contractor license lookup by name or license number. It lists general, mason, plumbing, electrical and elevator contractors, with each license’s expiry date and, for general contractors, the date their insurance or bond runs to. Roofers are licensed by the State of Illinois instead.
Do I need a permit for this work?
Masonry repair, reroofing, structural porch repair, heating replacement and window replacement are all City permit work, and each can often go through the Express Permit Program online. Painting a porch or power washing it needs no permit. Each repair guide lists what the City says for that kind of work.
How much insurance must a contractor carry in Illinois?
The Home Repair and Remodeling Act sets $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, and $50,000 per occurrence for property damage, unless the business has a net worth of at least $1 million.
Where do I report a contractor?
The Illinois Attorney General takes complaints about home repair contractors. Its consumer fraud line in Chicago is 1-800-386-5438. For a dangerous porch or building, call 311.
Sources: City of Chicago license lookup · Express Permit Program · Home Repair and Remodeling Act · Illinois Attorney General