What needs a permit, and what doesn't
From the Department of Buildings' HVAC exemption list and its express HVAC page (read 23 October 2026):
| Job | Permit in Chicago? |
|---|---|
| Portable heater, window or portable AC, cooking appliance | No |
| Repairing an existing heating, cooling or ventilation appliance; replacing parts without lowering efficiency | No |
| Repairing or replacing in kind a furnace, boiler, radiator, ductwork or AC, home up to 4 stories | No |
| Self-contained unit with 10 lb of refrigerant or less and a motor of 1 hp or less | No, but a hardwired connection needs an electrical permit |
| Replacing equipment with equipment "performing the same function", including a change of fuel | Yes, express |
| New heat pump or AC serving one dwelling unit | Yes, express, with a load calculation and site plan |
| Rooftop equipment, or equipment hung from a truss | Yes, express, with a structural letter from an Illinois architect or engineer |
| Equipment below the Chicago Energy Transformation Code's minimum efficiency | Not eligible |
The in-kind exemption is narrow: "the same type, size, and shape". Swapping an 80,000 BTU furnace for an identical one is exempt; replacing a furnace and central AC with a heat pump, or a boiler with a furnace, is not, and goes in as a replacement "performing the same function" (the City notes "OK to change energy source"). The exemptions "may not apply" to a Chicago Landmark, and asbestos work may need a notification to the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Who can pull it
Chicago has no separate HVAC contractor license on its permit pages. The express HVAC permit requires "A licensed general contractor (Class A, B, C, D, or E, based on total project cost)". The City's general contractor page lets an individual act as general contractor without a license on "an entirely residential property that is the individual's primary residence", up to 6 units and 3 stories, for "only one property in a calendar year". If a subcontractor will schedule the inspections, it must be listed as an "Other Construction Subcontractor", which only a licensed general contractor can be.
That owner route shows in the data: the name filed most often on Chicago HVAC permits in the last 12 months was Owner As HVAC Contractor, with 34. If an installer suggests filing in your name, the permit and its inspections become your responsibility.
The wiring is separate: the electrical express permit cannot be used for "space heating equipment", but a new circuit for an air conditioner is one of its subtypes, filed by a licensed electrical contractor (Electrical Work).
How to apply, and what it costs
Apply online through the Express Permit Program. Uploads: at least one photo of the existing condition and an energy and water efficiency compliance form; a drawing if ductwork, hydronic or gas piping is extended or reconfigured; and for a new heat pump or AC, an HVAC load calculation (the City names ACCA Manual J) and a site plan to scale. The fee is set by section 14A-12-1204.2; the 2026 Amended fee tables (effective 6 January 2026) are linked from Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit. We could not open the tables, so no amount is quoted.
What 5,358 Chicago HVAC permits show
| Measure | Chicago HVAC |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 5,358 |
| Contractors and owners filing | 1,139 |
| Filers with exactly one permit | 517 (45.4%) |
| Filers with a permit in the last 12 months | 669 |
| Marked complete (permits a year or more old) | 21.2% |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 7.7% / 35.3% |
| Estimated usual days to completion | 1,099 |
| Busiest / quietest month | April (index 121) / December (77) |
Chicago HVAC is more fragmented than the city's electrical or plumbing work: the five busiest filers hold only 7.1% of permits (electrical 21.7%, plumbing 13.4%), and 45.4% of filers appear once. Because in-kind furnace and AC swaps are exempt, these permits lean toward new systems, heat pumps and work inside bigger renovations, which is part of why they stay open so long. HVAC permits here carry no job value; for prices see HVAC replacement cost.
See every Chicago HVAC contractor by permits marked complete →
Related
Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for HVAC replacement. The equipment decision: what is a heat pump and HVAC repair vs replacement. Choosing an installer: hiring an HVAC contractor. Chicago counts by year and month: Chicago permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Exempt in-kind replacements never reach the permit file, so these counts are not a count of furnaces installed. Chicago records no completion date, so days to completion is estimated. We do not match Chicago filers to the City's license list.
How we know this
Permit rules and contractor requirements are quoted from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings' mechanical exemption, general contractor and Express Permit Program pages, and fee references from its Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit page, all read 23 October 2026. Counts are City of Chicago building permits on homes classified as HVAC, October 2023 to September 2026, including permits filed with the owner as contractor. "Marked complete" uses permits a year or more old; usual days is an estimate because Chicago records no completion date.
Numbers come from City of Chicago building permits (Chicago Data Portal), data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace my furnace in Chicago?
Not if it is an in-kind replacement in a residential building up to 4 stories. The City exempts 'Repairing or replacing (in-kind) a furnace', with in-kind meaning the same type, size and shape. A furnace in a bigger building, or a change of type, needs a permit.
- Do I need a permit to install a heat pump in Chicago?
Yes when it is new or replaces a different kind of system. The express HVAC permit covers 'Installing a new heat pump or air conditioning system serving a single residential or nonresidential unit', with an HVAC load calculation and a site plan uploaded. Replacing a furnace with a heat pump is not in kind.
- Who can pull an HVAC permit in Chicago?
The express HVAC permit requires a licensed general contractor, Class A to E. An individual may act as general contractor, without a license, on their own primary residence with no more than 6 units and no building over 3 stories, for one property a calendar year.
- How long does an HVAC permit take to close in Chicago?
Our estimate of the usual time to completion for Chicago HVAC permits is 1,099 days, and only 21.2% of those a year or more old were marked complete. Chicago records no completion date, so the figure is rough.
- How much is an HVAC permit in Chicago?
The fee is set by section 14A-12-1204.2 of the Chicago Construction Codes (stand-alone permit fees); the 2026 Amended fee tables are linked from the City's Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit page. Chicago HVAC permits carry no job value, so our file has no price.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Ames building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Ames? Yes: what is exempt, homeowner permits, the $56.23 base fee and inspections
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Anaheim? The mechanical permit for a furnace or AC change-out, fees and inspections
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Arlington, VA? The like-for-like exemption, the gas exception and zoning
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Elk Grove? Yes for a furnace, AC or mini-split: the minor permit, who can apply, and timing
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Greensboro? Furnace and AC replacement, fees and inspections
For one city
- What types of work do not require a building permit? Mechanical (HVAC) Work — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Permit Program: Mechanical (HVAC) Work — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Does my project require a licensed general contractor? — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Permit Program: Electrical Work — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Permit Program — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)