The five programs
| Program | Who qualifies | Cost to you | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | Owner-occupants with household income below 80% of area median ($95,900 for a family of four); priority for homes with children 18 and under or elevated lead in City testing | Free, plus a free water meter if needed | A City-provided contractor |
| Homeowner-Initiated | Residential owners who hire their own contractor; standalone job, not part of a renovation; commercial and mixed-use buildings excluded | You pay the plumber; the City waives up to $5,000 in permit fees, connects the line to the main and provides a meter if there is none | A licensed plumber you choose |
| Breaks and Leaks | A lead line that breaks or leaks | Free, public and private side | Department of Water Management |
| Block-Long | Lines on blocks where the City is doing water or sewer main work | Free | Department of Water Management |
| Daycare | Licensed daycares in prioritized neighborhoods | Free | The City contacts the daycare |
Figures are from the Lead Safe Chicago program pages. The site still carries older text in places: the overview page shows an $83,350 income limit and the fee-waiver page also mentions "up to $3,100". The Equity program's own page gives $95,900, and the overview and the Homeowner-Initiated page give $5,000; the City notes the Equity program's size is "limited by the funding available".
Check your options in five minutes
- Call 311 for a free water test kit, or use the "find your options" link on the City's Lead Safe Chicago replacement page.
- If you may qualify for Equity, apply online from the Equity program page. Applications are processed in the order received and are not complete until every supporting document is in.
- If you will hire your own plumber, read the Homeowner-Initiated page and pick from the City's list of licensed plumbing contractors linked there.
What it means when you hire
- License. The plumber must be on the City's licensed plumbing contractor list; Lead Safe Chicago also publishes screening questions to ask. Our Chicago contractor license lookup shows where the City lists its licensed trades.
- Who files. The contractor tells the Department of Buildings the job qualifies for the waiver and uploads a water bill, a photo of the property and the CDOT permit. Streets under state control may need an IDOT permit with its own fees.
- Inspection and hookup. A City inspector reviews the installation and Water Management staff make the connection to the main, so the schedule depends partly on the City.
- Do not bundle it. The waiver applies only to a standalone lead line job; a quote that folds the line into a basement remodel may lose it.
- After the work. The City recommends flushing the plumbing and using an NSF-53 certified lead filter for the first three months after any construction.
What 6,680 Chicago plumbing permits show
Our Chicago plumbing category covers all residential plumbing permits, not lead lines alone, so read it as the market you are hiring from.
| Measure | Chicago plumbing |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 6,680 |
| Firms / active in the last year of data | 645 / 438 |
| Usual filed value (where filed) | $6,350 |
| Share of permits with a filed value | 14.7% |
| Firms with 10 or more permits | 169 |
| Closed within the data (permits a year or more old) | 26.9% |
| Busiest / quietest month | April (118) / December (78) |
Only 14.7% of plumbing permits carry a value, so the usual $6,350 is thin; the City's own $16,000 to $30,000 figure for a full replacement is the better guide to a lead line quote. The low closed share (26.9%) is typical of Chicago's records rather than proof of unfinished work, but it means you should ask the plumber to confirm the City inspection is booked. Demand peaks in April; a quote in December is easier to schedule.
Compare Chicago plumbers by permit record →
Related
Permit types and express permits: Chicago plumbing permit. Looking up an address: Chicago building permit search. Year-by-year counts: Chicago permit statistics. Choosing the firm: hiring a plumber.
What this does not tell you
Our records do not say which permits were lead line replacements or whether a fee was waived, and we cover the City of Chicago only, not suburbs with their own water utilities. Program terms change with funding; confirm eligibility with 311 or the City before you sign.
How we know this
Program details are from the City's Lead Safe Chicago pages (overview, Equity, Homeowner-Initiated and Breaks and Leaks), read 23 October 2026; where the site shows two figures we give the one on the program's own page and name the other. Permit counts are City of Chicago building permits on homes classified as plumbing, October 2023 to September 2026; the closed share uses permits a year or more old.
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
- Is lead pipe replacement free in Chicago?
For some owners. The Equity program replaces the whole line free for owner-occupants with household income below 80% of area median income ($95,900 for a family of four on the program page, read 23 October 2026). Lines replaced after a break or leak, or during the City's block-long main work, are also replaced free. Everyone else pays their own plumber, but the City waives the permit fees.
- How much is the Chicago lead line permit fee waiver?
The City's Lead Safe Chicago site says it will waive up to $5,000 in permit fees when a homeowner hires a contractor to replace the full lead line. An older passage on the same site still says up to $3,100, so ask the plumber what the waiver covers on your job. The request must be standalone, not part of a renovation.
- Who can replace my lead service line in Chicago?
A plumber from the City's list of licensed plumbing contractors. The contractor files the waiver through the Department of Buildings, a City inspector reviews the work, and Department of Water Management staff connect the new line to the main.
- How many lead service lines does Chicago have?
Almost 400,000, according to the City's Lead Safe Chicago site, which puts the value of a full free replacement at $16,000 to $30,000.
- What should I do if my water line breaks in Chicago?
Call 311. Lead Safe Chicago says reporting it is now mandatory, because a state law effective January 2023 requires a lead line to be fully replaced rather than patched, and the City replaces it on both the public and private side at no cost through its Breaks and Leaks program.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Cape Coral UEP: connecting to City water and sewer within 180 days, the septic abandonment, and hiring the plumber
- Cincinnati lead service line replacement: GCWW pays the whole cost, the service agreement, and when to call your own plumber
- Columbus lead service line replacement: Lead-Safe Columbus, the work agreement, and the LEAP loan
- Columbus Project Dry Basement: a free sewer backflow valve after a backup, and when you need a waterproofer instead
- NYC Local Law 152 gas piping inspections: who is exempt, which districts are due in 2026 and 2027, and hiring the plumber
- Saint Paul lead service line replacement: Lead Free SPRWS, the intent form, and hiring your own plumber
For one city
- Lead Service Line Replacement — Lead Safe Chicago (City of Chicago) (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Equity Lead Service Line Replacement Program — Lead Safe Chicago (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Homeowner-Initiated Program — Lead Safe Chicago (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Breaks and Leaks Replacement Program — Lead Safe Chicago (accessed 2026-10-23)