What needs a permit, and what doesn't
From the Department of Buildings' masonry exemption list and its express masonry page (read 23 October 2026):
| Job | Permit? | Drawings by an Illinois architect or structural engineer? |
|---|---|---|
| In-kind replacement of up to 50 sq ft of masonry, home up to 4 stories | No | No |
| Concrete or brick patio, sidewalk or walkway off the public way, not over 30 in above grade | No | No |
| In-kind replacement of a driveway or parking pad | No | No |
| Tuckpointing and routine wall repair, up to 50,000 sq ft | Yes, express | No |
| Replacing the outer wythe of a wall | Yes, express | No |
| Lintel up to 6 ft span | Yes, express | No |
| Lintel over 6 ft, up to 25 ft | Yes, express | Yes |
| Parapet rebuild up to 2,500 sq ft (not over 48 in high) | Yes, express | No |
| Concrete repair up to 100 sq ft / up to 5,000 sq ft | Yes, express | No / Yes |
| New masonry structure, rebuilding every wythe, lintel over 25 ft | Yes, not express (plan review) | Yes |
The exemptions "may not apply" to a Chicago Landmark or a landmark district. Grinding and masonry cleaning must follow dust-control rules and "may also require an air quality permit" from the Chicago Department of Public Health.
Who can pull it
A licensed mason contractor, which "must employ an experienced supervising mason" (Does my project require a licensed mason contractor?). The class matters: the express page accepts Class A, B or C, but "For brick work, you cannot use a Class C mason" and "For concrete work, you cannot use a Class B mason."
The City lists seven exceptions to the license. The ones a homeowner meets most:
- Your own home: an individual may act as mason contractor on "an entirely residential property that is the individual's primary residence" with no more than 6 units and no building over 3 stories, for "only one property in a calendar year". The application then needs Form 401 and ID showing you live there.
- Small and flat work: no mason license is needed for repairs that need no permit, brick or concrete sidewalks, concrete paving, slab foundations for sheds and garages, or foundations for fences, decks and open porches.
Check a mason under Mason on Licensed Trade Contractors, and confirm the class fits brick or concrete.
How to apply, and what it costs
Apply online through the Express Permit Program. Every masonry application needs at least one photo of the existing condition. The City advises verifying "the dimensions and areas of work as these may change the types of contractors and professionals you are required to identify", which is the 6-foot lintel and 100-square-foot concrete lines above. Fees are set by sections 14A-12-1204.2 and 14A-12-1204.3 (permit fee factors); the 2026 Amended fee tables (effective 6 January 2026) are linked from the City's Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit page. We could not open the tables, so no amount is quoted.
What 5,706 Chicago masonry permits show
| Measure | Chicago masonry and tuckpointing |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 5,706 |
| Firms | 563 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months | 401 |
| Usual filed value | $9,600 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $5,600 to $15,000 |
| Share of permits with a filed value | 35.5% |
| Marked complete (permits a year or more old) | 40.8% |
| Estimated usual days to completion | 391 |
| Busiest / quietest month | September (index 122) / December (66) |
Masonry is seasonal: filings in December run at 66 on an index where 100 is an average month, against 122 in September, so booking a mason in late winter for spring is easier than in the fall rush. Among the 154 masons with 10 or more permits, the 10th-percentile firm had 23.7% marked complete and the 90th 67.1%.
See every Chicago mason by permits and completion →
Related
Whether repointing is worth it, with Chicago costs: is tuckpointing worth it?. Other masonry-adjacent permit rules: retaining walls, foundation repair and driveways. Chicago counts by year and month: Chicago permit statistics. Licenses: Chicago contractor license lookup.
What this does not tell you
The masonry category in our file includes concrete work as well as tuckpointing, so the value spread is wide. Chicago records no completion date, so days to completion is estimated, and many permits are never marked complete. We do not match Chicago masons to the City's license list.
How we know this
Permit rules, express limits and license exceptions are quoted from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings' masonry exemption, licensed-mason 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 in our Masonry & Tuckpointing category, October 2023 to September 2026. "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 tuckpoint in Chicago?
Yes, beyond small patches. In a home up to 4 stories you can remove and replace in kind up to 50 square feet of masonry without a permit; past that, tuckpointing goes through the Express Permit Program's masonry category, which covers up to 50,000 square feet of routine wall repair.
- Can a homeowner pull a masonry permit in Chicago?
Yes, as their own mason contractor, on an entirely residential property that is their primary residence, with no more than 6 units and no building over 3 stories. The exemption can be claimed for one property per calendar year, and the application needs Form 401 and ID showing you live there.
- What class of mason do I need in Chicago?
The express permit accepts a licensed mason contractor in Class A, B or C, but the City says 'For brick work, you cannot use a Class C mason' and 'For concrete work, you cannot use a Class B mason.' Ask the mason for the class and check it on the City's Licensed Trade Contractors site.
- How much does tuckpointing cost in Chicago?
Chicago masonry and tuckpointing permits were usually filed at $9,600, and the middle half of firms usually filed between $5,600 and $15,000. Only 35.5% of these permits carry a value.
- Do I need an engineer to replace a lintel in Chicago?
Only for longer spans. The express masonry permit covers a lintel up to 6 feet without drawings; a lintel over 6 and up to 25 feet needs drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer, and over 25 feet is not eligible for an express permit.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Chicago building permit search: look up permits by address or contractor
- Chicago contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- Is tuckpointing worth it? Chicago costs by permit record, and the permit rules
- Do I need an electrical permit in Chicago? Yes, and only a licensed electrical contractor can pull it
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Madison, WI? All plumbing work, the owner exemption, fees and 10,392 permits
- Do I need a roofing permit in Madison, WI? Re-roof permits, the $11 per $1,000 fee and the 2026 surge
For one city
- What types of work do not require a building permit? Masonry Work — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Does my project require a licensed mason contractor? — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Permit Program: Masonry 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)
- Licensed Trade Contractors — City of Chicago (2026-10-22)