What needs a permit
From the Department of Buildings' interior finishes exemption, nonstructural repair exemption and express interior alteration page (read 23 October 2026):
| Job in one home | Permit? | Drawings by an Illinois architect or engineer? |
|---|---|---|
| Paint, wallpaper, tile, carpet, cabinets, countertops, with no plumbing or electrical connections | No | — |
| Replace up to 1,000 sq ft of drywall or plaster, no MEP changes | No | — |
| In-kind interior door or non-rated ceiling tiles | No | — |
| Repairs that cut no walls, floors or roof and touch no mechanical, electrical, plumbing or gas system | No | — |
| Nonstructural remodel up to 2,000 sq ft, walls and doorways stay put (closets excepted) | Yes, express | No: scaled floor plans by "any responsible person" |
| Same, adding, removing or moving walls or doorways | Yes, express | Yes |
| Electrical work, including a new service under 400 amps | Yes, on the same express permit | — |
| Plumbing adding up to 5 water supply fixture units (a private bathroom is 4) | Yes, on the same express permit | — |
| New air conditioning | Yes, express, with an HVAC load calculation | — |
| Structural work, new or rearranged stairs, exterior windows or doors, converting an attic or garage to living space | Not eligible: standard permit | Yes |
Lead-safe and asbestos rules apply even to exempt work, and the Chicago Department of Public Health may require a notification before work that disturbs lead paint or asbestos.
Who can pull it
The express interior permit lists a licensed general contractor (Class A to E, "based on total project cost"), plus a licensed electrical contractor if there is electrical work and a licensed plumbing contractor if there is plumbing. On the City's GC license page, an owner may act as general 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 one property a year; the application then needs Form 401. The express page also says "In some cases, an owner may self-perform plumbing work", with the same form. Wiring has no owner exception. Check each firm on Licensed Trade Contractors, and confirm the GC's class covers the full cost of the job.
Documents and fee
Every express interior application needs at least one photo of existing conditions and an energy and water efficiency compliance form. Single-home work without wall changes needs two floor plans per story, existing and proposed, drawn to scale with notes. Condo units also need an association approval letter. Fees are 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 we quote no amount.
What Chicago's remodel permits show
| Measure | Express interior remodel | Standard renovation permits |
|---|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,355 | 7,764 |
| Firms that filed them | 710 | 2,592 |
| Usual filed value | $20,388 | $65,000 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $10,000 to $42,318 | $40,000 to $137,500 |
| Marked complete (a year or more old) | 11.0% | 34.4% |
| Busiest month | April | October |
The express route covers the smaller jobs: its usual value is $20,388, against $65,000 on standard renovation permits, which take in structural, exterior and larger work. The completion figure is the weak spot. Only 11.0% of express interior permits a year or more old were marked complete, so in Chicago an open interior permit usually says more about City paperwork than about the job; even the 90th-percentile firm with 10 or more permits reached 20.7%. Ask the contractor for the final inspection result rather than relying on the status. Prices by job size are on the Chicago remodel cost page.
See every Chicago remodeler by permits filed →
Related
The trade permits: Chicago electrical permit, plumbing permit and HVAC permit. Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for a home remodel, kitchen remodel and bathroom remodel. National prices: home remodel cost. Choosing the firm: hiring a remodeling contractor. Larger jobs: Chicago renovation list. Chicago counts: Chicago permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our remodel group is the express Nonstructural Interior Work permit; standard renovation permits are a separate group. Chicago's permit file has no completion date and rarely marks interior permits complete, so we do not quote a days figure here. We do not match Chicago firms to the City's license list.
How we know this
Exemptions, express eligibility, document and contractor requirements are quoted from the City of Chicago Department of Buildings' interior finishes and nonstructural repair exemption pages, its Express Permit Program interior alteration page and its general contractor page, and fee references from its Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit page, all read 23 October 2026. Counts are City of Chicago Nonstructural Interior Work express permits and Renovation/Alteration permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026. "Marked complete" 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
- Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen in Chicago?
Not to replace cabinets or countertops, paint, tile or carpet, as long as there are no plumbing or electrical connections. Moving the sink, adding circuits or new appliances on new lines, or moving walls needs a permit; a nonstructural remodel in one home up to 2,000 square feet can use the express interior alteration permit.
- Can I replace drywall without a permit in Chicago?
Yes, up to 1,000 square feet of drywall or plaster, if no mechanical, electrical or plumbing device or system is altered. Past that, or with wiring or plumbing changes, the job needs a permit.
- Do I need an architect for a remodel in Chicago?
Only if walls or doorways move. On the express interior permit, floor plans for a single home may be drawn by the contractor or 'any responsible person' if no walls or doorways other than closets are added, removed or reconfigured; moving them needs drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer.
- Can a homeowner pull a remodel permit in Chicago?
Yes, as general contractor on your own primary residence with no more than 6 units and no building over 3 stories, one property a year, using Form 401. Electrical work still needs a Chicago-licensed electrical contractor, and plumbing a licensed plumber unless the owner exception for plumbing applies.
- How much does an interior remodel cost in Chicago?
The usual Chicago express interior alteration permit carried a filed value of $20,388, and the middle half of firms with 3 or more permits usually filed between $10,000 and $42,318. Larger renovations on standard permits were usually filed at $65,000.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- How to check a contractor's license in Illinois
- Hiring a remodeling contractor: 5 red flags and 10 questions, checked against remodel permits in 49 cities
- What should a contractor contract include? 12 clauses, what California and New York law require, and how to check them
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need a remodel permit in Honolulu? The $10,000 repair exemption, Quick Permits under $75,000 and the fee
- Do I need a permit to remodel in Little Rock? The $5,000 rule, what's exempt and the fees
For one city
- What types of work do not require a building permit? Interior Finishes and Furnishings — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- What types of work do not require a building permit? Repairs (Nonstructural) — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Permit Program: Interior Alteration (Nonstructural Interior 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)
- Calculate the Cost of a Building Permit — City of Chicago DOB (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Licensed Trade Contractors — City of Chicago (2026-10-22)