Which license each job needs in suburban Cook County
| Work | Who licenses or registers it | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing | Illinois IDFPR roofing license; in unincorporated areas also County registration | IDFPR license lookup; County search |
| Plumbing | Illinois Department of Public Health: plumber license and plumbing contractor registration | IDPH Plumber License Verification |
| Electrical | No state license; a supervising electrician licensed by a municipality that tests electricians, then County or village registration | The County search, or the village |
| Remodels, additions, HVAC, fences, demolition | No state license; County registration in unincorporated areas, the village's rules elsewhere | The County search, or the village |
The County's contractor registration page (read 26 October 2026) says "All contractors performing work in unincorporated Cook County are required to register". What each registration takes:
| County registration | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Every trade | At least $1,000,000 general liability insurance; $150 per trade, $75 a year to renew, due by 31 December |
| Electrical | Copy of the supervising electrician's Illinois municipal license, from a municipality with an electrical commission that gives an exam |
| Plumbing | An Illinois Plumbing Contractor's Registration from IDPH, the applicant's state or Chicago plumber license, references and three recent installations |
| Roofing | A State of Illinois roofing license |
| Demolition | A fully approved bond |
The State is no help for most of the job: the Illinois Attorney General's contractor guide says Illinois does not require general contractors to be licensed and some municipalities do. The IDPH plumbing page says "All plumbing contractors must register with the state and pay an annual fee."
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Find out who issues the permit. In a village (Skokie, Schaumburg, Oak Park and the rest), call its building department and ask how it registers contractors. On unincorporated land, it is the County; CookViewer shows which side of the line the house is on.
- Unincorporated: open the Registered Contractors Search, pick the specialty or type part of the name.
- Roofer: search the name on IDFPR's license lookup.
- Plumber: search the license on the IDPH verification tool.
- Ask for the insurance certificate. The County's $1,000,000 floor is a fair test anywhere in the county.
Doing the work yourself
On unincorporated land, a homeowner may do the work but must register and be listed on the permit. The County gives an owner who lives on the property a General registration at no charge, other trades are paid, and the homeowner must carry $1,000,000 in general liability coverage naming the County as additional insured. In a village, ask the building department; the rules differ from one suburb to the next.
What our suburban Cook County pages add
The County's tools answer "is this firm registered". Ours show what the suburbs actually permit, from the Assessor's copy of their permits, January 2024 to December 2025:
| Kind of work | Permits (Jan 2024–Dec 2025) | Jan–Dec 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Remodels and repairs | 36,624 | 18,188 |
| Roofing | 33,059 | 14,756 |
| Fences and walls | 16,560 | 8,146 |
| Plumbing | 15,170 | 7,950 |
| HVAC | 10,735 | 5,359 |
| Electrical | 7,909 | 4,024 |
| Solar | 6,555 | 2,952 |
| Garages, sheds and shade structures | 6,035 | 2,807 |
85% of the 179,885 permits were on homes. Roofing is the trade that most needs a state license, and it was the second-largest kind of work. The permit statistics page has the months and seasons; the suburban Cook County page has the rest. To find the permits on one address, follow the Cook County building permit search guide; the state rules are in How to check a contractor's license in Illinois, and the City of Chicago's own licenses in the Chicago guide.
What this lookup does not tell you
The Assessor's file names no contractor, so we cannot show which firm pulled which permit, or match firms to licenses. It also holds only the permits a suburb reported, and its status is a tax review, not a final inspection. A registration proves insurance and paperwork, not workmanship.
How we know this
Registration rules, fees and the homeowner terms are quoted from Cook County Building and Zoning's Contractor Registration page and its Registered Contractors Search, read 26 October 2026; state rules from the IDPH plumbing page and the Illinois Attorney General's contractor guide. Counts are the Cook County Assessor's permit file, read 20 October 2026: suburban permits issued January 2024 to December 2025, Chicago excluded.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 20, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does Cook County license general contractors?
Not with an exam, and only for unincorporated land. Cook County's Department of Building and Zoning says all contractors performing work in unincorporated Cook County must register with it. In a village or city, the village sets its own contractor rules; Illinois itself does not license general contractors.
- How do I look up a contractor registered with Cook County?
On the Department of Building and Zoning's Registered Contractors Search (secure.cookcountyil.gov/BZ/contractors_info), by specialty (electrical, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, fence and others) or by name. The County says the list is informational, not an endorsement.
- What does Cook County registration require?
At least $1,000,000 in general liability insurance for every trade, plus a State of Illinois roofing license for roofers, an Illinois Plumbing Contractor's Registration for plumbers, a licensed supervising electrician for electrical contractors and an approved bond for demolition. The fee is $150 per trade, then $75 a year, due by 31 December.
- Can I do the work on my own house in unincorporated Cook County?
Yes, if you live there when the permit is issued. The County gives owner-occupants a General registration at no charge, but they must register, be listed on the permit and carry $1,000,000 in general liability coverage naming the County as additional insured; other trades are paid for.
- Who licenses roofers and plumbers in the Cook County suburbs?
The State. Roofers hold an IDFPR roofing license, checked on IDFPR's license lookup. Plumbers are licensed and plumbing contractors registered by the Illinois Department of Public Health, which runs a Plumber License Verification search.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Albuquerque contractor license lookup: the CID license, its classification and the City permits
- Ames contractor license lookup: Iowa registration, electrical and PMSB licenses, and the City permits
- Anaheim contractor license lookup: CSLB classifications, the City's permit report and what it shows
- Arlington, VA contractor license lookup: DPOR class and specialty, the County permit search, and what the permits show
- Building and Zoning Contractor Registration — Cook County (2026-10-26)
- Registered Contractors Search — Cook County Department of Building and Zoning (2026-10-26)
- Building and Zoning Building Permits — Cook County (2026-10-26)
- Check License — Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (2026-10-26)
- Plumbing — Illinois Department of Public Health (2026-10-26)
- Plumber License Verification — Illinois Department of Public Health (2026-10-26)
- Home Repair and Construction: How to Choose a Contractor — Illinois Attorney General (2026-10-26)
- Assessor - Permits (6yjf-dfxs) — Cook County Open Data (2026-10-20)