What's Required in Chicago
- Finish work such as cabinets, countertops, tile, flooring and paint without plumbing or electrical connections needs no permit.
- Working on any plumbing, electrical, mechanical or fuel gas system, replacing pipe with new material, or cutting into a wall requires a permit.
- The express interior alteration permit covers nonstructural remodeling up to 2,000 square feet in a single home, with plumbing up to 5 water supply fixture units and a new electrical service under 400 amps.
- Wall or doorway changes require drawings by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer; structural changes and conversions of unheated space require a plan-based permit.
- Every application includes an existing-condition photograph, the energy and water efficiency compliance form, and existing and proposed floor plans.
- Electrical work must be performed by a Chicago-licensed electrical contractor.
- Plumbing work must be performed by a licensed plumbing contractor unless the owner-occupant of a detached single-family residence does it personally.
- The application lists a licensed general contractor unless the owner qualifies to act as contractor on their own primary residence.
- New faucets and fixtures must carry the EPA WaterSense label.
Do You Need a Permit to Remodel a Kitchen in Chicago?
Only when the work reaches behind the finishes. The Department of Buildings' list of work that needs no permit includes painting, wallpapering, tiling, carpeting, installing cabinets or countertops, or performing similar finish work, without plumbing or electrical connections, removing old cabinetry and countertops, replacing up to 1,000 square feet of drywall without altering any mechanical, electrical or plumbing system, and installing or removing a domestic cooking appliance. The exemption ends the moment you work on a mechanical, electrical, plumbing or fuel gas system, remove or replace a pipe with new material, or cut into a wall or partition, so a remodel that moves the sink, adds circuits for an induction range, relocates the gas line, or opens a wall needs a permit.
Most kitchen permits use the Interior Alteration (Nonstructural) worktype in the Express Permit Program, which replaced the Easy Permit process on November 6, 2023. Within a single residential unit it covers nonstructural remodeling up to 2,000 square feet without adding, removing or reconfiguring walls or doorways (closets excepted), plus electrical work including a new service under 400 amps, mechanical work including new air conditioning, and plumbing that adds up to 5 water supply fixture units of demand. Reconfiguring walls or doorways is still express-eligible but needs drawings by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer. Structural work, new stairs, converting an unheated attic or garage into living space, or changing the occupancy of the space push the job to a plan-based permit.
Chicago Kitchen Remodel Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| New cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring, paint; appliances on existing hookups | None | DOB list of work not requiring a permit (Interior Finishes) |
| Swapping the sink or faucet in place, no pipe replacement | Express plumbing permit, $75 per dwelling unit | Table 14A-12-1204.2 (Plumbing) |
| Replacing supply or drain piping in the walls, same layout | Express plumbing permit, $150 per dwelling unit | Table 14A-12-1204.2 (current compiled table) |
| Adding circuits for a range, dishwasher or island outlets | Express electrical permit, $150 for up to 10 circuits, licensed electrical contractor | Table 14A-12-1204.2 (Electrical) |
| Remodel that moves the sink or gas line and adds circuits, walls unchanged | Express interior alteration, $250 (up to 500 sq ft) + $150 electrical, floor plans by any responsible person | Table 14A-12-1204.2 (Alteration); EPP Interior Alteration |
| Same remodel but removing or moving a non-bearing wall or doorway | Express interior alteration at the same fee, architect or engineer drawings | EPP Interior Alteration eligibility |
| Removing a load-bearing wall, or converting a garage or attic into a kitchen | Plan-based permit, area formula, $600 minimum (Level 2 alteration) | Table 14A-12-1204.3(4), Group R; EPP not-eligible list |
How Much Does a Kitchen Remodel Permit Cost in Chicago?
Chicago prices small remodels with flat stand-alone fees from Table 14A-12-1204.2, and the fees stack when one permit covers several listed scopes. Interior alteration up to 500 square feet with no change to load-bearing elements or egress is $250; up to 2,000 square feet within a single dwelling unit is $500. Both rows require drawings and a zoning review. Add the trade rows that apply: $150 for up to 10 new electrical circuits, $75 for in-kind fixture replacement, $150 for replacing plumbing piping. A typical 200-square-foot kitchen gut that relocates the sink a few feet, extends the gas line and adds six circuits is therefore $250 + $150 = $400; a whole-floor remodel of a large unit tops out around $500 + $150 = $650. Because drawings are required, the code collects a non-refundable $600 deposit at submission with any balance at issuance, so confirm the total in the portal, and an application that must be reviewed may add a $25 review fee. Owners 65 and older who meet the income and residency tests can have permit fees waived if they ask before paying.
Who Files and What They Submit
The application lists a licensed general contractor; an individual may act as general contractor on their own primary residence (no more than 6 units, no building over 3 stories) once per calendar year. Electrical work requires a Chicago-licensed electrical contractor with no homeowner exception, and plumbing requires a licensed and bonded plumbing contractor unless you are the owner-occupant of a detached single-family house doing the plumbing yourself, in which case you upload Form 401. Every application includes an existing-condition photo and the energy and water efficiency compliance form; a no-wall-change kitchen needs an existing and a proposed floor plan for each story, which the contractor or any responsible person may draw, while wall or doorway changes need architect or engineer drawings. New faucets must carry the WaterSense label. The listed contractors must e-accept the job before issuance, and a first inspection must pass within 540 days.
How to Get a Kitchen Remodel Permit in Chicago
Sort cosmetic from permitted work
Cabinets, counters, tile and paint on existing hookups need no permit; moved plumbing, new circuits, gas line changes or wall changes go to the Express Permit Program.
Draw the floor plans
Prepare an existing and a proposed plan for each floor, by any responsible person if walls stay put or by an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer if a wall or doorway moves.
Apply as an Interior Alteration
Choose the Interior Alteration (Nonstructural) worktype, upload the photo, energy form and plans, and list the general, electrical and plumbing contractors or your Form 401.
Pay the deposit and fee
The $600 non-refundable deposit is due at submission; the $250 or $500 alteration fee plus trade rows such as $150 for new circuits settles at issuance, with any $25 review fee.
Rough-in, then finish
Request the rough plumbing and electrical inspections before closing walls, then the final inspection; the first inspection must pass within 540 days.