These Instructions

These instructions are written specifically for the following type of plan-based building permit application:

Scope of Work: Building Rehabilitation (repair, alteration, addition, change of occupancy)
Review Program: Self-Certification

Different instructions are available if the scope of work is new construction or special construction or if you are using Standard Plan Review or the Direct Developer Services Program. 

Background

In April 2019, the city council adopted an ordinance creating the 2019 Chicago Construction Codes. Unlike the pre-2019 Chicago Building Code, the Chicago Construction Codes are aligned with the widely adopted model building codes (I-Codes) published by the International Code Council, resulting in some significant changes in terminology. The 2019 Chicago Building Code (Title 14B) and 2019 Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code (Title 14R) became optional for most project types on December 1, 2019, and mandatory for all permit applications started on or after August 1, 2020 (with limited exceptions).

The City of Chicago is currently in the process of upgrading its online building permit interface (the Hansen Dynamic Portal). Unfortunately, the new system was not ready to launch at the same time as the new Chicago Construction Codes. These interim instructions will guide you through the steps needed to begin a building permit application using the Hansen Dynamic Portal, which does not currently reflect the terminology used in the 2019 Chicago Construction Codes, until that system is replaced.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this transitional period.

The Dynamic Portal (Hansen) and PDF Building Permit Application (Form 400)

To start a new plan-based building permit application, go to the Dynamic Portal (http://ipiweb.cityofchicago.org/DynamicPortal/) and log in using your unique account. (If you do not have an account, follow the instructions on that page to create one.)

To start a plan-based permit application, you must be an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer or a city-licensed expediter, and your license must be associated with your Dynamic Portal user account.

Once you have logged in to the Dynamic Portal, on the main page click “Apply for a permit.”

Several pieces of information that you will be required to provide in the Dynamic Portal portion of the application process will also be required when you fill out the PDF Building Permit Application (Form 400) during a later step of the permit application process. Form 400 reflects the new terminology and requirements of the 2019 Chicago Construction Codes.

It may be helpful if you begin filling out Form 400 before you log in to the Dynamic Portal.

It is your responsibility to make sure the information you provide in the Dynamic Portal matches the information you provide later when you upload a copy of Form 400. Inconsistencies between the two will delay issuance of your permit.

All permit-related forms, including Form 400, are available in the “Permit Forms” section of the Guide to Building Permits site.

Begin the Online Permit Application

The Dynamic Portal will guide you through several pages to gather basic information about your permit application. As noted above, some of this information must match the information you provide on the PDF Building Permit Application (Form 400) later in the process, so it may be helpful if you begin filling out Form 400 before you log in to the Dynamic Portal.

Note: Many options in the Dynamic Portal are tied to your license type. If you do not see the options described in these instructions, your account may not be configured correctly, or your license may be expired. Please contact eplan@cityofchicago.org for assistance. When requesting assistance with the Dynamic Portal, it is helpful if you include screenshots of the problem you are encountering.

Job Type

Select “Renovations/Alterations/Additions with Plans” as the permit application type.

In the “Workbenches” section, select “Architectural Work” only. Do not select any other choices.

Click “Next Page.”

Job Location

Enter the address of the existing building where work will be performed. If you are relocating an existing building’s main entrance, this address must match a house number / building address certificate issued by the Chicago Department of Transportation.

You may provide partial address information.

Click “Next Page.”

Address List

The system will attempt to validate the address you provide against the City’s address records. If the system identifies multiple possible addresses, please select the correct address from the list. 

If the address cannot be validated (for example, because the address is on a newly-created street), you may continue with the process to obtain an application number, but you will need to contact the Department of Buildings via eplan@cityofchicago.org (attach a copy of your CDOT house number certificate) and a Department of Buildings employee will need to set up the new address before you will be able to pay the building permit deposit fee.

Do not pick an incorrect address that is “close enough.” It is very difficult to change the address after you start a permit application by paying the deposit fee, and this could delay processing of your permit application or require you to forfeit your deposit fee.

Click “Next Page.”

Property PIN Details

Illinois law requires that building permit applications identify the permanent real estate index number (PIN) so that permit data can be shared with the county assessor. You must enter all PINs impacted by the proposed work.

To enter a PIN, click “Display Add Item Form.”

After entering the 14-digit number, click “Save.”

Repeat these steps if there are multiple PINs impacted by the proposed work.

Note: If you are doing work in the common areas of a condominium building, enter the PIN for one of the condominium units, but replace the last 4 digits with “0000.”

Click “Next Page” after you have entered all PINs.

Job Description

For “Review Program” select “Exp Self Cert Interior Altern.” (Do not select any of the other self-certification options.)

For “Type of Permit” select “Commercial Construction,” even if your project involves a different type of occupancy.

For “Scope of Work” select “Renovation of Structure” for all applications.

For “Estimated Cost” provide the estimated cost of materials and labor for work to be performed under this permit. For revisions to earlier permits or phased permitting, only include the estimated cost of work under the phase or revision being submitted under this application.

For “Description of the construction/proposed job” see the detailed instructions and examples provided.

Click “Next Page.”

Application Detail: Building Information

For “Occupancy Code,” click “Display Add Item Form” and select “J-Misc Buildings/Structures” regardless of the actual occupancy. Click “Save.”

For “Existing Occupancy Code,” click “Display Add Item Form” and select “J-Misc Buildings/Structures” regardless of the actual occupancy. Click “Save.”

For “# Floors Worked On,” enter “1” regardless of the actual scope of work.

For “# Commercial Units Worked On,” enter “1” regardless of the actual scope of work.

For “Building/Tent Area” enter the area of work, in square feet, calculated in accordance with Section 14A-4-412.2.2.1 of the Chicago Construction Codes Administrative Provisions:

“A = The total building area plus the gross floor area of a basement otherwise excluded from building area within the scope of work to permitted, in square feet.”

For “Building Volume” enter “1” regardless of the actual volume.

For “Building Height in Feet” enter the building height measured in accordance with Section 14B2-203.3 of the 2019 Chicago Building Code, rounded to the nearest whole foot. (Note: this will usually be different than the building height measured for zoning purposes.)

Leave all other fields in the “Building Information” section blank.

Application Detail: Standard Submission Detail

For “Construction Class” select “4B – Combistible Frame Construction” regardless of the actual construction type.

Leave all other fields in the “Application Standard Submission Detail” section blank.

Application Detail: Zoning Information

Complete the “Zoning Information” section per the instructions and consistent with the Chicago Zoning Ordinance (Title 17 of the Municipal Code of Chicago).

A new sample matrix for summarizing compliance with requirements of the 2019 Chicago Construction Codes and Chicago Zoning Ordinance is available on the Department of Buildings web site with the permit application forms. A matrix, or equivalent summary, must be incorporated into the permit application drawings submitted for review.

Application Detail: Certificate of Occupancy Questions

Answer “No” to the first question, as it is not applicable to building rehabilitation work.

For the second question, answer “Yes” if:

• The work involves a “change of occupancy” as defined in Section 14R-2-202
• The work involves a Level 2 or Level 3 alteration or an addition to an occupancy group other than R-2, R-3, R-4, or R-5 with a project cost exceeding $1,000,000
• The work involves a Level 2 or Level 3 alteration or an addition to a Group A, E, H, or I occupancy, any cost

For the third question, answer “Yes” if:

• The work involves an addition to a Group R-2 occupancy
• The work will increase the number of dwelling units or sleeping units in the building

Note: After completing the required fields on this page, you may save your application and return to it later. If you wish to do this, click “Save Application.”

To continue with the application, click “Next Page.”

Contractors and Contacts

On this page, you will be required to provide information about the permit applicant, property owner, design professional of record (you), expediter (if applicable), and contractors who will be performing the work.

For self-certified projects, you must input all contractors who will be performing work under the permit at this stage. (See the instructions at the bottom of Form 400, page 5 for more details.)

The system will use your credentials to identify your association with the permit application as “Self-Certification.” This will be displayed on the initial page.

Contractors and Contacts: Add Contractor

Click “Add Contractor” in the first section to add any permit expediter involved in the project. You must also add all contractors who will be performing work under the permit.

On the page which appears, you will be able to search for licensed individuals and entities either by name or license number.

Mark the checkbox in the column labeled “Select” and then click “Add.”

Continue this process until you have added all contractors, then click “Return to main page.”

Contractors and Contacts: Add Owners/Contacts

Click “Add Individual Owner/Contact” in the second section to add the permit applicant and other property owners, as well as an emergency contact.

For self-certified applications which obtained a Debt Clearance Certificate from the Department of Finance, do not enter any owner or contact, other than the permit applicant or an emergency contact in the Dynamic Portal.

If the permit applicant is a corporation, company, or similar entity, enter the first part of the name in the “First Name” field and the second part of the name in the “Last Name” field. (See example.)

You are strongly encouraged to enter information for an “Emergency Contact” who will be available to respond if there is an emergency at the work site during construction.

When you have finished entering information for each required contact, click “Next.”

If the contact information that you enter appears to match a record that already exists in the system, the system will ask you to confirm if the contact is the same.

When you have finished entering all contacts, click “Return to main page.”

Contractors and Contacts: Add Company Owner/Contact

Only use the third section if the property is owned by an individual or entity that is licensed by the City’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) as a “residential real estate developer.” For more information on this license type, contact BACP at 312-744-6249.

Certification

On this page, review and accept the statements and agreements.

Under “Required Documents” check all the boxes, even though some of these requirements no longer apply.

As of July 1, 2019, an “aldermanic acknowledgment letter” is no longer required and applications are no longer subject to a 10-day waiting period, however you must check the box.

In ProjectDox, you will need to upload the following documents:

• A completed Building Permit Application (Form 400)
• A completed Excavation Certification (Form 402), if applicable
• A completed Energy Conservation Compliance Statement (Form 408C or 408R)
• A completed Self-Certification Professional Statement (Form 410)
• A completed Applicant Acknowledgement and Hold Harmless (Form 411)
• A copy of your current certificate of professional liability insurance
• A structural peer review report, if required by the Self-Certification Program Rules
• A valid Debt Clearance Certificate issued by the Department of Finance (request Debt Clearance Certificates at https://www.chicago.gov/permitdebt)
• Construction documents which meet all format and content requirements for submission under the Standard Plan Review process and include:
  • The signature and seal of the self-certification professional on the cover sheet and each sheet prepared by the self-certification professional
  • A matrix or other summary demonstrating compliance with applicable requirements of the Chicago Construction Codes and Chicago Zoning Ordinance
  • A statement of compliance with the 2018 Illinois Accessibility Code, where applicable

Click “Next Page.”

Application Summary

Review the summary of information to verify that it is correct and complete.

You may click either “Previous Page” or “return to the beginning of the application process” if you need to change any of the data you entered.

The following information must match the information you provide on the PDF Building Permit Application (Form 400) which will be uploaded to ProjectDox:

• “Job Location” must match “Address” (Form 400, Page 1).
• “Estimated Cost” must match “Estimated cost of work” (Form 400, Page 1).
• “Description” must match “Description of work” (Form 400, Page 1).
• “Building/Tent Area” must match “Area of work” (Form 400, page 1).
• “Building Height in Feet” must match “Proposed Building Height” (Form 400, Page 3-NC).
• “Zoning Information” should be consistent with information provided on Form 400, Page 2.
• “PIN Details” must match “PIN(s)” (Form 400, Page 1)
• Under “Contractors” the “Design Professional of Record” (Form 400, Page 6-DP) and “Expediter” (Page 6-EX), if applicable, must be listed. For self-certification, all other contractors must be listed and match Form 400, Page 5.
• Under “Contacts” the “Permit Applicant” (Page 5) and “Emergency Contact” (Page 5) must be listed.

If you have not already started filling out a copy of the PDF Building Permit Application (Form 400), you should copy the information above to Form 400 before completing this step.

Click “Finish” if the information on the summary page is correct and complete.

Warning: You will not be able to make changes to the application data (other than listed contractors) after you click “Finish.”

Pay Initial Fees to Start Your Application

Status

On the “Status” page, you will see that a zoning fee and building permit deposit fee have been added to your application. You must pay these fees to “start” the application.

Click the “Add to Cart” button to add all unpaid fees to your cart.

Click “View Cart/Checkout” in the panel on the left side of the page to pay the fees.

Cart / Checkout

Click “Check Out” to be taken to the City of Chicago’s eCheckout system where you will be asked to pay for all items in your cart.

If there are fees in your cart that you do not want to pay for yet, click “Remove” before clicking “Check Out.” You will be able to return fees to your cart from the Status page.

After successfully completing payment using the eCheckout system, you will be returned to the Status Page, where you will be able to confirm that the fees have been paid.

Status Page

As your permit application is being reviewed, you may return to this page to check the status.

Continue Your Application Using ProjectDox

Invitation to Upload

Within one hour of your permit fee payment being processed, you will receive an email inviting you to continue the permit application process using the ProjectDox system. You may also directly access the City of Chicago’s ProjectDox system at http://planreview.cityofchicago.org/

Please contact eplan@cityofchicago.org for assistance if you do not receive an invitation or cannot see a record for your application number in ProjectDox after an hour. Include the application number in your email.

Upload Drawings and Documents

To continue the application process, you must upload drawings and other documents, including a completed version of the PDF Building Permit Application (Form 400), using the ProjectDox system. Once you indicate that these documents are ready for review by completing the “applicant upload task,” city employees will examine your application for compliance with code requirements.

For more information about the City of Chicago’s E-Plan process and ProjectDox, including a User Guide, please visit: https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bldgs/provdrs/e_plan.html.

When Your Permit is Ready

When your permit application has been approved and your permit is ready to issue, you will receive an email notification. You will be able to pay the balance of your permit fee either through the Hansen Dynamic Portal or at a Department of Finance in-person cashiering location. (If you are paying at an in-person location, make sure you know the 9-digit application number.) After you have paid the fee, you will be able to print a permit certificate from the Dynamic Portal (or, if you pay in person, receive one from the cashier). You will also be able to download approved copies of your construction drawings from the ProjectDox system.

Before Work Begins

A copy of the permit certificate must be posted at the construction site and in a location visible from a public street or sidewalk before any work begins. A copy (either paper or electronic) of the approved construction drawings, downloaded from ProjectDox, must be on site at any time when work is occurring.

A copy of the permit certificate must remain posted and visible at the work site until work in complete.

More Information

For more information about further steps in the process, including permit-related inspections and obtaining a certificate of occupancy, please visit http://www.chicago.gov/buildings.

If you need technical assistance with the Dynamic Portal or ProjectDox, please contact eplan@cityofchicago.org.