How to check a contractor in Chicago

1Look up the license

The City of Chicago’s Department of Buildings licenses general contractors, mason contractors, plumbing contractors, electrical contractors and elevator mechanic contractors. Its license lookup lists firms with a current license, and firms whose license recently expired or was made inactive.

For each firm you’ll see the license type and number, the name and address on the license, the license’s expiry date and, for general contractors, the date their insurance or bond expires. Ask the contractor for their license number and check that the name matches the one on your quote.

Roofers are licensed by the State of Illinois, not the City. A roofer must show the license number on bids, contracts and vehicles. Check it in the Illinois license lookup or call 1-888-473-4858.

Architects and structural engineers, whom you need for structural porch work and some masonry, are licensed by the State too, in the same Illinois lookup.

Step by step: Chicago contractor license lookup

2Ask for proof of insurance

Illinois’ Home Repair and Remodeling Act says anyone in the business of home repair must carry liability insurance of at least:

• $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence for bodily injury
• $50,000 per occurrence for property damage
• $10,000 per occurrence for work that doesn’t meet State, county or City codes

A business with a net worth of at least $1 million is exempt. Ask for a certificate of insurance and call the insurer on it to confirm the policy is current. For a general contractor, the City’s license lookup also shows the date its insurance or bond runs to.

3Look at their permits

The City’s Building Department Records search takes an address and returns its building permits, inspections and any code violations. Ask the contractor for two or three recent jobs, then look those addresses up: you’ll see whether the work was permitted and inspected.

The Building Permits dataset on the City’s data portal lists the City’s issued permits with the contractors named on each, and you can filter it by a contractor’s name.

Step by step: Chicago building permit lookup

4Look for complaints

The Illinois Attorney General suggests asking its office, the Better Business Bureau and your local chamber of commerce whether complaints have been filed against a contractor. The Attorney General’s consumer fraud line in Chicago is 1-800-386-5438.

Ask for references, and if you can, go and look at the work and talk to the owner.

5Get three written quotes

Get estimates from at least three contractors for the same job, so you can compare like with like. The City gives the same advice for porch work: get bids from three contractors and check their references for similar work in Chicago.

Ask each one who files the permit. When an owner or expediter applies for an express permit naming a licensed contractor, the contractor has to accept the job by email before the City issues it.

Ask whether they guarantee their work. Illinois doesn’t require it, but some contractors give a one-year warranty against defects.

6Sign a written contract

For any job over $1,000, Illinois law says the contractor must give you a written contract or work order to sign before starting. It has to state:

• the total cost
• the parts and materials, listed in reasonable detail
• any charge for the estimate
• the business name and address (and a home address if the business uses a post office box)

The contractor must also give you the pamphlet “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights”. Over $1,000, you both sign an acknowledgment form and you keep a copy in the pamphlet.

Warning signs

• No license number, or a name on the license that doesn’t match the quote.
• A roofer whose bid or truck shows no Illinois license number.
• No written contract for a job over $1,000.
• No certificate of insurance, or an insurer that can’t find the policy.
• Past jobs you can’t find in the City’s permit records.

Questions

Does Chicago require contractors to be licensed?

The City of Chicago licenses general contractors, mason contractors, plumbing contractors, electrical contractors and elevator mechanic contractors. Roofers need a State of Illinois roofing license.

Can I be my own general contractor in Chicago?

Yes, if the building is your main home, no more than three stories tall and has no more than six units. For any other building the City says you must hire a Chicago-licensed general contractor.

Does a contractor need a written contract in Illinois?

Yes, for home repair or remodeling over $1,000. The contract must state the total cost, the parts and materials, any charge for an estimate, and the business name and address.