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Permit process took 11 months for a simple back porch rebuild | Chicago Living - Hub Chatter

Permit process took 11 months for a simple back porch rebuild

Back in March I finally got around to rebuilding the rotting back porch on my two flat in Logan Square. Thought it would be a straightforward job, pull a permit, get it inspected, done in a few weeks. Nope. The city kept kicking it back because the original structure was grandfathered in and my drawings didn't match the current zoning code. I had to hire a structural engineer for $850 just to re-certify the existing posts and beams. Then the zoning office lost my file once and I had to resubmit everything by hand because their system was down. It took 11 months total, from that first application to the final sign-off, and I spent way more on paper than on lumber. Has anyone else dealt with permits dragging on because their building is older than the current rules? I feel like there's gotta be a faster way to get historic structures exempted.

2 comments

2 Comments

rose_young15d ago

Remember not everyone can front the cost of an expediter on top of an engineer, especially when the city started the clock ticking in March. Hiring a pro who does this daily cuts risk, sure, but for a lot of folks that fee is the difference between fixing the porch and waiting another year. Also, your point about losing files everywhere being normal doesnt really help when the system goes down and they make you hand-carry papers across three offices in the snow.

jade88515d ago

11 months for a porch? That sounds like a you problem honestly. Everyone in this city knows the permit system is a mess, so why didnt you just hire someone who does this all the time to handle it for you instead of DIYing the paperwork? The engineer fee was probably the cheapest part of your mistake. And losing your file once, thats annoying but not exactly unique, stuff gets lost in every city office everywhere. Maybe next time just pay the expediter fee and get it done in a month, the zoning rules arent going anywhere just because your house is old.