The Chicago Construction Codes
Chicago adopts its own construction codes rather than using model codes unchanged. In 2019 the City Council adopted a modernized set of codes in the Municipal Code of Chicago, including:
| Title | Code | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| 14A | Administrative Provisions of the Chicago Construction Codes | Permits, inspections and administration |
| 14B | Chicago Building Code | Initial construction of buildings and structures |
| 14R | Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code | Repair, alteration and change of occupancy of existing buildings |
| 14X | Chicago Minimum Requirements for Existing Buildings | Condition and maintenance of existing buildings |
The Chicago Building Code (Title 14B) is based on the 2018 International Building Code with Chicago amendments, and the Building Rehabilitation Code (Title 14R) is based on the 2018 International Existing Building Code. Titles 14B and 14R became optional on December 1, 2019 and mandatory for permit applications on August 1, 2020.
Which Code Applied to Your Project
The code that applies is generally the one in effect when the work was permitted. A project permitted before August 1, 2020 may have been governed by the earlier Chicago Building Code provisions, and a project permitted in the transition period may have elected either. Renovation of a previously occupied building may have been permitted under the Rehabilitation Code rather than the Building Code. Paul reviews the permit record to identify the applicable code before referring to any provision, because citing a provision that did not apply to the project undermines the opinion.
Scope of Paul's Code Opinions
Paul evaluates code compliance of installed conditions within his experience as a licensed contractor and carpenter, such as interior construction, doors and hardware, stairs and handrails as installed, flooring and transitions, and accessibility features of built conditions. He does not offer structural, fire protection engineering, mechanical, electrical or plumbing design opinions. Where a code question requires one of those disciplines, he identifies the need early.
Code Compliance and Workmanship Are Different Questions
Code compliance is a minimum. Work can comply with code and still fail to meet the contract or the manufacturer's instructions, and a code issue is not automatically a workmanship defect if the work was built as designed and permitted. Paul keeps these questions separate: what the code required, what the contract required, and what was built. That separation prevents an opinion from treating every deficiency as a code violation, which is rarely accurate.
City Inspections
Chicago Department of Buildings inspections check compliance at defined points. Paul reviews inspection records to establish what was inspected, when, and with what result. A passed inspection does not mean every condition complied, because inspectors see work at a moment and do not see everything. A failed inspection, and how it was corrected, can be significant evidence. See Chicago contractor practices and Chicago renovation defects.