Replacing plumbing in Chicago without a permit

[Saginaw Sankins]

Hey All,

I have a two flat that currently has galvonized steel plumbing and I want to replace it with Copper however my friend is a plumber and does phenomenal work and will do it for me for a phenomenal price as long as I get materials (no big deal). He's been doing work for a long time and does phenomenal work for me. Do you think inspectors or anyone from the city of Chicago will notice if I do this? What do you guys think? Has anyone ever done plumbing work without permits and got away with it? Even sold the place? It's an owner occupied building

[Prashanth Mahakali]

Unfortunately, posting about building code issues and local permit rules can only get you advice that may not be safe.

First of all, as an Architect, I can assure you that pulling a permit is the most important thing you could do. Imagine this scenario, you hired your friend plumber and in the way of his plumbing cuts a joist which leads to structural damage and you go to your insurance to claim repair money. Guess what they are going to ask. Did you pull a permit to do this work. Think of obtaining a permit as a way for the city to have your back against people who think they know what they are doing. You cannot evaluate someone's work when you are not qualified to do so. Let the city inspectors help you. True some of them are not as polite as others but nothing beats a code compliant building when it comes to value!! It shows you care when you go to sell the building.

I deal with a lot of investors making drawings and obtaining permits for them in chicago. They used to question the value of drawings and also permits. Not anymore. A wise investor will account for the time, effort and cost of permits in their timeline.

Chicago does not allow flexible plumbing connections.

As an investor and Architect, I am very passionate about this issue and would welcome hearing differing thoughts.