All Forum Posts by: Samuel Pavlovcik

Hey Frank,

I'd be happy to help out, I sent you a PM for more info.

Hey Sam,

The Contractor registration requirements will vary between difference Cities, Villages, and Counties. Most will require a State License for Plumber's and Roofers. Many will require other trades (like an Electrician) to hold a license in some jurisdiction, and then provide a "Contractor Registration" for whatever jurisdiction the work is being done. The local registrations may only require an application and a fee, or may be more intensive requiring a COI and sometimes even a Bond; depending on the trade and scope of work. The easiest way to check if a contractor is Licensed, would be to have them send you a copy of their license for you to verify. If it is a state license you can look it up on the IDFPR website, and if it is a local registration, you can always call the village and ask if the contractor has ever been registered and if it is up to date.

Many jurisdictions will also let Owner's "Self Perform" work; however, that typically only applies for "Owner Occupants" where the property is listed as the Owner's primary residence.

Items like drywall, flooring, and doors typically do not require a Licensed contractor, and would typically be listed under the GC's scope of work (or the Owner's scope if acting as your own GC). Depending on the scope of work, you may not even need a permit for things like flooring and door replacement; however, for drywall replacement the main reason you typically end up needing a permit is when you open up a wall, they city/village/county will typically require you to upgrade any "exposed areas" to meet the current building codes, which typically ends up requiring a licensed plumber or electrician.

I sent you a PM, feel free to reach out if you would like to ask any questions related to your specific project; I'd be happy to help. The bulk of my Architectural work is done throughout Chicagoland and I may have some useful insight specific to the jurisdiction of your project.

@Shane Albert,

I sent you a PM, feel free to send over the property Address (and a Plat of Survey if you have one) and I could do a quick look into the Zoning for you to see what you would be allowed to build "By Right".

Sounds like this could be a great project!

@Chris Seveney,

I've got a company which I've used who performs field inspections and will provide full reports. I will send you a PM, reach back for details. I think they ran about $750 for their initial inspection and report, and I think they might have better pricing for suburbs Vs. City of Chicago.

Hey @Daniel O.

Narrow/steep/unsafe staircases are not uncommon in the City of Chicago, and many people accept and deal with them on a daily basis; that being said, it is obviously a benefit to have a wider/larger/safer stair; the question is if it is really worth the ROI to remove/replace.

I assume this is likely a bungalow type house, are you talking about the stairs to the basement or to the attic?

Typically the stairs to the basement are less of an issue because there is commonly a 2nd exit to the basement for which the owner can use to get in furniture, fixtures, etc; however, if it is to a finished attic space, it may be of more value to really make the space feel more connected and usable.

If you do decide to rebuild the stairs, there can be some difficulties making them meet code, and would likely cause an impact to the surrounding spaces. This means that rebuilding stairs can be a pretty costly venture (All tho depending on the existing structure and location, sometimes you can gt lucky). In term's of Code Compliance with the City of Chicago; they are actually pretty reasonable, and if you do decide to repair/remodel stairs, they pretty much go with the approach that "Iif it is better than the existing conditions they will likely accept it, Even if it doesn't meet code".

In terms of ROI, thats really going to depend on 2 things:

1) How much is it going to cost to change/repair the stair

2) What is the Estimated value of this change (Which is pretty subjective).

I am interested to see other members thoughts on the topic, as I know if it was my house, it would definitely bother me, especially if I had to deal with it on a daily basis; plus, I know it would not be good for older members of my family who come to visit...

Hey @Paul Giblin,

In order to do this "By Right" the Zoning designation for the property needs to allow for multiple units; which is uncommon to find in the suburbs when looking for existing single family residences. There's always a process to be able to pursue a Zoning Variation to allow for an ADU, but that tends to be time consuming, costly, and is not guaranteed. I know other states are starting to allow for these types of units more commonly, including adding "in-law suites/flats" which would include their own kitchen, bath, etc; however, IL has seemingly been pretty slow to change.

If you have a couple lots in mind, feel free to reach out and I could do a quick check to help you determine the likelihood of getting something like this done.

Jay,

Here is a link to their Zoning Map:

http://www.cityofmarkham.net/D...

As well as their online Ordinances:

https://codelibrary.amlegal.co...

Most of the info you need should be able to be found there. I sent you a PM as well; if you need some help, feel free to send me the address and I can help you dig into it further.

@Nathan Calabrese

RS-3 Zoning is actually "Single Family" zoning for the City of Chicago; however, if the lot is large enough, you can legally get a multi-unit building on the property "by right".

That being said, I am not really sure what you would need in terms of a "Deconversion permit". The City of Chicago only has (2) typical building permit processes; the Easy Permit Process, or the Standard Plan Review (Full Permit Process). In order to (legally) move walls, the contractor would have needed to go through the full permit process, during which they would have formalized the deconversion from a 3-unit to a SFR. The Easy Permit process is really only supposed to be for minor work, where you are replacing fixtures in a like-for-like manner, without major relocation. It is possible that the previous contractor may have only pulled an Easy permit and then went well above and beyond the scope that they claimed on the permit; however, you may be able to find more info by requesting info from FOIA. I might be able to see some more info online as well if you sent me the address. Feel free to PM me.

Hope this helps.

Just wanted to bring this thread alive again with a few updates that were posted but I haven't seen shared yet on BP.

As of the latest, The proposed Chicago ADU Ordinance's earliest adoption date could be September 9, 2020; however, it is likely to undergo additional changes and will likely be pushed further...

Update from 07/02/2020

https://www.chicagocityscape.c...

Update from 07/16/2020

https://www.chicagocityscape.c...

Update from 07/27/2020

https://www.chicagocityscape.c...

@Khizer Husain,

It will depend on the Zoning Designation for the property to determine whether or not you can convert the 7 Ground Floor commercial units into residential units "By Right". My initial guess is that it is unlikely that you will be able to do this, but I would know for sure by performing a quick Zoning Analysis on the property. If it not allowed "by right" based on your current zoning, you could try to pursue a Zoning Variation or Zoning Change in order to get this permitted by the City; however, it's a pretty lengthy and expensive process and is not guaranteed...

Feel free to contact me directly with the property address and I can run a quick Zoning Analysis to determine the feasibility of getting this done. I will follow up with a PM.