All Forum Posts by: Samuel Pavlovcik

@Daniel Adler, What is the size of the existing water service, and how many bathrooms is it serving?

The standard in Chicago is typically a 1" lead service, which is sized large good enough to serve a 3.5 bath w/ kitchen and laundry (according to the IL Plumbing Code). Additionally, many jurisdictions allow you to go above the listed WSFU calculation numbers listed because of efficiencies in newer plumbing technologies. Have you looked into determining the exact cause for your lack of water pressure? It may or may not be the service.

Many times in older houses the bulk of the plumbing is galvanized pipe which will corrode from the inside out, leaving a very minimal area for water to actually pass thru. Additionally, the Hot water typically corrodes first, so sometimes you will see that the previous owner hired a plumber to switch the hot & cold lines at the water heater in order to more quickly provide Hot water. This is a temporary "fix" that does not solve anything.

If you have a lot of galvanized plumbing throughout the house, you may want to look into replacing that first; as I had mentioned before this may be causing the issue, and not the size of the service. Additionally, if this is the issue, then spending $20-30K on the increased service size wouldn't even fix the issue! 

If you've already done the research, and it was definitely determined that the size of the service is the issue; then unfortunately you will need to bite the bullet and do the upgrade. Those prices are not a surprise to me either; however, with more searching you may be able to find someone with a better price. I may have some contacts to reach out to and see if they could give you an estimate if that would be helpful...

One more note, I know it's a long shot, but sometimes you can get lucky enough that the City is already planning to do repair/replacement work to the mains within a relatively close timeline to when you want to do your work. In this case, it would obviously be a great opportunity to try to coordinate timing with the City's plans which could save you money overall. This is rare, but I have had it happen for a few of my clients; just use caution and hope that the City sticks to their timeline...

@Kolton Weichman, I was the Architect for a 20-Unit new-construction building for Student Rentals which was finishing construction earlier this year. The client of mine isn't on BP, but I could connect you with them if you were looking to pick their brains. They have multiple multi-unit rental properties which they have built in the area, and have experience with student housing.

Thanks @Jonathan Klemm for the Mention

@Laura Ra While you are correct that RT-3.5 is designated to allow for 2-unit residences; it is not necessarily guaranteed. The RT-3.5 allows for (1) residential unit per 1,2500 sq.ft. of lot area. This means that in order to have a  2-unit building "By Right" you will need a minimum lot area of 2,500 sq.ft. Assuming your lot isn't irregularly small it shouldn't be an issue; as the standard 25'x125' would easily meet this, and even an undersized 24'x120' lot would be okay. If you have a plat of survey you (or I) can check the lot area and confirm this won't be an issue.

After that, you will still be limited to other concerns including a maximum Floor Area Ratio of 1.05 (on a 3,125 sq.ft. lot you have a buildable area of 3,281 sq.ft. (As long as the basement is >50% below grade it will not be counted towards the FAR. Additionally, you will need to maintain a building height of 35' max (measured to the mid-point of the highest roof), and also required setbacks from property lines.

Assuming your lot is large enough to meet the 1,250 sq.ft. required per unit, you are permitted to add the second unit "By Right" which means the Alderman wouldn't even get involved, and if they wanted to, it would be their responsibility to try to stop you from doing something you are allowed to do "By Right" which would be difficult to do on their end and would likely require legal consultation.(Very, very, very, unlikely to happen)

Assuming we design to meet the Zoning requirements, the rest is all ensuring the design meets building code regarding access, natural light & vent, etc.

A Quick update for everyone, especially @Jennie Berger who started this thread, as it is clearly something that is not well defined by the City, and has been a useful question for many on this forum:

I spoke with Martha Reynoso who is currently pretty much the head if the Easy Permit Department. She did confirm with me that Yes, Rough and Final inspections are required for Easy Permits when you have a Licensed trade doing work that can be covered up; i.e. a Plumber or an Electrician. 

Example: A Bathroom pull & replace interior remodel where the owner is removing wall plaster down to the stud, removing the tub and replacing it with a shower, replacing the toilet in the same location, and replacing the sink/vanity in the same location. For this permit, they needed to list a Licensed Plumber for the plumbing work, and had to have an electrician pull their own permit in order to bring the electrical exposed during construction up to code. This project can be done under an Easy Permit; however, both the Electrician and Plumber would need Rough and Final inspections on this project.

I further inquired about when Rough Inspections would not be needed and she responded with the following:

"I would defer to the inspection office and New Construction bureau, I would think porches or anything that does not require have walls open can be without a rough inspection, I would although take a picture of the footings with a ruler to show the depth of the footing. Currently they are accommodating virtual inspections via zoom and facetime."

I am waiting to see if I can get any direct contact info for the "inspection office and/or "New Construction bureau", or maybe a GC like @Jonathan Klemm may have some more input on this end, as the GC is the one typically calling for- and managing inspections, rather than the Architect. Or at least in my experience...

Additionally,, I would also assume exterior work like Masonry /tuckpointing would not need rough inspections if it is visible from the exterior; however, if you are replacing lintels that would be hidden, it would be a good idea to take photos!

@Jonathan Klemm, thanks for the Mention, and @Eric M. I'm glad to see your response because I was about to tag you into this thread and provide info on the rest of your experience on your latest project...

From my understanding, any time an easy permit has been used, the contractors I have worked with Always anticipated to have Rough and Final inspections for any work that required a Licensed Contractor on the permit (i.e Electrician, Plumber, etc). The biggest benefit of the Easy Permit is it does not require Architectural Drawings, and can be processed very quickly, to allow you to get construction started ASAP since the scope is very limited. That being said, the City still wants to ensure the work was being done per code (i.e. having a rough inspection while components are exposed) and then close out the permit with a Final inspection. They also want to ensure the work is being done by Licensed professionals; i.e. the reason for the permit in the first place. Please keep in mind that I am an Architect and have handled plenty of permits on the front end, but once they have been issued I have not been nearly involved, and this is all information that I understand based on the work of contractors I have worked closely with. That being said, I know that @Mike B. had a different perspective on the subject, and I would like to see his input on this since he has worked more closely with the actual inspection process.

In the end, my thoughts are that if you call for an inspection and they tell you it wasn't needed, then at least you know you are safe to close up the walls. If you don't have the inspection and walls are closed up with no access, and then they inform you it needs to be opened up, now it can be a bigger issue... Obviously the biggest downside to having "Unnecessary inspections" is the time lost by waiting for the inspector, which I believe the City is still pretty delayed right now...

I have heard good stories about inspectors being willing to "work with you" and be "reasonable" as in Eric's case above where since it was open below, they let it slide; and I have even heard that having good photo documentation from while the walls were open, they may even accept this and let it slide thru to Final Inspection!

@Leonce Barrigah, Based on the information you provided, it sounds like your lot is technically zoned as C1-2; however, it has a legally existing, non-conforming use of a 4-unit residential(Residential units are not allowed in Zone C1-2). This is not uncommon; however, it can cause issues when trying to perform a significant remodel/adding units as mentioned.

You would be permitted to duplex the 1st floor units into the basement, because that is an interior remodel of the space with no additional units being added. In order to add 2 units into the basement, you would be looking for a Zoning Change as you had mentioned. (Likely to RT-4, or some form of B2 Zoning) which is quite a long and expensive process with no guarantees. I would definitely recommend contacting a Zoning Attorney if you are interested in this route as they will be able to provide you with more info of the likelihood of this being approved; all though based on the location in your description, I'd say you have a pretty good shot as long as you get the Alderman on board. Additional concerns you would need to look into with adding the units would include parking, and the potential for Fire Sprinklers due to the recent changes in the CBC.

@Brie Schmidt, Work completed without a permit is Always a risk. Some people get lucky, others don't. Unfortunately the City does have the Authority to require all Non-Permitted work, or work completed by non-licensed trades to be removed completely. Even when homeowners purchase properties that have had work done before they purchased it, it could still fall on them to bring the property into code compliance; especially if it is noted with violations. I am working with a client now who owned a 2-unit building where he was living on the 2nd floor and renting out the 1st floor unit which included the finished basement. He received violations from the City due to the tenants he had on the 1st floor, and as a result to clear the violations we have had to remove walls and completely demo a finished full-bathroom in the basement; close off the stairs to the basement, and now the basement is no longer considered "Habitable space" nor does it act as part of his 1st floor unit. He also had to add a Common electrical panel along with other various work. All of which stemmed from violations issued by the city for what started as a noise complaint/party by his tenants...

@Noah Lomax, not a problem. I am hoping that more clarifications will be made and additional information will continue to be posted as we continue to get closer to when the City will begin accepting these applications in May 2021. In the meantime, while you are searching for properties, feel free to use the link below for a handy Map of the ADU Areas to ensure any properties you are looking at utilizing the ADU Ordinance for are located within one of the pilot areas.

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

@Joe Battung, Where is your project located?

You definitely have multiple options for who to get involved; however, it is definitely good to think about it from a cost-conscious/efficient perspective. A few questions to ask:

- What is the scope of the rehab, will it need a building permit, and will you need plans from an Architect. If yes, it is likely best to go straight to working with an Architect, as they can provide more in-depth guidance and then jump straight into preparing drawings for the permit. If your remodel is cosmetic only (i.e. kitchen & bath replacement) it may be more cost effective to go to an Architectural designer who is not Licensed. Your local jurisdiction may not require stamped plans even if you are doing a larger remodel including modifying load-bearing walls; however, then the liability and safety compliance becomes your responsibility.

- What type of help do you need? In you have the layout worked out and just need help with the cabinets, countertops, tiles, and other finishes, then an Interior designer is the way to go!

@Tom Shallcross, Know of anyone focusing on the South Side areas?