Bathroom Remodeling in Portage Park, Chicago

Portage Park on Chicago’s Northwest Side is bungalow country. About half of its housing units were built before 1940, and the median home dates to 1939. Detached houses make up 44.7% of units, well above the city’s 25.6%, but another 35.0% sit in two- to four-unit buildings. Here is what that mix means for a bathroom project. When you are ready, tell us about your home and we will match you with independent, licensed Chicago remodelers who can give you written quotes to compare.

Updated October 22, 2026. Housing figures are CMAP’s American Community Survey estimates for 2020-2024; sources are linked at the end of this page.

Portage Park housing at a glance

The five-or-more figure is our sum of CMAP’s 5 to 9, 10 to 19 and 20-plus rows. The ACS is a sample survey, and CMAP warns that margins of error can be large for smaller areas. Treat these as a picture of the neighborhood, not a description of your house.

The community area covers parts of ZIP codes 60630, 60634 and 60641, according to the City’s archived Chicago Recovery Plan geography page. ZIP lines do not follow community-area lines, so use your street address, not your ZIP, to tell whether you are in Portage Park.

What a Chicago bungalow bathroom looks like

The Chicago Bungalow Association describes a historic Chicago bungalow as a single-family brick house built between 1910 and 1940, one and a half stories tall, with a full basement. The plan puts living space on one floor, with the public rooms along one side and the private rooms, including the bathroom, along the other. Lots were typically 25 to 30 feet wide, so rooms are narrow. The Association also says bungalows make up nearly one-third of Chicago’s single-family homes.

For a bathroom project, three things follow from that plan.

• The room is tight. Swapping fixtures is simple. Moving a wall or doorway to gain space is a bigger job, and under the City’s Express Permit Program it requires drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer. Ask each remodeler to show you the layout they propose.
• The pipes are about a century old. The Association’s design guidelines advise replacing interior water supply piping to bathrooms, and its maintenance guide notes that corroded galvanized pipes can narrow and cut water pressure, and that older drain lines can separate or clog. Ask how each written scope treats old supply and drain lines if they turn out to be in poor shape. See bathrooms in Chicago bungalows, greystones and two-flats.
• The basement and attic are real options. Many owners look at adding a second bathroom below or above. See the next section.

Adding a bathroom in the basement

The Association’s model basement plan for a bungalow adds a bedroom and full bathroom in the basement. It flags several issues you can raise with a remodeler: the existing water service may need to be replaced with a larger one, basements with water problems may call for an overhead sewer with an ejector pump, and the Chicago Building Code sets ceiling-height minimums for living space (7 feet for at least half of it). Digging out the floor for height is described as an expensive route. A basement bathroom is also a new bathroom, which needs a City permit. Read basement bathroom remodeling in Chicago before you compare scopes.

The Bungalow Historic District: what it does and does not mean

A small set of blocks near Portage Park itself, roughly bounded by Pensacola Avenue, Lockwood Avenue, Hutchinson Street and Central Avenue, is the Portage Park Bungalow Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 17, 2014. Of the 225 primary structures in the nomination, 189 are Chicago bungalows built mostly in the 1920s.

The Chicago Bungalow Association explains that a National Register district is an honorary designation. It places no restrictions on homeowners and triggers no special review when you pull a permit. A Chicago Landmark district is different, because the Landmarks Commission reviews permits there. The Association states that bungalow historic districts are National Register districts, not Chicago Landmark districts. If you are unsure about your address, confirm with the City before you plan. See do you need a permit to remodel a bathroom in Chicago.

Two-flats and small multi-unit buildings

With 35.0% of units in two- to four-unit buildings, many Portage Park owners live in one unit and share walls, floors and plumbing stacks with another household. The City’s Express Permit page limits the area of work to 500 square feet when work is in common areas or affects more than one unit, compared with 2,000 square feet for a single occupant’s space. If your project reaches into the unit above or below, say so when you talk to remodelers, and let the other household know before work starts.

Who is remodeling here, and what they ask for

The CMAP snapshot shows a few traits that affect what owners ask remodelers to do.

• Aging in place. Residents 65 and older are 14.5% of the population, up from 10.9% in 2010-2014. About 6.0% of residents report an ambulatory difficulty. If steps are a concern, look at a walk-in shower or a tub-to-shower conversion.
• Larger households. Households of four or more people are 26.4% of the total, against 18.0% citywide, and 14.0% of units have four bedrooms, against 9.0% citywide. One bathroom often serves a full house.
• Language. CMAP reports that 51.3% of residents speak a language other than English at home, and 20.1% speak English less than “very well.” Ask a remodeler up front whether they can give you the written scope, price and contract in a language you read comfortably, and do not sign anything you do not understand.

Lead-safe work in older homes

Our sum of CMAP’s rows puts 79.2% of Portage Park’s housing units at 1969 or earlier, so many homes predate the 1978 cutoff for the EPA’s Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. In general, a firm paid to disturb paint in a pre-1978 home must be EPA-certified, and the rule covers remodeling and plumbing work. Ask each remodeler whether they are certified. See lead-safe remodeling in pre-1978 Chicago homes.

Permits and licenses

A bathroom remodel that changes plumbing or wiring usually needs a City of Chicago permit, and one bathroom in one dwelling unit may qualify for the Express Permit Program, which allows adding up to 5 water supply fixture units and does not allow moving walls or doors without architect or engineer drawings. Chicago requires a licensed general contractor for most remodeling and a licensed plumber for most plumbing. The remodelers we match you with are independent companies, so check any license before you hire. Read how to verify a Chicago contractor license, then return to full bathroom remodeling.

Frequently asked questions

Is a Portage Park bungalow bathroom hard to remodel?

The room is usually narrow, because bungalows were built on lots 25 to 30 feet wide with the bathroom on the private side of a one-floor plan. Swapping fixtures is simpler than changing the layout. Moving walls or doorways needs drawings from an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer under the City's Express Permit Program.

Do bungalow pipes usually need to be replaced?

Not always, but ask. The Chicago Bungalow Association's guidelines advise replacing interior water supply piping to bathrooms, and notes corroded galvanized pipe can cut pressure. Ask each remodeler how their written scope handles old supply and drain lines if they are in poor shape.

Can I add a bathroom in my bungalow basement?

Often, with a City permit. The Association's model plan flags a possible larger water service, an overhead sewer with ejector pump for basements with water problems, and Chicago Building Code ceiling heights. Ask for an itemized written scope that covers each.

Does the Portage Park Bungalow Historic District limit my remodel?

It is a National Register district, which the Chicago Bungalow Association describes as honorary: no restrictions on homeowners and no special permit review. A Chicago Landmark district is different. If you are unsure whether your address is in either, confirm with the City.

I live in a two-flat. Does that change the permit?

It can. The City's Express Permit page limits the area of work to 500 square feet when work is in common areas or affects more than one unit. Tell remodelers if your project reaches the other unit, and tell the other household before work starts.

Does lead paint matter in Portage Park?

By our sum of CMAP's figures, 79.2% of units were built in 1969 or earlier, so many homes predate 1978. The EPA rule generally requires a certified firm for paid work that disturbs paint in those homes. Ask each remodeler about certification.

Can a remodeler give me a scope in my own language?

Ask before you sign. CMAP reports that 51.3% of Portage Park residents speak a language other than English at home. A remodeler should be able to explain the written scope, price and contract so that you understand them. Do not sign what you do not understand.

Is this service a contractor in Portage Park?

No. Chicago Bathroom Remodeling Experts is a free referral service. We do not remodel, plumb or do electrical work, and we have no office or projects in the neighborhood. We connect you with independent, licensed remodelers who are responsible for their own licenses, permits, insurance and contracts.

Sources

• CMAP, Community Data Snapshot, Portage Park (June 2026 release, ACS 2020-2024): cmap.illinois.gov. Housing type, age, tenure, income, age, language, household size and disability tables. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• City of Chicago, Chicago Recovery Plan, Geography: Portage Park (ZIP codes 60630, 60634, 60641): chirecoveryplan.com. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• Chicago Bungalow Association, “Original Bungalow Design”: chicagobungalow.org. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• Historic Chicago Bungalow Association, Design Guidelines for Historic Chicago Bungalows (2012; definition, one-third of single-family homes, mechanical systems): oldnorthend.org. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• Chicago Bungalow Association, “Bungalow Maintenance” (common plumbing issues): chicagobungalow.org. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• Chicago Bungalow Association, “Finished Basement” model plan: chicagobungalow.org. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, Portage Park Bungalow Historic District (listed September 17, 2014): npgallery.nps.gov. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• Chicago Bungalow Association, “What’s the Difference? National Register (Bungalow) Districts vs. Chicago Landmarks”: chicagobungalow.org. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• City of Chicago, Express Permit Program, interior alteration (nonstructural interior work): chicago.gov. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• U.S. EPA, Renovation, Repair and Painting Program for contractors: epa.gov. Accessed October 22, 2026.
• City of Chicago, general contractor license FAQ: chicago.gov; plumbing license FAQ: chicago.gov. As cited in our permit guide; not re-read for this page.

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