Chicago Bathroom Remodeling Guides

Plain-English guides to the parts of a Chicago bathroom remodel that homeowners most often get wrong: permits, contractor licenses, condo rules, older homes, lead safety, timelines and surprise costs. We link each rule to the City, State or federal page it comes from, and we date what we read.

• Verify a License
• Permit Guide
• Condo Bathroom Guide
• How to Choose a Remodeler
• Remodel Timeline
• Hidden Costs
• Vintage Home Bathrooms
• Lead-Safe Remodeling

Where to start

• Planning a project: the permit guide and the timeline guide show what happens before and during the work.
• Choosing who to hire: how to choose a remodeler and how to verify a Chicago contractor license.
• Living in a condo or an older home: the condo guide, the vintage-home guide and the lead-safe guide.
• Setting a budget: hidden costs and our cost guides.

How we write them

Rules and fees come from primary sources such as chicago.gov, the Chicago Municipal Code, Illinois statutes and the U.S. EPA. Prices name their source and say whether they are national or Chicago figures. Guides are general information, not legal advice, and rules change, so check the linked page before you act. Read more about us and how we are paid.