Bathroom Remodel Chicago: $6,677 to $16,542 + Express Permit

Angi's Chicago figures. Permit fees are extra.

Chicago Express Permit Program: does your bathroom qualify?

A Chicago bathroom remodel that keeps the layout can often use the city's Express Permit Program. Repairing or replacing a plumbing fixture is eligible, and so is plumbing work in a single residential unit that adds up to 5 water supply fixture units; the city's own example puts a private bathroom at 4. Nonstructural remodeling of up to 2,000 square feet in one unit is eligible as long as walls and doorways (other than closets) are not added, removed or moved; wall changes need drawings from an architect or structural engineer.

Express permits do not cover altering, reconfiguring or extending an existing plumbing system, structural work, or fixtures that fail the Chicago Plumbing Code's water efficiency rules. Moving a toilet or a drain is the kind of change that falls outside the program, so ask the remodeler which permit path your plan needs before you agree on a price.

Who can do the work: Chicago licenses

The Chicago Department of Buildings licenses general contractors, plumbers, plumbing contractors and electrical contractors, and its public Contractor License Lookup shows current licensees plus recently expired or inactivated ones. An electrical contractor license is required to install or alter wiring, so a new vanity light, fan circuit or heated floor needs a licensed electrical contractor. Look up the general contractor and every trade on the job, and ask for proof of insurance. Plumbing-only repairs: plumber in Chicago.

Illinois home repair contract rules (state-level)

Illinois' Home Repair and Remodeling Act requires a written contract before any home repair or remodeling job over $1,000, and the contractor must hand you the Attorney General's pamphlet, Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights, before you sign. The pamphlet says you have 3 business days to cancel a contract signed at your home. These are state rules, so they apply anywhere in Illinois, but they are the first thing to check on a Chicago bid.

Chicago's old housing: lead paint and hidden plumbing

Chicago's median home was built in 1953, the Census Bureau says, and 75.2% of its housing units were built before 1980; 38.8% date to 1939 or earlier. The EPA's lead-safe renovation rule covers homes built before 1978, so a firm that disturbs painted plaster or trim must be EPA- or state-certified. Angi adds that vintage bungalows and two-flats may need plumbing reroutes or structural adjustments, which is where a remodel outgrows the express permit. Water damage found under the old tub: water damage restoration in Chicago.

Permit, license and program facts for a bathroom remodel in Chicago, from official city, county, state, utility and Census pages.

Kitchen remodel in Chicago

A kitchen remodel in Chicago uses the same express permit limits and license lookup. We found no Chicago-specific kitchen price; HomeAdvisor's 2026 national average for a kitchen remodel is $26,990, with most homeowners paying $14,591 to $41,617. See kitchen remodel cost.

National prices: bathroom remodel cost. Compare bathroom remodel in Minneapolis and bathroom remodel in St. Louis. Water heater swaps during a remodel: water heater repair in Chicago. Calls to the remodeling line go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job (how calls work).