Pull Chicago demolition permit records from open data and determine whether the demolition permit surcharge ordinance applies to a project
domain: data.cityofchicago.org · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Query the Chicago Data Portal's demolition-permits dataset (data.cityofchicago.org, dataset ID e4xk-pud8) or the broader 'Demolition' dataset (43p5-xa4m) filtered by address/permit number
Check whether the property falls within one of the surcharge pilot areas defined by the '606-Pilsen' Demolition Permit Surcharge Ordinance (parts of the 606 Trail corridor and Pilsen neighborhood) before assuming the surcharge is citywide
If in a pilot area, confirm the current surcharge amounts under Municipal Code 2-44-135 (published figures: $60,000 for a detached house/townhouse/two-flat; $20,000 per dwelling unit for coach houses/multi-unit residential) before quoting a fee to a client
Use the city's Demolition Permit Surcharge eForm (webapps1.chicago.gov/eforms/demosurcharge) to process the surcharge if applicable
Confirm the ordinance's current sunset date (published as December 31, 2029) is still in effect at the time of the project, since pilot ordinances are subject to extension or early termination by council action
Known gotchas
The surcharge is NOT citywide — it applies only within the specific 606-Pilsen pilot boundaries; applying it to demolition permits outside those areas would overcharge clients
Surcharge dollar amounts and the ordinance's sunset date are legislated figures that can change by council amendment — re-verify against the current Municipal Code text (2-44-135) rather than relying on a cached figure for large projects
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