How long does a Chicago remodel permit take?
Read this first: The figures come from 190 City of Chicago renovation/alteration permits issued 2025-10-16 to 2026-10-14, picked because the work description mentions a kitchen or bath and residential use. Reported cost is what the applicant wrote on the permit, which may not be what the job cost. These permits lean toward large or structural jobs: many small kitchen and bath updates use express permits or need none, so they are under-represented. Treat the numbers as context, not a quote.
For residential kitchen/bath renovation permits issued 2025-10-16 to 2026-10-14, the median was 69 days from application to issue. The middle half took 34 days to 125 days.
That covers the standard renovation/alteration path. Simpler work may qualify for the City's express or easy permit processes, which are typically much faster; we haven't measured those yet. See the tracker for community-area numbers.