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Chicago
Ordinance Administration
The Department of Buildings (DOB) administers the facade ordinance for the City of Chicago. The DOB is located at 120 North Racine Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60607-2010. The Web site for the DOB’s Exterior Wall Program includes downloadable forms that are required to be submitted by the licensed professional completing the inspection(s). The site also includes the ordinance titled "Maintenance of Exterior Walls and Enclosures." (PDF) The ordinance "Rules and Regulations for Exterior Wall Maintenance" (PDF), effective October 22, 2009, also defines the requirements for exterior wall inspections and maintenance.
Buildings Requiring Inspection
Chicago's facade ordinance is applicable to building enclosures and exterior walls that are eighty (80) feet or more in height. "Building Enclosures and Exterior Walls" (PDF) refers to the exterior envelope of a building or structure, or any part thereof, including, but not limited to, surfaces of the exterior walls in contact with balconies, fire escapes, chimneys, hanging air-conditioners, marquees, at-grade canopies, signs, flagpoles, fire escapes, and window washing and exterior maintenance systems. The most recent revision became effective October 22, 2009.
Building Classification
Buildings are classified into four categories based on the corrosion potential of any metal that is in direct contact with the exterior wall materials. Inspection intervals and the extent of the inspection effort are dependent on the building classification.
Critical Examination
Critical examinations, which require hands-on inspections at a minimum of one (1) drop along each public way spanning not less than 24 feet, are required at four, eight, or twelve years depending on the building classification.
Ongoing Inspection
In addition to the critical examinations, building owners are required to submit an ongoing inspection and repair program report to the city at the halfway point of the critical examination cycle. Hands-on inspections of the facade are not required for the ongoing inspection.
Under the October 22, 2009 Rules and Regulations, owners of occupied buildings, regardless of building category, may choose to file Ongoing Inspection and Repair Program (“Short Form”) reports every second year and not file Critical Examination Program reports at category mandated frequencies, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
There is a Critical Examination Program report on file that has been accepted by the Department of Buildings
The most recently filed report, either Critical Examination Program report or Ongoing Inspection and Repair Program report, classified the building as “safe” or “safe with a repair and maintenance program”
Owners notify the Department of Buildings in writing of their intent to file only Short Form reports
Report
The report for either the critical inspection or ongoing inspection requires the inspector to classify the facade as Safe, Safe with Repair and Maintenance Program, or Unsafe and Imminently Hazardous. A special form is required for submission of an ongoing inspection report and a special format is required for the critical examination.
The information provided in FacadeOrdinance.com is general in nature and should not be relied upon as fact. Persons requiring specific information on facade ordinances should contact local authorities or e-mail facadeordinance@wje.com. |
