How do I check if a plumber is licensed in Chicago?

Check two things. Look up the individual plumber's license with the Illinois Department of Public Health, then check that the company appears on the City of Chicago Department of Buildings list of licensed plumbing contractors. The City says state plumber licenses are valid in Chicago only when the plumber's employer holds a City plumbing contractor license.

Does Illinois license electricians?

Illinois does not appear to license electricians statewide; we found this stated only by Housecall Pro, not on a state website. What matters in Chicago is the City license: an electrical contractor license, which requires at least one licensed supervising electrician on staff. The Department of Buildings publishes the list of licensed electrical contractors.

How do I check a roofer's license in Illinois?

Use the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation license lookup and search the company name or the 104- license number printed on its estimate. A limited license covers homes and condo buildings of 8 units or fewer; an unlimited license also covers commercial work.

Can I see which permits a contractor has pulled in Chicago?

Yes. The Building Permits dataset on the Chicago Data Portal covers permits from 2006 to the present and lists the contractors on each permit, so you can filter by company name.

How to Check a Contractor's License in Chicago

To check a contractor’s license in Chicago, you first need to know who issues it. Plumbers are licensed by the State of Illinois, through the Department of Public Health (IDPH), and their company also needs a City of Chicago license. Roofers are licensed by the State, through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Electrical contractors are licensed by the City of Chicago Department of Buildings. Each authority has its own lookup.

This guide covers the three trades we rank in Chicago. Check the license before you sign, and again on the estimate itself: the name and number printed there should match what you found.

Plumbers: a state license and a City license

The State of Illinois licenses plumbers under the Illinois Plumbing License Law, and plumbing contractors must register with IDPH and carry insurance. IDPH links to a public license verification tool from its plumbing page, and its licensing data is updated daily.

Chicago adds its own layer. The City says IDPH plumber licenses are valid in Chicago only when the plumber’s employer holds a City of Chicago plumbing contractor license. That license requires a $20,000 bond. So check both: the individual plumber with IDPH, and the company on the Department of Buildings list of licensed plumbing contractors.

One exception: the owner or occupant of a detached single-family home may do their own plumbing work, with inspection still required. If they hire someone, the City says it must be a licensed plumbing contractor.

Electricians: the City of Chicago license

We found no statewide electrician license in Illinois; Housecall Pro, a secondary source, says Illinois has none, and we could not confirm it on a state website. In Chicago, the City license is what counts. A City electrical contractor license is required for any work covered by the Chicago Electrical Code, and the company must employ at least one licensed supervising electrician.

The City’s permit FAQ is explicit: “A licensed electrical contractor is required to perform all electrical work that requires a building permit in Chicago.” The City’s consumer flyer adds that only registered electrical contractors are issued electrical permits, and that violations can be reported to 311.

Look the company up on the Department of Buildings list of licensed electrical contractors. The list loads in your browser and also shows recently expired or inactive licenses.

Roofers: the Illinois roofing license

Illinois requires roofers to hold a state roofing license. According to the IDFPR brochure, the license number starts with 104 and must appear wherever the company name appears on its trucks or advertising. The Attorney General’s pamphlet adds that roofers must print the number on their contracts. A limited license covers homes and condo buildings of 8 units or fewer. An unlimited license also covers commercial work. Subcontractors who do roofing must be licensed too.

Search the company name or the 104- number in the IDFPR license lookup. IDFPR says the lookup is updated daily and that a new license can take up to 24 hours to appear. For a reroofing permit in Chicago, the City also requires a licensed general contractor, class A to E, unless the owner acts as their own general contractor.

Check the permits a contractor has pulled

The City’s Building Permits dataset on the Chicago Data Portal covers permits issued from 2006 to the present. Each permit lists the contractors involved, so you can filter by company name and see how much permitted work a contractor has done in the city, and how recently. This is also how we verify licenses for our Chicago plumber and electrician rankings: a company must appear as the plumbing or electrical contractor on City permits issued since April 2024. Our Chicago roofer ranking is not published yet.

The contract: what Illinois law requires

The Illinois Home Repair and Remodeling Act requires a written contract for work over $1,000. For those jobs, the contractor must give you the Attorney General’s pamphlet, “Home Repair: Know Your Consumer Rights,” and get your signed acknowledgment. Below that amount the pamphlet is still required, without a signature. The Act also sets minimum insurance: $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, and $50,000 for property damage.

The Attorney General’s pamphlet adds that you have 3 business days to cancel a contract signed at your home, and recommends asking for lien waivers as you pay. Ask the contractor for a certificate of insurance and call the insurer to confirm it is current.

Find a licensed contractor

Our Chicago rankings only include plumbers and electricians we found as contractors on City permits, scored on their Google reviews. For roofing prices, see our guide on roof replacement costs in Chicago.