Illinois licensing for homeowners

Who must be licensed in Illinois

Illinois licenses specific construction trades through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), including roofing contractors statewide and plumbing contractors, while electrical and HVAC licensing is primarily municipal — Chicago licenses electricians through the Department of Buildings, and many collar counties run their own programmes. The Home Repair and Remodeling Act requires written contracts with mandatory disclosures for residential repair or remodeling work over $1,000. There is no single Illinois general contractor licence for all residential work outside Chicago's own regime; a remodeler may be unlicensed at state level yet still required to use IDFPR-licensed roofers or city-licensed trades on your job.

Licensing boards and lookups

Licence classes and what they authorize

• Roofing contractor — IDFPR roofing contractor licence

  Roofing contracting statewide under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act.

• Plumbing contractor — IDFPR plumbing contractor

  Plumbing contracting; individuals hold plumber licences under the same board structure.

• Chicago general contractor — City of Chicago GC licence

  Permit pulling for general construction within Chicago DOB jurisdiction only.

• Chicago supervising electrician — City of Chicago electrical licence

  Electrical work and permits within Chicago — separate from suburban programmes.

Verify a licence in about two minutes

1. Identify whether the job is in Chicago, suburban Cook, or downstate — the lookup system changes.
2. For roofing or state-plumbing contractors, use IDFPR License Lookup by licence number.
3. For Chicago work, use the City contractor licence lookup and match the licence category to your scope.
4. Confirm Active status and that the name matches your contract — not just the marketing brand.
5. For collar counties, open the county or municipal building department contractor list when IDFPR has no record.

Insurance and bond minimums

IDFPR roofing and plumbing licensees must maintain insurance and bond requirements filed with the department. Chicago licences require insurance certificates on file with DOB. Always obtain COI from the insurer with you as certificate holder.

Who issues permits

Local building departments enforce the Illinois Plumbing Code, Electrical Code, and Energy Conservation Code with local amendments. Chicago DOB is its own ecosystem; most other towns use county or municipal inspectors.

Homeowner permits — can you pull one, and should you

Owner-occupiers may obtain permits in many jurisdictions for their own single-family work if they sign an owner-builder affidavit and pass inspections. Chicago limits owner-permitted electrical and plumbing work — licensed supervision is typically mandatory.

Deposits, cancellation rights, and liens

Deposit rules

The Home Repair and Remodeling Act (815 ILCS 513) requires a written contract before work begins on jobs over $1,000, with total price, start/end dates, and change-order process — but does not set a single statewide deposit percentage.

Rescission / cooling-off

Door-to-door sales and certain home repair solicitations may include a three-business-day right to cancel under the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act when required notices are delivered.

Mechanic's lien timeline

Illinois Mechanics Lien Act (770 ILCS 60) requires subcontractors and suppliers to send notice to the owner within 90 days of last work in many cases; general contractors have different recording windows. Missing notices can invalidate liens — owners should demand waivers each payment.

Contracts must include the contractor's name, address, and phone; failing to use the statutory form weakens enforcement.

Where to file a complaint

File IDFPR complaints for licensed roofing and plumbing contractors. Chicago DOB handles city licence violations. The Illinois Attorney General receives consumer fraud complaints on home repair scams.

If you hire someone unlicensed

Unlicensed roofing in Illinois is a regulatory violation. Unpermitted work in Chicago can trigger daily fines. Insurers may deny claims when unlicensed trades caused the loss. Lien rights may fail for contractors who skip notice rules — but that does not protect you from paying twice for the same fix.

Which trades need a licence here

Reciprocity

Chicago and IDFPR do not grant automatic reciprocity with other states. Collar counties may honor Illinois state exams only within their programme — confirm before relocating.

Cities and counties with an extra layer

Chicago DOB, Naperville, Evanston, and Lake County each maintain separate electrical and contractor licensing databases. A contractor licensed in Aurora may not be licensed in Chicago.

Related guides

Common questions — Illinois

Sources

• 815 ILCS 513 — Home Repair and Remodeling Act
• 770 ILCS 60 — Mechanics Lien Act
• IDFPR License Lookup

Content reviewed 2026-10-06. Statutes and board URLs were checked at publication; confirm current text on the official site before relying on it in a dispute.