Building violation repairs in Austin
The largest community area in Chicago by population, and one of the largest by housing stock: greystones, two-flats and some genuinely grand turn-of-the-century singles around the historic districts. Porch citations are rare here relative to the rest of the city and wall citations dominate, so most Austin notices are masonry cases with a permit item attached.
Also covers South Austin, The Island, Galewood (south).
What the City's record shows in 60644
cited properties
open violations
items per notice
What gets cited here, in order
- masonry45%
- permits and plans30%
- plumbing10%
- carpentry6%
- porches and stairs4%
Cited buildings here were built around 1915 on average, and 69% of cited owners do not live at the property.
Austin is mostly brick two-flats
The photograph is one of ours, a brick two-flat taken from cited to closed. It is not a picture of Austin itself. It is the building type your blocks are made of, and the standard we finish them to.
Knowing the type matters more than it sounds. It decides whether your notice is a mortar problem or a framing one, whether a permit is needed before anyone touches it, and what the inspector will look at when they come back.
See more of our workWhat we fix most in Austin
Notices here lead with masonry, then permits and plans. These are the trades that actually close cases on these blocks, and we self-perform all but the licensed ones.
Tuckpointing & Repointing
The joints get ground out and repointed to match, so the wall stops shedding mortar and the inspector stops writing it up.
On the notice as: Repair exterior wall, Building in disrepair
Brick Replacement
Cracked and missing brick swapped for units that match yours, so the repair disappears instead of announcing itself.
On the notice as: Repair exterior wall
Masonry Repair & Restoration
The full exterior brought back, including terra cotta and historic ornament, when patching one spot will not satisfy anybody.
On the notice as: Repair exterior wall, Building in disrepair
Cornice & Bay Wall Repair
The details that make a Chicago greystone or two-flat worth what it is worth, stabilised and restored instead of stripped off.
On the notice as: Repair cornice, Repair bay wall
Permits, Plans & Unpermitted Work
Drawings prepared, permits pulled under our licence, and old unpermitted work made legal. You never have to call the department yourself.
On the notice as: Plans & permits required, Work not allowed
Steel Lintel Repair
Rusting steel above your windows replaced before it lifts the brick any further. This one gets worse and more expensive every year you wait.
On the notice as: Repair lintels
Nearby on the West Side
Cited in Austin? Find out what it costs.
We price every item on your notice in person, for free, and tell you honestly which ones are repairs and which are replacements.
Insured. A person answers, Monday to Saturday.