Building violation repairs in South Chicago and the East Side
Mill housing, built close to the lake and close to the old steel works, and it has taken a century of weather off the water. Frame houses and brick two-flats sit side by side here, which is why this ZIP produces more porch and stair citations than any other in the city — 63 cited properties lead with one. Wooden porches facing that wind do not last, and the City writes them up hard.
Also covers South Deering, East Side, Hegewisch, Jeffery Manor.
What the City's record shows in 60617
cited properties
open violations
items per notice
What gets cited here, in order
- masonry44%
- permits and plans18%
- porches and stairs16%
- carpentry10%
- roofing and drainage6%
Cited buildings here were built around 1920 on average, and 70% of cited owners do not live at the property.
South Chicago is mostly frame workers cottages
The photograph is one of ours, a frame workers cottage taken from cited to closed. It is not a picture of South Chicago 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 South Chicago
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.
Porches, Stairs & Decks
Porches and exterior stairs rebuilt to current Chicago code, which is the item the City is least willing to be patient about.
On the notice as: Repair porch system, Repair exterior stair
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
Roofing, Eaves & Drainage
Water sent off the building the way it should go. Skip this and it quietly writes your next masonry violation for you.
On the notice as: Repair roof, Repair eaves
Foundation & Areaway Walls
Where the building meets the ground, put right. The City treats these as serious, and so should you, because everything above depends on it.
On the notice as: Repair defective foundation, Repair areaway 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
Nearby on the Far South Side
Cited in South Chicago? 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.