A comprehensive national rollout often requires construction related permits from a variety of jurisdictions, departments and agencies. Our Nationwide division, working with our local circles of support, is now able to provide retailers, architects, engineers, contractors, building owners, property managers, and construction managers with expert permitting and code consulting solutions geared to their specific needs.

Through our Nationwide division we’ve helped companies such as Chase Bank, T-Mobile, Walgreens, Marriott, Starbucks and many others with their multiple location construction agendas. Our permit technicians have helped normalize the disparate permit processes for thousands of unique municipal authorities and construction projects throughout the country!

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The Chicago building codes are detailed in a two-volume set that is put out yearly by the city. In order to keep up to date with these codes and any relevant changes, Chicago architects and contractors must turn a keen eye toward both of these volumes. In fact, if they want to keep up to date on any recent changes to the codes, they must also regularly check the online editions of these codes. They can subscribe to the online editions to see any changes that the city makes to the codes between each yearly publication of the two-volume set. Every month, the online edition is updated with new information about Chicago’s building regulations as well as their current methods of fire prevention.

If you are doing a project in Chicago, you know how important it is to keep aware of these codes so that your permit applications are filed precisely. A correctly filed permit will, of course, be approved faster and save you time, money, and resources. At Burnham, we understand how difficult it can be to keep up to date with all of this information. To save your project leader time and money, we keep up to date on all of this information for you. Our experience, when combined with the relationships we have with city officials, ensures that your permits are always approved in as little time as possible. In fact, because we have been in Chicago for so many years, we almost always know about changes to the codes even before they occur. We let that insider knowledge work for you.

Most architects, contractors, and project managers are very busy. They have a long list of things that need to be accomplished every day, and they simply do not have the time to waste reading and rereading codes. In addition, they do not have the time or money to waste waiting for delayed permits to get approved. At Burnham, we work to safeguard their time and money. We work to ensure that their projects meet all of the necessary Chicago building codes. We know, just as you do, that when your proposals are up to code, your permits get approved faster, and you can break ground sooner. No one wants an idle crew or parked machinery; we work hard to ensure that your project does not have to face those setbacks.

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Notice: 2011 Holiday Restrictions
Office of Underground Cooperation (OUC) – Holiday Restrictions
Per Information Received from Chicago’s OUC…

Due to the upcoming holiday season, the Department of Transportation has directed that NO Street Openings or Traffic Obstructions, other than those for Emergency purposes, be placed within the following limits:

“Beginning at the easternmost point of Division Street extending to Lake Michigan, then west on Division Street to LaSalle Street, then South on LaSalle Street to Chicago Avenue, then West on Chicago Avenue to Halsted Street, South on Halsted Street to Roosevelt Road, then East on Roosevelt Road to its easternmost point extended to Lake Michigan.”

This directive will be in effect from:
Friday November 18th, 2011 at 12:01 am to Monday January 2nd, 2012 at 12:01 am.
Please note that all existing permits will be automatically revoked during this period. Restrictions will not be lifted for any non-emergency work without special permit exemption by the City of Chicago Department of Transportation Division of Infrastructure Management Public Way Permits Division.

Special permit requests are to be made to:

Mr. Michael Simon
Assistant Director Public Way Permit Office
121 N LaSalle Street, Room 905
Chicago, IL 60602.

Also, all work performed January 2nd, 2012 thru April 1, 2012 will be subject to criteria acceptable for snow removal/control operations.

If you have questions or concerns regarding the holiday moratorium, give us a call at 800.407.7990.

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Different cities have different requirements for construction, but one commonality is that both residential and commercial spaces need a driveway. When obtaining a driveway permit in Chicago, keep in mind that local requirements may differ from those in other cities. This type of permit grants approval to an owner, allowing them to install a driveway in compliance with City of Chicago standards. However, contractors must go through different application processes for residential permits versus commercial permits.

A residential permit is valid for property that does not exceed 4 residential units. The fee is only $10 but cannot be transferred to a new owner. In such a case, a new application would have to be filed. The documentation required for this permit includes:

• Completed application 
• Five copies of a plat of survey for proposed driveway application and two copies are required for existing driveway application or sketch showing exact location and the entire site being served by existing driveway showing curb cut. 
• One photograph of driveway or proposed location showing curb and sidewalk area.  
• Certificate of insurance (property owner’s) for $250,000 of personal liability naming the City of Chicago, its officers, employees or agents as additionally insured with respect to the driveway approach at the property location. 
• Permanent Index Number (PIN) for the property. 

A commercial permit is necessary when a property contains a commercial business, more than 4 residential units, a combined residential/commercial business, a school, a church, etc. The fee for a commercial driveway permit varies slightly based on the width. The minimum fee is $100 and increases at $2 per foot of added width over 25 feet. If building within the Central Business District, these fees are doubled. The documentation required for this permit includes:

• Completed application 
• Five copies of a dimensioned site plan, drawn to scale.  Plan must show entire site and all proposed and existing driveways (all existing driveways to be removed must be noted and shown on the site plan). 
• Three photographs of each driveway showing curb and sidewalk area. 
• Certificate of insurance (property owner’s) with a combined single limit in the amount of $1,000,000.  The City of Chicago its officers, employees or agents must be listed as additionally insured in respect to each driveway approach at the property location. 
• Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) or Social Security Number and Permanent Index Number (PIN) for the property. 

Additionally, whether residential or commercial, if the permit is for a proposed driveway, an application can take a minimum of 30 days for approval. This is much longer than the one week timeline for existing driveways.  Overall, with a bit of guidance, obtaining the necessary permit can be a smooth process.

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Good Afternoon All! The City of Chicago has updated the class schedule for Self Certification Training Classes.  We know how important it is to you to keep your training current and wanted to share.

Per the City of the Chicago Website:

Self-Certification Training Class October 26-28, 2011

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In order to keep apprised of changes in the Chicago building codes, contractors and architects must keep a close eye on the two-volume set of codes produced annually by this municipality. In addition, if you want to know the most recent updates, you must subscribe to the online edition. Each month, the online edition posts changes to the city’s plumbing, heating, ventilation, and refrigeration regulations, as well as new codes concerning environmental regulations and fire prevention strategies. Keeping up to date on these codes is essential to ensure that you know exactly what to do so that your Chicago building permits are accepted on the first try. However, keeping so well-informed can be an onerous task that is best done with the help of a trusted industry leader like Burnham.

Burnham’s team of experienced professionals can help you fill out and submit your permits so that they will get approved quickly and with a minimum of hassles. Burnham has been established in Chicago for over a generation, and during that time, we have cultivated close relationships with city officials. Not only do we have a close understanding of the Chicago codes and what needs to be followed in order for an application to get approved, we also have intimate relationships that often make us one of the first to know about code changes.

Keeping track of code changes is practically a full-time job, and is not something that usually appeals to most architects and contractors. In 2003, for the first time in over fifty years, Chicago completed their first major revision to their city building code. Although several years have elapsed since that revision, the code is updated with small changes nearly every month. For instance, recently the city has asserted a new focus on porches. Much of the information on porches involves fairly obvious things, like avoiding the use of rotten wood or unstable handrails. However, the city has written a 101-page guidebook detailing the rest of the regulations. These are the kind of specific and small details that Burnham professionals will help you with to ensure that you do not overlook anything, even the smallest detail, while you are planning your building proposal.

Covering everything from ADA ramps to elevators to circuit breakers, the Chicago building codes are fairly complex. If you want to ensure that your Chicago building permits get approved as quickly as possible, you should have someone look them over to be certain that they follow all of the relevant codes and laws. Here at Burnham, we are happy to help our clients in this capacity and are proud to say that we have been helping them for years.

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When offering our clients sustainability consulting, Burnham does not merely advise our clients on the virtues of well known programs like the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification process; we also speak with them about all cutting-edge green building technologies. You may know that buildings are responsible for almost half (40%) of our total carbon footprint and that they produce forty percent of our solid wastes. However, with the rise of green building technologies, buildings can shed their poor environmental image and claim a new environmentally friendly reputation.

We understand that as a contractor or architect, you’re focused on all of the intricacies of our project: acquiring a permit, managing your workforce, meeting ADA and other requirements, and much more. That’s why we make it our job to be up on the latest developments in green technologies and how to best utilize them. Because builders may almost instinctively turn to trusted green methods like wind- or sun-generated power sources, other emergent technologies may get overlooked. Here are a few to try now, or to keep your eye on in coming years:

Insulated nano-coatings are one of those technologies that are still being developed. Currently this technology is utilized in energy-efficient displays like those used on e-readers, but engineers are also working to adapt insulated nano-coatings so that they can be used in buildings. Engineers are also working with OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes), which are currently used in the displays of cell phones, portable media players, and digital cameras, to develop them for use in smart windows (glass that can be electrically controlled to allow in different amounts of heat or light).

In addition to the technologies still being developed, our experts can talk with you about existing technologies, how to use them in your projects, and how to get the right permits for them. For instance, aerogels, a man-made material with the least density of any solid, are currently being used with great efficacy as an insulating material in windows and skylights.

As more green building technologies continue to be developed, our sustainable consulting team can advise you on which ones to embrace for your next project. From the technologies mentioned above to self-cleaning materials to solar technologies, we keep you apprised of what’s current, what’s coming soon, and what will work best for you and our planet.

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As the City of Chicago’s summer calendar quickly fills up, it’s easy to see how we are becoming a warm weather destination. Offering access to the sparkling lakefront, prestigious museums and most importantly providing the best music festivals the country has to offer. 

 Joining the summer festival roster this year is the Dave Matthews Band Caravan. Not only is Dave providing a star-studded line up for his 3 day festival; The Flaming Lips, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s, Emmylou Harris, Ray LaMontagne, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, among others, but he is also utilizing the former south side U.S. Steel mill as the concert venue.

 The US Steel plant provided the materials for both the Hancock Building and Willis Tower and was shut down in 1993, leaving behind an unsightly brownfield site. It has since been abandoned due to the high costs associated with cleaning up and restoring former industrial sites.

 In a rare public-private partnership, Jam Produtions, Live Nation, Starr Hill Presents, U.S. Steel Corp and McCaffery Interests of Chicago have combined forces with The Dave Matthews Band (who are synonymous with sustainability and green culture) to revitalize and repurpose the 600 acre former steel mill into a lakefront venue.

 The Dave Matthews Band Caravan tour rolls into Chicago July 8-10.If this venture is successful it will open to door for further repurposing of brownfield and industrial sites into vibrant, useful public spaces.

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by David Anderson, Licensed Architect and LEED AP BD & C

Energy consumed by all the buildings in Chicago accounts for 70% of the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions and a substantial portion of these buildings are the homes where we live. To help counteract this, the Chicago Climate Action Plan calls for several agencies to come together and ramp up retrofitting homes in the Chicago area with a 25 million dollar Department of Energy grant.

This topic was part of the discussion at the USGBC Illinois Chicago Branches presentation on the emerging residential green real estate market. The event was held at the Green Depot, a smaller version of a Lowes or Home Depot for sustainable building materials located at Fullerton and Pulaski in Chicago. The program discussed a variety of topics including different residential green rating systems including HERS and LEED for Homes and marketing green homes to prospective buyers.

Part of the outcome of all of this is the creation of a Green MLS where real estate agents can market new or retrofit green homes to clients. The MLS or Multiple Listing Service is assembled by the Real Estate Board as a shared database of virtually all the homes for sale in the United States. Homes have already been listed on the Green MLS in parts of the country for several years and more areas are picking up on this trend. Preliminary studies conducted in Portland and Seattle have shown that green certified homes take less time to sell and fetch higher prices than their non-certified counterparts. An important statistic as the housing market continues to struggle with a glut of homes for sale in the wake of the financial crisis.

Hopefully this represents the start of a shift where sustainable homes will become part of the mainstream marketplace instead of being unique “only house on the block” entities.  The public building sector has led the way up to this point with an ever increasing number of new buildings and existing building retrofits seeking green certification with both building owners and municipalities seeing the long term value of building sustainably. Reaching greenhouse gas emission reduction goals by 2020, 2040 and beyond will become more of a reality with housing doing its part.

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