Finding a copy of the building permit filed when your house was built. Looking up the permit granted when your house was built will provide you with the date of application (usually within a few weeks of the beginning of construction).

It may offer information on the names of the owner, builder, and architect, the building dimension, type of construction and legal description of the property. Cost of construction may also be included, but may have been understated to keep the cost of the permit down.

Permit copies are often available at the local library, township clerks offices, and of course your local historical society.

For ease of access, we suggest that you first try the UIC library. However, if your house was built after June 1954, they will not have a copy of your permit and you must go to the Department of Buildings.

Regardless of where you do your research, looking up your permit is a two-stage process:

Reminder: Street addresses and names may change over time, be sure to follow any hints to changes in address. Check for records at your local post office indicating regional address changes. Many homes were listed as Rural Delivery when they were first built, and are now surrounded by a full development with a classic street name.

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This section is republished with permission, slightly modified from a Chicago Focus to reference general links and resources for identifying and tracing the history of your home!

Special Thanks to: The Ridge Historical Society of Chicago, IL

The Ridge Historical Society website is a free resource for students, historians and anyone interested in the area history. But in order to keep it going, please consider giving back, whether as an individual or an organization, through one of the following means, according to your financial ability.

To donate or become a member click here.