14A-2-202 DEFINITIONS.
ACCESSIBLE. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
ADDITION. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code.
ALTERATION. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code.
APPROVED. Documented in writing as: generally-acceptable to the building official in accordance with Section 14A-10-1002; acceptable to the building official or fire code official for a specific application in accordance with Section 14A-10-1003; acceptable to the Committee on Standards and Tests for a specific application in accordance with Section 14A-10-1004; or authorized by the Building Board of Appeals for a specific case in accordance with Section 14A-10-1005.
APPROVED AGENCY. A Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) recognized by the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), acting within its recognized scope; a certification body accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the International Accreditation Service (IAS), acting within its accredited scope; or, where approved by the building official, another established agency that is regularly engaged in conducting tests, furnishing inspection services, or furnishing product certification.
AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
BASEMENT. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
BUILDING. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
BUILDING AREA. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
BUILDING HEIGHT. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
BUILDING OFFICIAL. The Commissioner of Buildings or the Commissioner’s authorized representative.
CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code.
CHICAGO BUILDING CODE. Title 14B of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO BUILDING REHABILITATION CODE. Title 14R of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO CONSTRUCTION CODES. Title 14A through 14X of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO CONSTRUCTION CODES ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS. Title 14A of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO CONVEYANCE DEVICE CODE. Title 14C of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO ELECTRICAL CODE. Title 14E of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO ENERGY CONSERVATION CODE. Title 14N of the Municipal Code. (On and after November 1, 2022, references to "Chicago Energy Conservation Code" mean "Chicago Energy Transformation Code".)
CHICAGO ENERGY TRANSFORMATION CODE. Title 14N of the Municipal Code on and after November 1, 2022.
Chicago Energy Transformation Code – Commercial Provisions. Part I of the Chicago Energy Transformation Code.
Chicago Energy Transformation Code – Residential Provisions. Part II of the Chicago Energy Transformation Code.
CHICAGO FIRE PREVENTION CODE. Title 14F of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO FUEL GAS CODE. Title 14G of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO LANDMARK. An area, district, place, building, structure, work of art, or other similar object designated as a landmark by the city council.
CHICAGO MECHANICAL CODE. Title 14M of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS. Title 14X of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO PLUMBING CODE. Title 14P of the Municipal Code.
CHICAGO ZONING ORDINANCE. Title 17 of the Municipal Code.
CITY. The City of Chicago.
CITY DATUM. The horizontal plane established pursuant to Section 10-4-210 of the Municipal Code.
COMMERCIAL STOREFRONT. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Minimum Requirements for Existing Buildings.
COMPLEX DEMOLITION. Any act which requires a demolition permit pursuant to Section 14A-4-407 and involves any of the following:
1. Demolition of a building designed and used exclusively for residential (Group R) occupancy with more than 3 stories above grade plane or exceeding 50 feet (15.24 m) in building height.
2. Demolition of a building designed or used for any non-accessory non-residential occupancy with more than 2 stories above grade plane or exceeding 30 feet (9.14 m) in building height.
3. Demolition of a structure other than a building exceeding 40 feet (12.19 m) in height.
4. Demolition of a building or structure with more than one basement or foundations more than 12 feet (3.66 m) below grade.
5. Demolition of a building or structure with a ground level footprint exceeding 10,000 square feet (929 m 2 ).
6. Demolition of a building or structure with a party wall or an exterior wall or foundation wall located less than 1 foot (305 mm) horizontally from a property line or from any portion of another building or structure that is not being demolished.
7. Demolition accomplished using a wrecking ball.
8. Demolition accomplished using explosives.
9. Demolition-related activity that is determined by the building official to create an unusual risk to people or property based on the method of demolition proposed, the location of the site, or the features or condition of the structure to be demolished.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS. Written, graphic, and pictorial documents prepared or assembled for describing the design, location, and physical characteristics of the elements of a project necessary for obtaining a permit. Also see "permitted construction documents."
DANGEROUS. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Minimum Requirements for Existing Buildings.
DEFERRED SUBMITTAL. Written, graphic, and pictorial documents related to the design of an element of a project that are not submitted to the building official before issuance of a permit and that must be submitted to the building official before the beginning of related work under the permit.
EXISTING BUILDING. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code.
EXISTING STRUCTURE. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code.
EXTERIOR WALL. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
FIRE CODE OFFICIAL. The Commissioner of the Fire Department or the commissioner’s authorized representative.
GRADE PLANE. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
HIGH-RISE BUILDING. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
HISTORIC BUILDING. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code.
IN-KIND REPLACEMENT. Replacement of existing materials, objects, or elements using new materials, objects, or elements of the same type, size, and shape.
KNOWINGLY. An individual acts knowingly with respect to the nature or attendant circumstances of the individual's conduct, as described by the law defining the offense, when the individual is consciously aware that the individual's conduct is of that nature or that those circumstances exist. An individual acts knowingly with respect to a material fact when the individual is consciously aware of the substantial probability that the fact exists. An individual acts knowingly with respect to the results of the individual's conduct, as described by the law defining the offense, when the individual is consciously aware that that result is practically certain to be caused by the individual's conduct.
LOT. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
MUNICIPAL CODE. The Municipal Code of Chicago, Illinois, including the Chicago Construction Codes.
OCCUPANT LOAD. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
OCCUPIABLE ROOFTOP. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
ORDINARY DEMOLITION. Any act which requires a demolition permit pursuant to Section 14A-4-407 and that is not complex demolition.
OWNER. Any person having a legal or equitable ownership interest in the premises or structure, with or without actual possession; any person shown in the official land or tax records of Cook County as holding a legal or equitable ownership interest in the premises or structure, with or without actual possession; any person having charge, care, or control of the premises or structure as an actual or apparent agent of an owner or as trustee of a trust or as the guardian, executor, or administrator of the estate of an owner; and any person responsible for or entitled to manage, collect rents for, or control the premises or structure.
PERMIT. An official document issued by the building official that authorizes performance of specified activities at a specified location.
PERMIT-RELATED FEE. Any fee imposed by Chapter 14A-4, 14A-5 or 14A-10 and any fee imposed by the Municipal Code for plan review by the Office of Underground Coordination, for a driveway permit, or for installation or alteration of a fire protection system.
PERMITTED CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS. Construction documents that have been submitted to the building official and marked as accepted by the building official in connection with issuance of a permit.
PERSON. As defined in Section 1-4-090 of the Municipal Code.
PEST CONTROL BUSINESS. A person licensed as a commercial structural pest control business by the State of Illinois pursuant to the Structural Pest Control Act.
PRIVATE GARAGE. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER. An individual who is licensed to practice professional engineering by the State of Illinois.
PROPERTY LINE. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
PUBLIC WAY. As defined in Chapter 17-17 of the Chicago Zoning Ordinance.
RECKLESSLY. An individual acts recklessly when that individual consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that circumstances exist or that a result will follow, as described by the law defining the offense, and that disregard constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable individual would exercise in the situation.
REGISTERED DESIGN PROFESSIONAL. An individual who is licensed to practice architecture or structural engineering by the State of Illinois.
REGISTERED DESIGN PROFESSIONAL IN RESPONSIBLE CHARGE. A registered design professional engaged by the owner to review and coordinate certain aspects of the project for compatibility with the permitted construction documents, including documents prepared by others, deferred submittal documents, and phased submittal documents.
REGISTERED GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEER. A professional engineer who is experienced in the use of geotechnical data to evaluate foundation systems.
REGULATED EQUIPMENT. Equipment regulated by the Department of the Environment, including but not limited to: fuel burning devices such as boilers, furnaces, industrial ovens, and crucibles; industrial process equipment such as tanks, kettles, converters, kilns, crucibles, stills, dryers, roasters, crushers, grinders, blenders, mixers, reactors, regenerators, separators, filters, columns, classifiers, screens, quenchers, cookers, towers, washers, scrubbers, mills, and condensers; pollution-control devices such as bag houses, cyclones, electrostatic precipitators, thermal oxidizers, afterburners, absorbers, filters, dry collectors, and wet collectors; unfired pressure vessels such as jacketed kettles, tanks under pressure, and indirect fired vessels; motor vehicle repair shops including equipment such as paint spray booths, prep areas, and mixing areas; dry cleaning plants including equipment such as dry cleaning machines and boilers; incinerators such as pathological waste-, thermal-, and catalytic-incinerators; food preparation units such as commercial kitchen hoods; process areas, such as areas used for grinding, sawing, cutting, packaging, assembling, machining, blending, and mixing; and generators such as emergency generators and standby or discretionary generators.
REHABILITATION. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code.
REPAIR. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Rehabilitation Code.
SCAFFOLDING. One or more temporary elevated or suspended work units and any supporting structure used for supporting personnel or materials or both. Scaffolding does not include aerial buckets, one-person harnesses, or ladders used singly, without platforms or ladder jacks.
SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA. An area designated in accordance with Chapter 16-6 of the Municipal Code.
SPECIAL INSPECTION. Inspection of construction requiring a special inspector to verify compliance with the Chicago Construction Codes and the permitted construction documents as specified in Chapter 17 of the Chicago Building Code.
Continuous special inspection. Special inspection by a special inspector who is present continuously when and where the work to be inspected is being performed.
Periodic special inspection. Special inspection by a special inspector who is intermittently present where the work to be inspected has been or is being performed.
SPECIAL INSPECTION AGENCY. A person recognized by the building official as having qualifications and experience, either individually or through employees, to perform special inspections.
SPECIAL INSPECTOR. An individual employed or retained by a special inspection agency with qualifications and experience necessary to competently inspect a particular type of construction requiring special inspection.
START OF CONSTRUCTION. The date of permit issuance for new construction or rehabilitation, provided the actual start of construction activities is within 180 days after the date of issuance. Otherwise, the actual start of construction activities.
For a new building, the actual start of construction activities means the first placement of permanent construction of a building on a site, such as the pouring of a slab or footings, installation of pilings, or construction of columns. Permanent construction does not include: land preparation (such as clearing, excavation, grading, or filling); the installation of streets or walkways; excavation for a basement, footings, piers, or foundations; the erection of temporary forms; or the installation of accessory buildings such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units and not part of the main building.
For rehabilitation work, the actual start of construction activities means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor or other structural part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building.
STORY. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
STORY ABOVE GRADE PLANE. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
TEMPORARY. For structures not directly associated with ongoing construction or demolition activities: installed at the same location for a consecutive period of no more than 180 days.
For structures directly associated with ongoing construction or demolition activities: installed at a site only while substantially-continuous construction or demolition activities are ongoing at the site.
TRADE LICENSE. A license, registration, or certification issued by the City authorizing a person to engage in a business activity related to the design, construction, rehabilitation, demolition, or repair of buildings, structures, or systems regulated by the Chicago Construction Codes or the business activity of permit expediting.
TRADE LICENSE HOLDER. A person holding a valid trade license.
TOWNHOUSE. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Building Code.
UNSAFE. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Minimum Requirements for Existing Buildings.
VACANT. As defined in Chapter 2 of the Chicago Minimum Requirements for Existing Buildings.
VACANT AND OPEN. A building or structure that is vacant and that has any door, window, or wall missing or unsecured, or has any other opening so as to allow entry by a human being.
(Amend Coun. J. 7-24-19, p. 3646, § 12; Amend Coun. J. 2-19-20, p. 14473, Art. I, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 6-25-21, p. 32180, Art. I, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 1-26-22, p. 43756, Art. I, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 9-21-22, p. 52080, Art. II, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-14-22, p. 58278, Art. II, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 6-12-24, p. 13412, Art. II, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-20-25, p. 39283, Art. III, § 8; Amend Coun. J. 6-17-26, p. 45214, Art. IV, § 10)
