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CHICAGO BUILDINGSBuildings home

STRUCTUREStyles Old Homes Brick Split-Face Roofs Windows Walls Porches Yards Foundations

SYSTEMSThe Brief Seasonal HVAC Plumbing Electrical Flooring Hazards

RULESZoning Spotter's Guide

BUYING, SELLING & RENTINGBuyer's Guide Renter's Guide Renter Seasonal Seller's Guide Investment The Contract 101 Ways Rates Rent vs. Buy Underwriting Flip Calc Closing Costs

Free Resources

A Field Guide to Chicago Buildings

How Chicago's homes are built, how they age, and what to check before you buy, all in everyday words. Start with the building types, then go as deep as you like: walls, pipes, wires, systems, zoning, and the showing-day lookup that ties it all together. Written by our team, anchored to the Chicago codes, and always ending with the same advice: verify with the licensed pros.

Start here

The Styles of ChicagolandThe most common building types in Chicagoland, from workers cottage to split-level, plus how construction changed from pre-war to the 90s boom to today. The Buyer's Spotter's GuideSee something at a showing? Type it in: what it is, why it was built that way, whether it is current, and what it can mean. Buying an Old Home in ChicagoThe interactive two-flat anatomy and the pitfall checklist for every system in a century-old building. New to buying? The Buyer's GuideThe step-by-step purchase process that every page in this field guide plugs into.

The structure: what the building is made of

Chicago Brick & TuckpointingCommon brick vs face brick, how solid masonry walls go together, and what proper repointing looks like. Split-Face Block, ExplainedThe 90s-2000s gray block everyone asks about: when it was built, why it leaks, and how to buy one safely. Chicago RoofsFlat and pitched: membranes, parapets, shingles, ice dams, and lifespans. Foundations & BasementsThe foundation generations, what cracks mean, and keeping basements dry. Chicago Zoning, ExplainedWhat a standard 25x125 lot allows, district by district, plus grandfathered buildings and the new ADU rules.

The systems: what is inside the walls

Start with the brief, one page that shows the whole machine, then open any chapter.

The Major Systems of a HouseThe brief: one interactive cutaway plus a plain-English primer on every system, each linking to its full chapter. Chicago HVAC, ExplainedFurnaces and ducts, forced air vs radiators, steam vs hot water boilers, and how central air cools. Chicago Plumbing, ExplainedLead service lines, galvanized vs copper, cast iron, clay sewers, and the sewer scope worth every penny. Chicago Electrical, ExplainedThe conduit rule that makes this city different, panel red flags, and electricity made simple. Chicago Flooring, ExplainedSolid vs engineered hardwood, red oak vs white oak, LVP vs laminate, and what goes over what. Asbestos, Lead, Mold & RadonWhere each one hides, when it matters, what testing costs, and how the fixes are negotiated.

Who we are, and who we are not

We are real estate brokers. We are not masons, plumbers, electricians, structural engineers, architects, inspectors, or attorneys, and nothing on this page substitutes for any of them. These guides are our team's plain-English interpretation of Chicago's codes and of how local buildings behave, written to educate, and codes change and buildings surprise. Before money moves, put licensed professionals and the primary sources we link in front of your specific property. We are glad to recommend the pros we trust.

Reading about buildings is free. So is asking us.

Send any listing and we will read the building with you: style, era, systems, zoning, and what we would verify before an offer.

Talk to The Boulevard Group

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