Why does the Department of Buildings inspect buildings?
The City of Chicago didn’t always inspect property in the early part of its history. No one thought this was important…until the Chicago Fire ripped through the city, leveling it in 1871. Because of that devastating fire, no insurance company in the country would insure any property in Chicago, unless and until they developed a unified Building Code. The Department of Buildings began in 1875 to ensure the enforcement of the Chicago Building Code relating to the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of approximately 450,000 structures located in the City of Chicago.
