There are 3 ways to add space to a Chicago bungalow: up into the attic with dormers or a set-back second story, back with a rear addition, or down into a finished basement. Dormers and additions go through the city’s plan-based permit process, which includes a zoning review, and a good plan keeps the brick, art glass and woodwork that give the house its bungalow character.
Rules change, so treat this guide as a starting point and confirm your own project with the city or your contractor.
What Makes a Chicago Bungalow
According to the City of Chicago, the Chicago-style bungalow was developed in the early 1900s to meet a pressing demand for owner-occupied housing as the city grew. The Chicago Bungalow Association says more than 80,000 bungalows still stand, nearly one-third of the city’s single-family housing stock, and dates the type to 1910 through the mid-1930s.
Together they form the Bungalow Belt. The Chicago Architecture Center describes it as an arc 4 to 7 miles from downtown, and notes that around 1910 the bungalow was adapted to fit Chicago’s standard 125-by-25 lot.
The association lists the features that define the type:
- brick construction;
- 1½ stories above a full basement;
- a low-pitched hipped roof with wide overhangs;
- generous windows, sometimes with leaded art glass;
- a rectangular shape, narrow at the front and rear and long on the sides;
- a simple style influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement.
The city created the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association to encourage sympathetic rehabilitation of these homes. It took its current name in 2017 and offers free design guidelines to help owners keep their bungalow’s architectural character.
Common Goals for a Bungalow Renovation
Bungalows were designed for single-floor living, which the association notes was considered modern and convenient at the time. Families today often want more bedrooms, another bathroom and a kitchen that connects to the rest of the house.
The association’s Bungalow Expansion Project, created with AIA Chicago residential architects, sets out several ways to add space without “popping the top.”
Finishing the Attic With Dormers
The Chicago Architecture Center notes that bungalow attics and basements could be finished for extra room, and some front roofs already carry a central dormer that lights an attic room. The association’s dormer scheme adds 2 upstairs bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, closet space and natural light.
It also flags 3 realities to plan for:
- dormers are added so the new rooms can meet Chicago Building Code ceiling height and window requirements;
- the scheme gives every second-floor bedroom an egress window;
- the existing attic floor is usually ceiling framing, which the association says typically does not meet the code’s requirements for a floor structure.
Adding a Full Second Story
When a family needs more than dormers can give, a second story is the larger move. The association’s design guidelines for additions ask that dormers and second-floor additions:
- be set back at least 20 feet from the front edge of the building;
- use a similar roof pitch and height to the original;
- match window openings, trim and eaves as closely as possible.
Its second-floor scheme reaches 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, and notes that basement beams and columns may need reinforcing to carry the added load.
What the association warns against is the “pop top”: a dormer or second floor that overwhelms the original house in scale and height. A set-back addition keeps the low roofline neighbors see from the sidewalk.
Building a Rear Addition
Chicago bungalow lots are narrow and deep, so the back of the house is often the natural place to grow on the first floor. The association’s rear addition scheme adds a family room next to the kitchen and a mudroom entry. It asks that the addition match the original house in materials, scale, colors and details.
How far back you can go is a zoning question. To see how we approach this work, visit our page on home additions in Chicago.
Opening Up the Kitchen
Original bungalow kitchens were small, separate workrooms meant for one person, the association notes. The Chicago Architecture Center describes bungalow floor plans as open guest spaces with clearly separated private family spaces.
Opening the kitchen to the dining room, or to a new rear family room, makes the house live larger without adding square feet. Before a wall comes out, confirm whether it carries the floor or roof above. If it does, the opening needs a beam and supports designed into the drawings.
Our guide to open concept kitchen remodeling in Chicago homes covers the layout side in more depth.
Finishing the Basement
The typical bungalow sits on a full basement, which makes it space you can add without changing the footprint. The association’s finished basement scheme fits a bedroom, a full bathroom, a wet bar and a multipurpose room, with egress windows for the bedroom and multipurpose room.
It also suggests considering an overhead sewer system with an ejector pump, and avoiding paper-faced or other organic wall materials to reduce the risk of mold. For layout ideas, see our Chicago basement remodel ideas.
Permits and Zoning for Going Up or Back
As of 2026, the City of Chicago requires a building permit before most construction, demolition and repair work. Dormers, second stories and rear additions sit on the plan-based side of that system.
Plans From a Licensed Architect or Engineer
The Department of Buildings states that permits for most building construction and rehabilitation work require plans prepared by an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer. Only a licensed architect or engineer, or a City-licensed expediter, can apply for a plan-based permit.
The city’s Standard Plan Review program, its main path for permits that need architectural plans, covers additions and alterations to single-family homes.
What the Zoning Review Checks
The Department of Planning and Development reviews building permit applications for compliance with the Chicago Zoning Ordinance. For a building addition, it asks for:
- a property survey stamped, signed and dated by a registered land surveyor, showing current conditions;
- a fully dimensioned site plan;
- fully dimensioned floor plans;
- fully dimensioned elevations that show new work against existing;
- a fully dimensioned building section.
The zoning standards that matter most when you build up or back are lot area, floor area ratio, setbacks, rear yard open space and building height. Your lot’s zoning district sets the numbers, and you can look it up on the city’s online zoning map.
When a Plan Does Not Fit
If a design misses a standard by a small margin, the city offers administrative adjustments: a streamlined approval by the zoning administrator for minor changes to standards including setbacks, floor area ratio, rear yard open space and building height. The fee listed is $500 as of November 2026.
Larger departures go to the Zoning Board of Appeals, which hears proposed variations from the zoning code.
Landmark Districts and Historic Districts
If your home is a Chicago Landmark or sits in a Chicago Landmark district, the Commission on Chicago Landmarks reviews its building permits as part of the normal process. In districts, the protected features are typically the exterior elevations visible from the public right-of-way.
Separately, the Chicago Bungalow Association lists 15 National Register bungalow historic districts. It says homeowners there can receive property tax freezes for up to 12 years through the Property Tax Assessment Freeze Program. Eligibility has conditions, so confirm with the association before you plan around it.
Character Features Worth Keeping
Much of a bungalow’s appeal comes from details that are hard to reproduce. The association’s advice for any addition is consistent: build it to be compatible with the original house in material, style and proportions.
Brick
Chicago bungalows are brick, which the association credits to the city’s winters and to the Chicago Fire. The Chicago Architecture Center notes the brick may be red, brown, orange, yellow or a patterned mix.
A rear addition can match it directly, while the association’s second-story scheme pairs the original brick with fiber-cement siding on the new level. Have the existing masonry checked before new loads go on it. Our masonry and tuckpointing page explains what that work involves.
Art Glass Windows
Bungalow windows are generous, and the small fixed art glass windows often sit beside the front door or along the sides toward the front, as the association’s features series on windows describes. It notes that Chicago is the only city that used angel gilding, a metallic finish, in residential windows, from the mid to late 1920s into the early 1930s.
The same article argues that a properly maintained historic wood window with a storm window has the same energy efficiency as a new window. If a dormer or addition needs new windows, match the proportions and trim of the originals.
Woodwork and Built-Ins
Wood is the largest volume of material in a bungalow, according to the association, and much of the character lives in the trim, floors and built-ins. The Chicago Architecture Center mentions built-in bookcases. The association’s award-winning small projects include owners cleaning up built-in drawers and refinishing original wood trim, picture rail included.
When a kitchen opens up or a wall moves, salvage and reuse matching trim where you can. Our article on historic home renovations in Chicago covers this balance in more detail.
The Roofline From the Street
The low hipped roof with wide overhangs is the bungalow’s signature from the sidewalk. The association asks owners to avoid attic expansions that are out of character with the period and style. Keep new roofs at a similar pitch and set new height back.
How Design-Build Plans a Bungalow Renovation
Areté Renovators has been a Chicago design-build remodeling firm since 2002, with design and construction under one roof and an in-house interior design team. For a bungalow, that means the design, the finishes and the construction plan develop together, so character, structure and budget are weighed at the same time.
A typical sequence looks like this:
- Start with the lot. Confirm the zoning district and what it allows for height, floor area, setbacks and rear yard before design begins. Order a current survey; the city requires one stamped by a registered land surveyor for an addition.
- Check the house. Look at the masonry, the basement structure that will carry new loads, and the attic framing. The association’s expansion schemes begin with a systems step that assesses the longevity and efficiency of the home’s systems before cosmetic work.
- Draw it. Plans prepared by an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer go to the city, while interior design selections develop alongside them.
- Permit and build. Each Areté project is run by a Project Manager.
If your plans go beyond an addition, see our approach to single-family home remodeling in Chicago, or explore more about Chicago home additions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add a second story to my Chicago bungalow?
It depends on your lot’s zoning limits on height and floor area, and on whether the structure can carry the new load. The Chicago Bungalow Association recommends setting it back at least 20 feet from the front.
Do I need an architect for a bungalow dormer or addition?
For most construction and rehabilitation work, the City of Chicago requires plans prepared by an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer. Only a licensed architect or engineer, or a City-licensed expediter, can apply for a plan-based permit.
Does a historic district limit what I can build?
It depends on the designation. A Chicago Landmark district brings Commission on Chicago Landmarks review of building permits, typically focused on elevations visible from the public right-of-way. The 15 National Register bungalow districts the Chicago Bungalow Association lists are a separate designation. Check your address before design begins.
Should I replace my original bungalow windows?
Consider repair first. The Chicago Bungalow Association argues that a well-maintained historic wood window with a storm window matches a new window’s energy efficiency.
What if my addition does not meet zoning?
Small departures from standards such as setbacks, floor area ratio or building height may qualify for an administrative adjustment from the zoning administrator. Larger ones go to the Zoning Board of Appeals as a variation.
If you are weighing dormers, a second story or a rear addition for your bungalow, we would be glad to walk the house with you. Schedule a consultation to talk through what your lot and your home allow.
