Boilers in Chicago: inspections, rebates and contractors

Quick answer: Chicago has plenty of boilers, especially in two-flats and courtyard buildings, but most Illinois homes use a furnace: EIA puts boilers at 11% of Illinois homes and furnaces at 76%. Boilers in private homes and buildings with fewer than six units are exempt from state inspection, while the city inspects boilers in apartment buildings where a boiler heats four or more apartments. Peoples Gas pays $150–$500 rebates on qualifying high-efficiency boilers in 2026.

Chicago’s housing stock mixes bungalows on forced-air furnaces with two-flats, three-flats and courtyard buildings on steam or hot water radiators. This guide covers the local points: the city and state boiler inspection rules, when you need a permit, the heat ordinance, and what Peoples Gas and ComEd pay. It then lists some Chicago firms that work on boilers and other heating.

How Chicago homes are heated

Main heating equipment (EIA, 2020)	Illinois	United States
Furnace (warm air)	76% of homes	60%
Steam or hot water boiler	11%	8%
Central heat pump	2%	13%

These are statewide figures from the EIA’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey. If your home has radiators, check whether they are steam or hot water before asking for quotes; see steam vs hot water radiator systems and boiler or furnace.

Boiler inspections in Chicago

The Department of Buildings’ Boiler Inspection Bureau makes periodic inspections of boilers and unfired pressure vessels at apartment buildings where the boiler heats four or more apartments, and at commercial buildings, schools, churches, hospitals and nursing homes. Its inspections include:

Inspection	When it happens
External inspection	All boilers and pressure vessels, with the unit running: safety valves, return lines, breeching
Internal inspection	High-pressure boilers, and low-pressure boilers used for processing
First inspection	After a permit for a newly installed boiler
Occupancy inspection	Boilers installed in new or existing buildings, to check installation and permits
Hydrostatic test	New or used boilers newly installed, or after extensive repairs

At state level, the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal says boilers in private residences or in multi-family buildings with fewer than six dwelling units are exempt from inspection. For most single-family homes and two-flats, then, nobody will come to inspect your boiler routinely, which makes a yearly service your own responsibility. The city’s answer to “who can repair my boiler?” is any Boiler Repairer licensed by the City of Chicago.

Permits and contractor licences

The Department of Buildings says a building permit is not needed, in a residential building up to four storeys, to repair or replace in kind a boiler or a furnace, or an element of the heating system such as a radiator or ductwork. Anything beyond like-for-like, such as moving the boiler, changing fuel or switching from a boiler to a furnace, generally needs a permit, and work done without a permit must still meet the Chicago Construction Codes.

For work that does need a permit, the city requires a Chicago general contractor licence. Illinois has no statewide heating contractor licence, so the city licence lookup is the check that matters: the Department of Buildings runs a public Contractor License Lookup of currently licensed trade contractors.

The Chicago Heat Ordinance

If you rent, or you own a building with tenants, the heat ordinance applies:

Rule	What the city requires
Heat season	15 September to 1 June
Central heating, daytime (8:30am to 10:30pm)	At least 68°F
Central heating, night (10:30pm to 8:30am)	At least 66°F
Individual heating in each unit	Equipment must be able to hold 68°F in expected Chicago winter weather
Penalty	$500 to $1,000 per day, per violation

The city says the reason for the lack of heat does not matter, so landlords with an ageing boiler should plan a replacement before the season rather than during it.

Peoples Gas and ComEd rebates

Peoples Gas serves the city of Chicago. Its 2026 Home Energy Rebate application (valid 1 January to 31 December 2026) lists:

Equipment	Efficiency	Rebate
Steam boiler, up to 300 MBh	82.5% AFUE or more	$150
Hot water boiler, up to 300 MBh	90% AFUE or more	$300
Hot water boiler, up to 300 MBh	95% AFUE or more	$350
Boiler with integrated water heater	90% / 95% AFUE or more	$400 / $500
Gas furnace	95% / 97% AFUE or more	$200 / $225
Smart thermostat (ENERGY STAR)		$25

Boilers must have outdoor-air reset control, the application needs the AHRI certificate for the model, and it must be received within 30 days of installation or by 31 December 2026, whichever comes first. A contractor can deduct the rebate on the invoice and claim it for you.

ComEd, the electricity company, advertises heat pump discounts for its residential customers through participating contractors. The amounts have changed during 2026, so check ComEd’s current heating and cooling discounts before you rely on a figure in a quote. The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit, which paid up to $2,000 towards a qualifying heat pump, applied to installations through 31 December 2025 (ENERGY STAR). Some older cost guides and contractor pages still mention it, so do not count it in a 2026 budget.

Typical boiler prices

We have not found a Chicago-only price survey. HomeGuide puts a standard-efficiency boiler replacement at $2,200–$7,000 and a high-efficiency one at $4,000–$10,000, with a gas boiler replacement typically $4,000–$9,000 and an oil boiler replacement $3,300–$7,200 (standard efficiency). A boiler inspection is typically $70–$125 and an average repair $150–$700. All figures were checked in September 2026 and are national; see our US boiler costs guide for the full table. Replacing a steam boiler in a two-flat or courtyard building usually means more near-boiler piping and venting work than a like-for-like hot water swap, so compare quotes on the same scope.

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How to choose a heating contractor in Chicago

Check the city licence. Use the Department of Buildings Contractor License Lookup for the business, and ask who will pull any permit.
Ask whether a permit is needed. Like-for-like boiler or furnace replacement in a residential building up to four storeys usually is not; relocations and fuel changes usually are.
Boiler repairs. The city points owners to Boiler Repairers licensed by the City of Chicago.
Rebate paperwork. Ask the contractor to supply the AHRI certificate and to file the Peoples Gas rebate within the 30-day window.

Our guide to comparing boiler quotes like for like has a checklist of questions to ask.

Boiler and heating firms in Chicago

These businesses appear in public business listings for Chicago, and each has its own website describing boiler or heating work. We have not checked their work, prices, licences or insurance, and they have not paid to appear. Check the licence yourself before you book.

Williams Stoker & Heating Co.

Area: Lakeview

Services listed on its website: boiler service and repair, including steam and hydronic systems; water heaters

Website: stokerheating.com