I called this place after my usual permit place failed to call me back. Well what can I say so far I am pleasantly surprised! The person Sofia who came by is awesome! and she was very helpful and very attentive to my permit needs. In 2 days she was able to obtain my Permit. I dont know if you have ever tried obtaining one of these permit by your own............but if you have, you will know its a pain in the arse! Quick, affordable and a great expediter to work with. Shake and bake seal of approval x 10 read more

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON CHICAGO PERMIT SERVICES! Extremely unprofessional and disappointing experience with Sofia Simotas and Chicago Permit Services! I paid this company $2,375 to help obtain a permit for composite decking on my terrace in Chicago. I made it clear from the beginning exactly what materials I wanted to use. Here's the worst part: The City of Chicago had already raised concerns about combustible decking materials, yet Sofia continued moving forward with architectural plans and collecting additional payments! I specifically confirmed AGAIN that I wanted composite decking. Instead of properly resolving the building code issue before charging me more money, the company proceeded with plans specifying composite decking. Unsurprisingly, the City later rejected that approach because the decking material did not meet the applicable fire safety requirements. Sofia then claimed the building code had changed and refused to refund my money! WHAT EXACTLY DID I PAY $2,375 FOR? I hired professionals because I expected them to understand Chicago building codes, identify potential problems, and communicate critical information BEFORE taking my money. Instead, I was left with wasted money, months of frustration, and a project that could not move forward as planned. In my experience, Sofia was misleading, failed to communicate important information clearly, and did not provide the level of professional guidance I paid for. I even had to take this dispute to small claims court. Unfortunately, the court ruled against me, but that does not change how disappointed I am with the service I received. My advice: BE VERY CAREFUL BEFORE HIRING CHICAGO PERMIT SERVICES OR WORKING WITH SOFIA SIMOTAS. Get everything in writing, independently verify the building code requirements, and do not assume that paying for professional permit services means your project has been properly evaluated. I WOULD NEVER HIRE THIS COMPANY AGAIN! read more

Chicago Permit Services - Architects Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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horrible service called to ask on a quote on a archetic.. Sofia kept thinking she knows everyone from the city and speaking over me. Did not let me explain in detail what the inspector told us was needed. read more

It just sucks getting screwed.  My wife and I were dragged along for three weeks on submitting a simple GC application bc I thought they could get this done super quick as I was told.  Time and time again I called emailed and begged for updates, information on how to pay them, etc.  I contacted the team yesterday at the city who facilitates this and no application was ever received nor submitted.  Its been 3 weeks.   This is the email that I wrote today to "Chicago Permitting Services" today": Team, You can read the communication below from the bottom up between Patricia G***** and myself this morning.  Its less than pleasing to read confirmation that I've been lied to and strung along from your teams end time and time again.  Its pretty clear.  My wife and I have wasted 3 weeks on this task.  We have a daughter 1 1/2 and another one on the way.  We have a vacation coming up (bc my wife can't traveling in her 3rd trimester, and its impossible to go on vacation with a new born and we NEED designated family time bc I work a lot) Now we have to cancel the vacation bc we wont get our new GC license in time to receive payment from the banks that we are waiting on. It just sucks, you really messed up my next 3-4 months.  Your team clearly dropped the ball. How many times did I email? How many times did I call? How many times did I ask about making a payment prior to the most recent email from Maha two days ago? The is going on Yelp our of pure neglect on your teams end. read more

I am a homeowner, a landlord and a real estate agent. I feel the obligation to warn public about the SCAM that this company and similar agents are running. If you have a lot of money to waste and dont want to deal with anything, then yes go with them; but if you are a normal person who works hard for your earnings, then avoid this company or any permit expediter. My adventures of permit pulling with contractor lies started when the City cited me for my porch violations. I talked to 3 contractors, 1 architect, 1 permit agent and Chicago Permit Services. I showed them and read to them the citation language that was in the violation. They all told me that I needed architect plans/drawings plus pay them to pull the permit. Some porch contractors told me they would do the job but if they can not pass permit inspection they would charge again. Seriously! They all said just the permit itself would cost min 750$ and above that does not include their fee. Chicago Permit Services quoted me $1900 + drawings telling me that I absolutely need architect plans. Unbelievable numbers! 1 permit agent quoted me $500 just for her footwork to go in there and wait in line, telling me it will be a 2 day process at least and very complicated. All these things I hear were just crazy! I said if these contractors can do it, so could I. I am a real estate professional and will not be intimidated by this. I called the Department of Buildings. I sent 5+ emails and made 5+ phone calls. I finally talked to Department of Buildings North Side Supervisor, the russian guy Vladimir. Great guy! Explained to me my violation and told me that I Do Not Need Architect Drawings! Wow! Next step was visiting their office. I took the day off. I had the estimate proposal from my contractor and my driver's licence. I went to the city hall. The people in the permit office are actually helpful and trying to walk you through the process. The officer lady who approves permits there, Sandy, she was helpful and her supervisor. They ask detailed question that can be technical for some people. If you contractor can come with you, it may be easier for you. In 56 minutes, yes less than 1 hour! I walked out of there with my permit in my pocket costing ONLY $250. All those people, including this company, they just Bsed me and lied to me about permits and and all that complicated stuff. This whole business model is based on ripping off lazy people, scaring people and charging 5 or 10 times higher profit margins than what it actually costs. It is also very easy to find an independent architect or structural engineer to do your drawings for a reasonable price. Just do your homework, it is not that difficult. And yes, I passed the inspection after all. read more

Chicago Permit Services - Contractors, agents, expediters, Chicago Permit Services quoted me over $2000 to get this permit. I got it for 250$! Do it Yourself! - Architects Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Outstanding service and knowledge about everything that is needed to be compliant. If you are struggling to understand these requirements just reach out to Chicago Permit Services. They are will bring back peace to your life and help you navigate these waters. Sofia is extremely knowledgeable and has tons experience on any city requirements. read more

Maha and Sofia have been nothing short of helpful in all my building permit needs. After having such a short deadline and being a completely stressed about the whole thing, they totally took initiative and were so fast about getting the permits out. I really appreciate the work they do and am so thankful. read more

Complete lack of communication, unless they were called for a status update. When called for an update, Sofia got agitated and yelled to let her do her job and she can't call all her customers...guess Services shouldn't be part of the company name. It took over 8 months to get final permits. Working with her recommended architect was terrible because she did not want her client to communicate directly with the architect. Crazy and very inefficient! All charges were not made clear until they were due...ask tons of questions if you use them. Last thing I want to mention is that she got unprofessional and hung up on me because she assumed I left a bad review online about her when I did not...I am now. I'll NEVER use them again and will NEVER recommend them. read more

Worst place ever! As investors, time is money and Sofia and the architect she recommended, Dave were supposed to have drawings done for us for our project by beginning of December, two weeks after we closed on our property. We were promised by January our permits would be going through despite the holidays. Both Sofia and Dave are very hard to get in contact with. She's always too busy. And Dave is also busy or out of town. We come by her office when it's open in the morning and her assistants say she's not in. We email her, no response. We finally get back into town and head to her office first thing to get our money back. She said she needed more money but she never asked for it. Not only did she not put more effort into pushing Dave into getting our drawings done when it was first promised, she yells at us like we're in the wrong? How this place stays in business is beyond me. All the good reviews must be paid for. There's no way this extremely unorganized lady gets ANYTHING done on time for anyone. Take your money to a real place of business. Investors, avoid like crazy. She's a good talker when you first walk in, talking about she can get this and that done but the real nightmare begins right after she takes your deposit. Good luck working with this one. You'll be sitting on your project for at least a year before she gets off her ass to do anything for you. UPDATE 04/29/16: Sofia recently ran into my husband and our business partner down at City Hall and she made eye contact but quickly looked away embarrassingly. Why you ask? BECAUSE SHE BASICALLY STOLE $500 from us and doesn't want to return it with her bounced checks! I hope you can live with yourself running a business stealing hard earned deposits from people who look to you for your service to be provided and expertise! You cheap scum! We've made peace we will never see that money again, but the look on your face was PRICELESS! You should be embarrassed for ripping people off! No type of business ethics whatsoever! Lazy, deceiving, dishonest, and ugly personality all around! STILL AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE YOU GUYS! read more

I needed to obtain a permit and I didn't want to deal with the hassle of going to City Hall to get one. I called Chicago Permit Services and had a copy of my permit was emailed to me the following morning. Unfortunately, I never did receive the original via mail or FedEx like she promised. read more

Wonderful people, superb service and fair prices. Sofia and her crew spared no effort to quickly obtain a permit and even helped us find some contract help on short notice. read more

Chicago Permit Services gets the job done! I worked with Sophia on several projects and she amazes me with the results every time. Its such a relief to work with a company that gets the job done without any headaches. I can honestly say there is no need to look any further for expediting services. read more

After getting a violation notice from the city, I found Sofia and Maha at Chicago Permit Services. Their experience of handling similar situations was very reassuring. The work they performed was done on time and without any issues. They were always quick to respond to email and I felt very confident in all decisions they made regarding the plans and dealing with the city. They have won over a client for life and I will continue to contact them as they are a great resource for all Chicago plan and permit needs. read more

Sofia is the most dedicated and considerate person I have dealt with in a long time. She answers her phone and texts at all times of the day and night. She is completely fair and hard working and got our permit for us, when other expeditors could not. Please call Chicago Permit Services and dont waste your precious time dealing with a confusing and often times corrupt city. It will be the only call you need to make to get your permit. read more

I called Chicago Permit in need of help to get permits and drawings. The staff was very helpful to me. Working with the city may be difficult but CPS ease the pain. read more

Sofia was extremely helpful in getting us our permit. Very professional and knows what is needed and was there throughout the process to guide us through. Would recommend Sofia to anyone to help expedite cases through the process or to prepare for what will be needed. Thanks Sofia. read more

After having a horrible experience with a worthless expediter I called Chicago Permit Services and talked to Sophia. She was amazing! She explained the process and timing, and was able to track down answers for us immediately. Highly recommended! read more

When I first reached out Sophia called me back right away, and provided lots of helpful information. However when I reached out again for more information I was given incorrect info about the City Housing Assistance program, and any future emails were not responded to at all. Disappointed since it started out so hopeful. read more

I can highly recommend Chicago Permit Services. I worked with Sofia and she was excellent. She attended to every detail and patiently explained things I didn't understand. I am very pleased with this service. Sharon read more

Sofia has helped well beyond just obtaining a permit. She's helped guide dealing with the fiasco of city offices and eased my anxiety considering I'm losing money everyday that my tenants are not in my building. You can't go wrong working with Chicago Permit Services. read more

I purchased a 3 flat without any knowledge of it not being properly zoned or according to the CIty of Chicago, they stated the 3rd aprtmnt wasnt properly built ( not legal)or wasnt on the original blueprint. So i hired Ms.Sofia Somatas to help me straighten evrything out only to have her take my money and do nothing for me. Infact , its been a yrs since then and i still havent heard from Ms. Somatas nor anyone working @ Chicago Permit Services and have not received any refund for what i payed them. . She has been very unprofessional and doesnt like returning phone calls. I have hired another company to help me with my issue and have also had to hire an attorney . Wouldnt recommend Chicago Permit Services to anyone. Just a big scam... read more

I can't say enough about Chicago Permit Services. If could give them more than 5 stars I so would. I came across some issues with the department of buildings after I purchased a home that had an "illegal basement". To make the long story short I was disappointed by many architects that gave me the run around and the fines that could be associated with construction without permits. Luckily, I came across Sofia and the Chicago Permits Services and after seeing her reviews I decided to give them a chance (it couldn't get any worse at that point). I must say that after speaking with Sofia, she came to the site to review the situation that I was currently facing; not only did she regain our confidence but assured us that this matter was nothing to worry about and would be solved in an efficient matter. Sofia, not only proved to be trustworthy, efficient, effective, and a great expeditor. She attended court for us, so we did not deal with any hassle and was able to get some relieve. She is a great communicator and is quick to answer any questions, concerns, or comments. Sofia, was able to get the expedite our permit and get it for us fast and efficiently but she also got our court fees waived. We are just waiting for the final inspection from the department which of course they are not being to cooperative. I am so grateful for Sofia and can't express how much of a blessing she has been for us; I am forever in debt with her. Sofia and the Chicago Permit Services is the place to go for any permit services. She is exceptional and I can just continue to say good things about her and the staff. I recommend her to anyone who has any problems or plans to build any future constructions. You guys are completely EXCEPTIONAL and AWESOME! Continue doing the great job. ;) read more

Sofia and her team are amazing. Great communicators and they got the job done. Thank you!!!!

i stepped in a plie of remodel pooh! Luckily I found Sofia with the google. She is the real deal! What she did for us was amazing! She knows the right people who will bend over backwards to make her happy and helped us out. She got our permit as if i was going to K-mart. I NEVER write reviews but...... How you took car of us was spectacular! Thank you Sofia read more

I'm an interior designer in Chicago and a client's condo association suddenly insisted on a permit for construction. I was in a panic because I'm familiar with the incredibly complex and tedious process and knew that I couldn't push it through in time. I immediately went to Yelp and Chicago Permit Services sounded exactly what I needed; Sofia's glowing reviews made it a no-brainer. Her services were amazing!!!! Not only did she get me the documents way before my deadline but she connected me with an architect that got me a stamped set of drawings within 24 hours...unbelievable. Her fee structure was so reasonable that I would have paid three times the amount just so I wouldn't have to deal with city hall! To all designers out there....Sofia is a permit goddess! read more

Sofia and her staff at Chicago Permit Services are the BEST! My wife and I were remodeling our kitchen, and even though our neighbors said that we were nuts, we wanted to follow the rules and get a building permit. In Chicago you need a permit for almost anything, no matter how small the job. The City claims that they have streamlined the permit process, but for a private citizen that may only pull a permit once in their lifetime, it couldn't be more confusing and inconvenient. No wonder people don't bother getting a permit. Based on the review of others, I hired Chicago Permit Services, and it was $400 very well spent. Sofia was able to cut through all the red tape and get us a permit within days, but that was only the beginning of her outstanding service. When requesting an inspection, I made a mistake that resulted in the City canceling the inspection on the day of the inspection. When I contacted the Chicago Department of Buildings to rectify the issue, the response I received was "What do you want me to do? You screwed up!". With the threat of my kitchen remodel coming to a screaming halt, I called Sofia for her help. Within the hour, I received a call from the Chicago Department of Buildings saying that an inspector would be there the next day. Without Sofia, my only recourse would have been to get my alderman involved, taking several days, and by then, the construction crew would have ran out of work and would have moved to their next job. The lesson of my tale of woe is that when a permit is needed, HIRE CHICAGO PERMIT SERVICES! read more

Sofia and Maha are the best individuals to work with in regards to getting a permit. They handle your situation with such care and urgency. My usual permit place did not meet up to their standards which directed me to Chicago Permit Services. Everything is handled extremely professionally and whenever I have needed to contact Sofia, I have had no issue what so ever. Trying to obtain a permit is extremely difficult on your own and I don't know how I would've done it without the help of Sofia. I would highly recommend this place as I am extremely pleased with how attentive and helpful both individuals have been in obtaining my permit. I can't stress how quickly my permit needs were met (especially with affordable prices!!!). I look forward to working with this expediter in the future. Thank you again for all of your help!! read more

Sofia and her team are truly AMAZING! They were able to get our permit quickly. The process was smooth and efficient. As an investor, it's important to work with people who can get the job done! Thank you! read more