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A City of Chicago mason contractor license is required to perform work in stone, concrete, brick, and similar materials used in above- and below-ground portions of buildings and structures within the City of Chicago. A mason contractor license is not required for masonry work limited to ground-level sidewalks and paving.

Mason contractor licenses are issued by the Department of Buildings.

A mason contractor license is required to perform work in stone, concrete, terra cotta (including clay brick), or structural tile, or any combination of these materials when used as part of buildings or structures above- or below-ground.

A mason contractor license authorizes mason work to be performed by the licensed business and its employees, working under the supervision of the business’s supervising mason.

“Employees” means individuals that the business treats as employees for purposes of unemployment insurance contributions, worker’s compensation, and income taxation. A mason contractor license does not authorize mason work to be performed by individuals who are paid by the licensed business as independent contractors.

If employees of another business will be performing mason work at a job site, that business must be licensed as a mason contractor and listed on the permit.

Yes, there are three classes of mason contractor licenses:

The classification of a contractor license is based on the examination(s) passed by the individual mason(s) who own or are employed by the business.

Mason contractor licenses are issued to businesses, including sole proprietorships, that are owned by or employ at least one individual who has passed a City of Chicago mason license examination.

To obtain a mason contractor license, a business must employ at least one individual who has passed a written mason examination (a “supervising mason”).

To take the written mason examination (either for brick, concrete, or both), an individual must be at least 21 years old.

Study guides for the different mason examinations are available on the Continental Testing Services web site.

Continental Testing Services processes mason contractor license and mason examination applications on behalf of the Department of Buildings.

Applications are submitted through the Continental Testing Services web site.

Existing mason contractor licenses are renewed through the Department of Buildings web portal.

The following fees apply to mason contractor licenses:

Mason Examination: $95.00 (per exam) Reinstatement of Expired License: $50.00 Amended License: $50.00 Replacement License Certificate: $50.00

A mason contractor license is valid for one year from issuance.

A mason contractor license is automatically inactivated if there is no valid supervising mason (individual) associated with the contractor license.

Municipal Code of Chicago, Chapter 4-376: Mason Contractors

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