Permit or address, not query language
The tool translates a narrow human lookup into a bounded request against the official dataset.
Free · live City data · no account
Look up the permit. Read the salvage clues.
Search one Chicago demolition permit number or street address. Get the public scope, issued date, contact cue, and an explainable reuse score without learning the City dataset’s query language.
Bounded public-record search
One permit or one address.
The lookup accepts only a permit identifier or a Chicago street address. It never forwards arbitrary database syntax.
Why this lookup exists
A public record becomes useful when its limits stay visible.
See the scope before guessing
Building type, masonry, stories, fixtures, detached structures, cost, and emergency timing can change which record deserves attention.
Contact an authorized party
Ask who controls material recovery and whether that window remains open. Never infer access or ownership from the permit.
Turn repeated searches into a watch
The paid Daily Drop saves one material and area filter and sends ranked matches on business days.
Direct answers
Chicago demolition lookup questions.
How do I look up a Chicago demolition permit?
Enter a City of Chicago permit number or a street address. Salvage Signal sends a tightly bounded read-only query to the official Building Permits dataset and returns matching demolition records.
Does the lookup include every Chicago building permit?
No. This tool is intentionally limited to wrecking, demolition, and qualifying interior-demolition records. Use the official City dataset for unrelated permit types and full municipal history.
What does the salvage score prove?
The score only prioritizes public text clues such as masonry, timber, building scale, use, fixtures, reported scope, and emergency timing. It does not prove inventory, condition, ownership, permission, safety, or profit.
Can an agent call the demolition-permit lookup?
Yes. The public read-only endpoint is GET /api/permit-lookup?q=. It accepts one permit number or one Chicago street address and does not accept arbitrary database queries.
For repeat searches
Save the material and area instead.
Use the lookup free whenever you have a permit. The Daily Drop is for receiving the right new records before you know their numbers.
Check founding availability →