Local requirement
Rooftop mechanical equipment must be screened on four sides under Chicago Building Code Section 14B-15-1510, with noise coordination for stationary mechanical sources per Chicago Municipal Code.
Custom steel rooftop equipment screening for Chicago commercial buildings - coordinated with Chicago Department of Buildings plan review, structured for four-side screening and noise coordination, and detailed for Lake Michigan wind exposure and heavy winter snow loads.
Chicago's 2019 Building Code addresses rooftop structures under Section 14B-15-1510, with IBC-aligned provisions and local amendments. Rooftop mechanical equipment is expected to be screened on four sides, and stationary mechanical sources must coordinate with Chicago Municipal Code noise provisions. The Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB) and Department of Planning and Development review rooftop treatments on commercial and mixed-use projects across the Loop, Fulton Market, and River North. For a deeper code breakdown, see our Chicago RTU screening requirements guide.
Rooftop mechanical equipment must be screened on four sides under Chicago Building Code Section 14B-15-1510, with noise coordination for stationary mechanical sources per Chicago Municipal Code.
The Loop office tower retrofits and mixed-use redevelopment, Fulton Market / West Loop adaptive reuse and new-build tech office campuses, River North mixed-use residential over retail, Streeterville / Near North high-rise residential and medical office near Michigan Avenue.
Rooftop plans, elevations, attachment details, finish schedules, and service access paths.
High-visibility corridors include Michigan Avenue (Magnificent Mile) - rooftops visible from one of the busiest retail corridors in the country, Wacker Drive - riverfront-facing facades and rooftops visible from the Riverwalk and passing river traffic, Randolph Street (Fulton Market restaurant row) - low-rise adaptive-reuse rooftops at close range to street level near spots like Girl & the Goat and Au Cheval. Rooftop screening quality is easy to see from streets and nearby buildings in this market.
Loop and River North freight access is constrained by elevated train structure clearance and dense traffic, lakefront and high-rise sites require coordinated crane staging windows with the city, historic Landmark District review applies to portions of the Loop and Near North including projects within sight of the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower.
We structure shop drawings to support AHJ review and reduce permit comments.
Powder coat with corrosion-inhibiting primer as a baseline minimum - Chicago's freeze-thaw cycling and lake-effect weather do not forgive under-specified coatings, galvanized substrate with powder coat topcoat for lakefront and high-wind Loop and River North exposures, wind-load documentation for Lake Michigan exposure conditions on taller rooftops.
We align screen scope to local permit triggers from the start.
Every system is built for your exact roof and equipment layout.
Doors and clearances are planned so techs can do the work safely.
We keep details plain so install crews and PMs can move fast.
Yes. Chicago Building Code Section 14B-15-1510 addresses rooftop structures with IBC-aligned provisions. Rooftop mechanical equipment is expected to be screened on four sides, and plan reviewers expect that treatment shown on permit drawings. We structure shop drawings to address DOB review directly.
Yes. Chicago DOB expects rooftop equipment, screening, and noise coordination for stationary mechanical sources documented on permit drawings. We structure our shop drawings to include elevations, attachment details, and finish schedules in a format that works with Chicago plan review.
Yes. Portions of the Loop and Near North fall under Historic Landmark District review, and Fulton Market's low-rise adaptive-reuse rooftops are visible at close range from Randolph Street. We design screening that meets code requirements while coordinating with landmark review where it applies.
Lake Michigan wind exposure, heavy snow load, and freeze-thaw cycling stress coatings and fasteners. We specify corrosion-inhibiting primer under powder coat as a minimum, and galvanized substrate with powder coat topcoat for lakefront and high-wind exposures. Panel details are designed to shed snow and ice rather than trap moisture.
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