Blueprint Printing for Chicago: Full-Size Sets of Your Approved E-Plan Drawings
Chicago plans print at $1.95 a sheet in black and white or $3.75 in color, 18×24 through 36×48, and orders placed by 3 PM ET ship the same day to all 50 states. Standard Plan Review permits go through E-Plan, the Department of Buildings’ online system, with drawings uploaded to ProjectDox. The City’s drawing checklist is precise: high-contrast line drawings on a white background, a graphic scale plus a text label, and a blank 3×3-inch square in the top right of every sheet for the City’s review stamp. Once the permit is paid, you download the released drawings, and a copy has to be on the job site whenever work or inspections happen.
Prices (flat, 18×24 to 36×48)
| Per sheet | |
|---|---|
| Black & white | $1.95 |
| Color | $3.75 |
Where we ship in Chicago
We ship Chicago sets to the Loop and River North, the West Loop and Fulton Market, Lincoln Park and Lakeview, Pilsen and Bridgeport, and Hyde Park. We also ship to Evanston, Oak Park, Cicero and the rest of Cook County, which run their own permit offices. E-Plan applies inside the City of Chicago.
What the Chicago Department of Buildings asks for
Plan-based building permits go through E-Plan, the City’s online system, with drawings uploaded to ProjectDox. The Department’s drawing checklist and E-Plan steps are specific about sheets and the job site. Quoted from the Department of Buildings’ Standard Plan Review page and E-Plan checklists:
| Rule | What the City says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Submission | “All Standard Plan Review applications are submitted through E-Plan, the City’s online building permit system.” | DOB, Standard Plan Review Permit Program |
| Sheet size | “Drawing sheets must be formatted with a height between 11 and 36 inches and a width between 16 and 48 inches.” Accepted sizes include “18” × 24″ (Arch C), 24″ × 36″ (Arch D), 36″ × 48″ (Arch E), 30″ × 42″ (Arch E1)” | E-Plan, Drawings checklist |
| Line work | “Required drawings (site plans, floor plans, building sections, building elevations, construction details, MEP diagrams, etc.) must be high-contrast line drawings on a white background.” | Same |
| Legibility | “Drawings must be legible when printed at full size.” | Same |
| Scale | “A graphic scale is required in addition to a text label.” | Same |
| City stamp | “Every sheet of the drawing set must have a blank 3-inch by 3-inch square space in the top right corner. The city will place a review stamp in this location.” | Same |
| Approved drawings | “After payment is received, the authorized user may download approved permit drawings from the “Released Drawings and Documents” folder in ProjectDox.” | E-Plan, How E-Plan Works |
| Job site | “The applicant is responsible for ensuring that a copy of the approved permit drawings is available at the job site any time when work is occurring and during inspections.” | Same |
What that means for your order:
- Print at the size the set was drawn. Our sizes (18×24, 24×36, 30×42, 36×46 and 36×48) cost the same, and four of them are on the City’s accepted list. Printing at the drawn size keeps the graphic scale and the text label true.
- Black and white fits the City’s drawing rules. The checklist asks for high-contrast line drawings on a white background, so most sets print well in black and white at $1.95 a sheet. Color ($3.75) is there for renderings or color-coded MEP sheets.
- Print the released set, not your last upload. Download the approved drawings from the Released Drawings and Documents folder so each sheet carries the City’s review stamp in the top-right corner, then upload that PDF to us. If they come as several files, upload every file, or combine them into one PDF in the order you want them printed.
- The City says a copy must be at the job site; it doesn’t say it has to be paper. If you want a printed set on the job, order it to the site address. The building permit certificate is a separate document from the drawings.
Chicago requires a graphic scale, which only measures right at 100% (how to check). See approved plan set printing.
We print the released drawings on white 20 lb bond exactly as downloaded from ProjectDox. The Department of Buildings and your architect decide what’s filed and kept on site, so confirm with them first.
Built for Chicago jobs
- Job-site copies of approved permit drawings from the Released Drawings and Documents folder.
- Standard sizes on the City’s list, including 18×24 (Arch C) and 24×36 (Arch D).
- High-contrast black-line sets that stay legible at full size.
- Single sheets after an E-Plan correction.
Quick cost examples (print only; shipping chosen at checkout)
| Example | Sheets | Print total | With code WELCOME20 (20% off your first order) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved 3-flat renovation set, 18 sheets, B&W, 24×36 | 18 | $35.10 | $28.08 |
| Same set, 2 copies (job site + GC office) | 36 | $70.20 | $56.16 |
| New single-family set, 26 sheets, B&W | 26 | $50.70 | $40.56 |
| 5 revised sheets after a correction cycle, B&W | 5 | $9.75 | $7.80 |
Frequently asked questions
Who prints Chicago E-Plan drawings for the job site?
Download the released drawings from ProjectDox, upload them here and we ship them to the site. Orders placed by 3 PM ET ship the same day.
What sheet sizes does Chicago accept?
The Department of Buildings’ E-Plan drawings checklist accepts sheets 11 to 36 inches high and 16 to 48 inches wide, and lists standard sizes including 18×24, 24×36, 30×42 and 36×48. We print all four at the same price.
Do I need the approved drawings on the job site in Chicago?
Yes. The City’s E-Plan steps say the applicant is responsible for a copy of the approved permit drawings being at the job site whenever work is happening and during inspections.
Where do I get the approved drawings to print?
After the permit fee is paid, the authorized user downloads them from the Released Drawings and Documents folder in ProjectDox. Upload that PDF to us and pick the size and number of copies.
Should a Chicago set be black and white or color?
The City asks for high-contrast line drawings on a white background, so black and white ($1.95 a sheet) suits most sets. Color is $3.75 a sheet if you need it.
Does Evanston or Oak Park use Chicago’s E-Plan?
No. They’re separate municipalities with their own building departments. E-Plan is the City of Chicago’s system.
