What matters for project planning
The ordinance does not govern remediation, but it reaches the part of the job that actually prevents recurrence. Most persistent moisture here is a site-drainage problem before it is an indoor one, and correcting it often means regrading or changing where water discharges -- which on a parcel inside the floodplain or floodway is regulated development requiring a WDO permit. The ravine terrain along the lakefront is the reason to check rather than assume: ravines concentrate runoff and move it fast, so a property well back from Lake Michigan can still sit in a mapped hazard area. Confirming the parcel's status with the city before scoping exterior work avoids designing a fix that cannot be permitted.
Official sources
Verify the property, not just the city
Citywide context cannot establish a parcel’s flood zone, historic designation, permit requirements, soil conditions, or concealed construction. Verify these points with the appropriate authority and your selected provider before work gets underway.
Sources reviewed 2026-07-26. External requirements and maps can change.