Cheval Club Condominium Association · 1426 N Orleans St, Chicago

The record of a roof that never held water.

The shared documentation hub for the Cheval Club roof matter: the leak timeline with field photographs, the independent findings, the permit record, and every document the Board, its consultant, and counsel are working from.

March 16
First leak reported
June 18
HDG independent report
$0
Unsigned change order exposure
Scroll ↓
Current status

Where things stand

Independent findings, Hutchinson Design Group

The project failed in both design and installation. The roof was not torn off to the deck. About half the specified insulation was installed. No coverboard. Counterflashing and cant strips are missing. Drains were not properly replaced or flashed. The new roof already contains moisture.

HDG inspected on June 3 and reported on June 18. Skyline's April 8 impedance scan found elevated moisture across most of the roof. Ready Home's unsigned change order, roughly $92,000 in net exposure, has not been signed or paid, and the matter is with counsel.

Last updated July 11 · Edit this section as things progress.
March 16
First reported, Suzzanne's unit
Most of roof
Elevated moisture, Skyline April 8
June 18
HDG: design + installation failures
$0
Change order, unsigned and unpaid
Open items

What happens next

  1. Do not sign or pay the Ready Home change order pending counsel and HDG review.It asks the Association to pay to repair damage that may trace to the contractor's own drain work, and it admits two existing roof layers were left in place.
  2. Route the full package to counsel (Sabina Arutyunyan, Kovitz Shifrin Nesbit), including insurer notice questions.
  3. Demand the never-provided documents: drainage assessment reports, the ISO insulation memo, written change orders, and GAF warranty registration for the new roof.
  4. Resolve the permit questions: permitted as tear-off but built as re-cover, and confirm the permit address (permit says 1424, building is 1426).
  5. Confirm scope and schedule for interior repairs (Suzzanne's unit, Ryan's unit, Unit 601) once the roof is made watertight.
Timeline

From first drip to failed findings

Compiled from the Board's Freeform photo board, March 16 through April 24, then the investigation milestones. Items marked as videos live on the Freeform board; stills are shown here.

March 16

Leak reported in Suzzanne's unit. Ceiling damage visible. Wet insulation found in the cavity, noted on the board as the cause.
Ceiling water damage Ceiling water damage near vent Cavity above ceiling Wet insulation Wet insulation video still

March 25

Andy texted Ryan. A bucket was set out on the deck to catch the drip.
Bucket catching drip

March 26

Ryan's water blister is getting larger.
Unit 601 ceiling was cut open to trace the water.
Unit 601 ceiling cutout Unit 601 ceiling cutout

March 27

About half a bucket of accumulation.

March 29

Now dripping from both sides of the cutout.

March 31

The old 2 inch drain, photographed before replacement.
Old 2 inch drain Old 2 inch drain Old 2 inch drain

April 3

Drain removal day. One photo at 11:51 AM, one photo where it is unclear whether it shows the old or new drain, and a view from Unit 601 after the 2 inch drain was removed.
Roof at 11:51 AM Drain, old or new unclear View from Unit 601 after drain removal

April 4

The completed 2 inch drain installation.
Completed drain Completed drain Drain detail Drain detail Drain area

April 6

Follow up photo at 12:05 PM.
Roof drain follow up

April 7

Continued roof work.
Roof work Roof work

April 8

Skyline impedance moisture scan: elevated moisture across most of the roof. Also surfaced the expired 2011 GAF guarantee and the tear-off versus re-cover permit question.

April 9

Second drain replaced by the plumber.
Second drain replacement Second drain replacement

April 14

Core sampling was performed. Wetness was found in 4 areas of the roof covering, on both the east and west sides.
Core sampling Core sampling Core sample area Core sample area Core sample area

April 24

48 hour water test conducted with sealed drains. The test failed. With the drains sealed off, water still made it through, which indicates the roof covering itself is leaking.
Water test Water test

April 28

Ready Home submits an unsigned change order: about $39,700 to repair the flooded east area, $18,970 in service time, $13,253.50 in partial credits, plus the $46,785 contract balances. The Board has not signed or paid.

June 3

Hutchinson Design Group (HDG) performs its independent inspection.

June 18

HDG report issued: the project failed in both design and installation. No tear-off, about half the specified insulation, no coverboard, missing counterflashing and cant strips, drains not properly replaced or flashed, moisture already in the new roof. HDG also found Kipcon did not meet the standard of care.
Existing drain issues

Documented deficiencies

No bolts, drains not replaced, no covers

Photographed during the investigation. These remain open items for the contractor.

Drain with no bolts or cover
Permit & contractor

What the City was told

Contractor
ReadyHome, LLC
IL roofing license
104017069
Permit type
Express Permit Program (City of Chicago)
Application date
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Issue date
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Scope
Roof replacement, 8,000 sq ft. Mineral surfaced roll roofing. Tear off the existing roof system and install new.
Review activity
Affordable Housing Hold (Department of Housing), approved 09/02/2025

The roof that is now leaking was replaced under this permit about six months before the first reported leak. Two open questions: the permit describes a tear-off but the work performed was a re-cover, and the permit lists 1424 N Orleans while the building is 1426 (corner buildings can carry multiple numbers, but this needs verifying). Permit status can be checked at webapps1.chicago.gov.

City of Chicago permit application status
Document library

Everything on file

Everything lives in this project's docs/ folder. Start with the package index, which summarizes the whole matter for anyone new to it.

Board package (prepared for HDG, counsel, and owners)

DocumentWhat it is
Roof Summary of ConcernsMaster summary: HDG findings, contract versus delivered, change order review, Board concerns, next steps
HDG Scope of InquiryThe 10 work items and questions given to Hutchinson Design Group, including the permit tear-off issue
Field PhotographsCaptioned exhibit of the Board's field photos
Roof Punch List TrackerRoof items with Board position, remedy, and status, plus a Financials tab (about $92,000 net exposure if the change order were signed)
Masonry & Building TrackerMasonry and other building items in the same format
Owners Roof UpdateOwner-facing presentation drawn from HDG's report

Source documents on file

DocumentWhat it is
Blank bid document (final)The bid form the project was priced against
Kipcon initial inspection reportKipcon's early inspection report
Kipcon email, additional findingsFollow-up findings from Kipcon
Kipcon email, capstone flashingKipcon correspondence on capstone flashing
HOA edits to Hutchinson reportThe Board's review edits to the HDG inspection report
Freeform board overview (image)One-page image of the full photo board; the 377 MB source PDF stays in Downloads

Referenced but not yet in this folder

HDG report (June 18)Held by the Board; add when exported
Skyline impedance scan (April 8) with expired 2011 GAF guaranteeHeld by the Board; add when exported
Ready Home change order (April 28)Unsigned; held by the Board
Kipcon roof spec 5555-625, masonry spec 5555-626, proposal, and Response to HOAHeld by the Board
Board working punch list (Ryan's notes, draft)Internal draft; superseded by the tracker above
Drainage assessment reports, ISO insulation memo, written change orders, GAF warranty registrationNever provided by the contractor or engineer; demanded

Drop new files into docs/ and add a row here. Note: the Board package contains internal positions; scrub before sharing anything with the contractor.