Building & Zoning Department
2Use this category to organize the project documents and approvals you may need.
Start with your property address to identify the offices, approvals, and project documents that apply in DuPage County, IL.
Start by confirming whether the parcel is in an unincorporated area and whether county shoreland, sanitary, floodplain, or land-division review applies. A city or village may still administer the building permit.
Choose a common project or enter any description on the next screen.
| Project | Permit needed when | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Zoning Review — Accessory Dwelling / Second Unit (not a permitted use) | Chapter 37 does NOT list an accessory dwelling unit as a permitted use in the R-districts. A second dwelling requires subdivision or a Planned Development; "group quarters" is a conditional use only. A general ADU request is likely NOT permitted; confirm the entitlement path with Planning before relying on any ADU allowance. | DuPage County Building & Zoning Department |
| Electrical Permit (Solar) | A separate electrical permit is required for a photovoltaic system's electrical work. | DuPage County Building & Zoning Department |
| Building Permit (Swimming Pool) | A swimming pool / spa / hot tub requires a permit (filed as an accessory structure in Accela) plus a barrier/fence per the Building Code (Ch. 8) and a separate electrical permit. Zoning: a detached pool is an accessory structure -> § 37-70x.1 accessory setbacks (behind the front wall; 3 ft off side/rear in the rear yard). | DuPage County Building & Zoning Department |
| Electrical Permit (Pool Pump / Heater) | An electrical permit is required for a pool's pump/heater; a plumbing permit if the pool is plumbed. | DuPage County Building & Zoning Department |
| Zoning / Land-Use Review | A DuPage County zoning review under Ch. 37 (confirming the R-1..R-7 district setbacks, FAR, height and use) is performed during plan review before a building permit issues on UNINCORPORATED county land. Upgrades the heuristic zoning-permit for every family to a Ch.-37-cited requirement. | DuPage County Building & Zoning Department |
| Fence Permit | ALL fences in unincorporated DuPage require a permit before erection. Height/placement per Ch. 37 § 37-407: front OPEN fence <=4 ft 6 in (>=3 in off the lot line, good side out); interior side/rear <=6 ft 6 in (<=8 ft 6 in abutting a business/industrial use or a major arterial ROW); gate <=8 ft 6 in if >=5 ft from the front line. Fence must be drawn on the plat of survey. | DuPage County Building & Zoning Department |
| Building Permit (Deck) | Any deck (attached or detached) requires a permit + plat of survey. Zoning: R-1 principal setbacks; R-2/R-3/R-4 deck front 30, REAR 15, corner 30, interior side 10% of width (not to exceed 10, or 3 ft on lots <=20,000 sf); R-5..R-7 confirm with Zoning. | DuPage County Building & Zoning Department |
| Building Permit (Shed / Accessory Structure) | A shed / detached accessory structure requires a permit; a construction plan is required if the shed is >150 sq ft. Zoning (§ 37-70x.1): max 1,000 sf accessory on lots <=40,000 sf (never larger than the principal building); >40,000 sf -> FAR .025 cap 2,600 sf (+200 sf if no attached garage); behind the front wall; 3 ft off side/rear when entirely in the rear yard; 30 ft from the street line on corner lots. | DuPage County Building & Zoning Department |
Triggers reflect county-level baselines. Incorporated cities and villages may set stricter local rules, and no fee or review window is published here because none is held at county level.
Illinois has no single statewide residential building code — municipalities (many home-rule) adopt and enforce their own codes. Statewide minimums include the Illinois Plumbing Code (IDPH, licensed plumbers required), the Illinois Energy Conservation Code, and the Illinois Accessibility Code. Zoning, signs, fences, and right-of-way permits are entirely local.
This is a preparation sequence, not a claim that DuPage County, IL issues every listed approval. Permit Check confirms the issuing authority for the parcel before filing.
Cities and villages are indexed statewide rather than by county — search them on the Illinois page.
These references and project checks help you identify county-level steps before you contact the issuing office. A city, village, town, or state agency may handle other approvals for the same project.
Use this index as a preparation checklist before visiting any external form pages.
Use this category to organize the project documents and approvals you may need.
DuPage County, IL County page gives you a workflow scaffold: what permit families to expect, how to order them, and what to validate before you submit.
Use the readiness sequence above, then run Permit Check to confirm your parcel's authority mix. That combination is usually the biggest reason applications get delayed. For DuPage County, IL, the same project can still require more than one office.
Use them to confirm the current application, office contact, adopted fee schedule, and project-specific instructions before filing or paying a fee.
Use parcel-level logic to identify every department your project touches.
Open permit checkGet a practical rule set before filing any forms.
Read guideLearn the sequence of documents and process checkpoints.
Read guideSet realistic expectations for review windows.
Read guideCross-check common permit families and filing patterns.
Open explorerConfirm the current office instructions, application version, and adopted fee schedule before filing.
The catalog below organizes common county-level workflows. Use Permit Check to confirm which office handles each approval for your property and project.
Search by project or approval. Official forms and adaptable state templates are labeled separately.
Showing forms that match your project search.
Use this official form when preparing your project submission.
Use this official form when preparing your project submission.
Tell GovCodex your project and location. You get the permit list, the offices that issue each approval, and the sources behind them for your parcel.
Do I need a permit for a 6 ft fence in my back yard?