DuPage County, IL permit planning guide

• Start with the parcel location. County authority can differ inside the same county depending on whether the site is in an incorporated city, village, town, or unincorporated area.
• Use this page as a readiness checklist before any phone calls so you can submit complete, accurate information to the right office.
• Flag overlays early—shoreland, floodplain, roads, drainage, septic, and access approvals can add extra approvals that are easy to miss.
• Gather owner information, a rough site plan, and project scope details before contacting agencies.
• Validate the final office list with Permit Check once your parcel and project context are captured.

1. Confirm the parcel, municipality, project scope, and any county or state overlay before choosing an application.
2. Gather the site plan, project dimensions, ownership information, and any trade or contractor details the office requests.
3. Resolve prerequisite zoning, shoreland, floodplain, sanitary, access, or land-use reviews before the building application when applicable.
4. Submit each approval to the office that issues it and keep the records together through inspections and closeout.

A practical preparation order

1. Confirm the parcel, municipality, project scope, and any county or state overlay before choosing an application.
2. Gather the site plan, project dimensions, ownership information, and any trade or contractor details the office requests.
3. Resolve prerequisite zoning, shoreland, floodplain, sanitary, access, or land-use reviews before the building application when applicable.
4. Submit each approval to the office that issues it and keep the records together through inspections and closeout.

Offices that may be involved

• DuPage County Building & Zoning Department: Building Permit (Shed / Accessory Structure)

Permit triggers

• 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.
• Electrical Permit (Solar): A separate electrical permit is required for a photovoltaic system's electrical work.
• 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).
• Electrical Permit (Pool Pump / Heater): An electrical permit is required for a pool's pump/heater; a plumbing permit if the pool is plumbed.
• 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.
• 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.

Packet requirements

• Online permit application (Accela Citizen Access): Register and apply in the DuPage County Accela Citizen Access portal (aca-prod.accela.com/DUPAGE); pay the non-refundable application fee (credited toward the permit fee at issuance).
• Plat of survey (PLS-sealed): The proposed structure drawn to scale with dimensions and distances to nearest lot lines, plus all existing structures; Illinois Licensed Land Surveyor seal & signature.
• Construction plan: Side (cross-section) + top view; a shed larger than 150 sq ft requires a construction plan; a door > 6 ft => thickened-slab foundation. No architect stamp for sheds.
• Contractor registration (current): Every contractor must be currently registered with DuPage County at issuance.
• Drainage Easement Agreement (if in a drainage/utility easement): If any part of the work is in a drainage/utility easement, all deed holders sign + notarize a Drainage Easement Agreement.
• Entrance Permit / Bond Receipt (driveway/road access): From the roadway agency (Township Highway Commissioner, DuPage DOT, IDOT, or municipality) for driveway/road access.

Fee schedules

• Residential Building Permit (valuation): minimum $50 · $10 per $1,000 of construction cost, minimum $50 (valuation_pct 0.01, minimum_fee 50). Construction cost is derived from the valuation table (new $90/sf; deck $10/sf; accessory >150 sf $30/sf; remodeling min $100). Plan-review + drainage-review fees are additive (recorded on the trigger notes). Work started without a permit => fee doubled.
• Fence Permit: Base fee $60 · minimum $60 · Flat $60 residential ($120 commercial). ALL fences in unincorporated DuPage require a permit before erection (§ 37-407).
• Type I accessory structures & fences: Base fee $171 · Re-verified $171.00 verbatim on 2026-07-18 (0091 row, re-inserted unchanged by this GAP-FILL). Unincorporated DuPage only. Health Department fee adjusted annually effective Dec 1; effective_date left null. Re-inspection $50/$75/$100; NOV re-inspection $100. Non-refundable application fee credited toward the permit fee at issuance.
• Type II additions: Base fee $279 · Re-verified $279.00 verbatim on 2026-07-18 (0091 row, re-inserted unchanged by this GAP-FILL). Unincorporated DuPage only. Fees adjusted annually effective Dec 1.

• Illinois statewide code source

Confirm the current office instructions, application version, and adopted fee schedule before filing.