Kendall 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

• Kendall County Planning, Building & Zoning (PBZ): Electrical Permit (Pool Pump / Heater)

Permit triggers

• Building Permit (Shed / Accessory Structure): A shed / detached accessory structure requires a building permit (handout 671 lists Shed / Garage / Accessory Building with NO size exemption). Zoning: accessory >=5 ft from any side/rear property line (A-1 >=10 ft), >=10 ft from any main building (§ 4:05.C); height in the required rear yard 25 ft (R-1/R-2/RPD-1/2) / 20 ft (R-3/RPD-3) / 15 ft (other residential) / no limit A-1 (§ 4:05.E); detached accessory <=70% of the principal structure in R-5/R-6/R-7 (§ 4:05.F).
• Building Permit (Room Addition): Any building addition requires a building permit (handout 671 "permit required" list). Zoning: must meet the district principal-building setbacks / coverage / height (§ 3). A project in a mapped floodplain is governed by the county Stormwater Management Ordinance + FEMA (the Flood_Hazard_Areas_2026 overlay).
• Building Permit (Basement / Interior Remodel): An interior remodel / basement finish requires a building permit (handout 671 lists Remodeling). No exterior zoning change; egress/energy per the adopted IRC (Ch. 8). Electrical / plumbing / mechanical sub-permits are county-filed as scope requires.
• Building Permit (Deck): Any deck requires a building permit (deck is on the handout 671 "permit required" list). An attached deck is a permitted obstruction in side/rear yards only (§ 4:05.B); a detached deck beyond that must meet the district principal setbacks (§ 3). An attached deck built with a new house is bundled into the house fee (§ 8-46(b)(1)).
• Building Permit (Detached Garage): A detached garage requires a building permit (accessory structure). Zoning: § 4:05.C accessory placement (>=5 ft side/rear, A-1 >=10 ft; >=10 ft from the main building) + the § 4:05.E rear-yard height limits by district; footprint <=70% of the principal in R-5/R-6/R-7 (§ 4:05.F).
• Fence — NO permit required (zoning height/type limits apply): NO permit is required for a fence in unincorporated Kendall County — handout 709 "A Permit Is NOT Currently Required For: FENCING." Zoning height/type limits still apply (§ 4:14): front decorative/open <=4 ft; residential side/rear solid/semi-solid <=6 ft finished side out (8 ft abutting business/manufacturing); business/manufacturing <=8 ft; A-1 is exempt from fence height/type; no barbed-wire or aboveground-electric in residential except A-1 and R-1; may go to the property line but not into a ROW/easement; corner clearance § 4:04.E.

Packet requirements

• Building Permit Application (paper): Complete the Kendall County Building Permit Application (handout doc 32150) and submit PAPER ONLY — mail, drop slot, or the grey Court House vestibule mailbox at 807 W John St, Yorkville. The county does NOT accept emailed applications or documents.
• Zoning certificate ($75, on every permit): A $75 zoning certificate is required on all building permits (§ 8-47 / § 8-46(a)); PBZ reviews the district setbacks/coverage/height before the permit issues.
• Health Dept Building Project Site Evaluation (well/septic): The county Health Department Building Project Site Evaluation Request (handout doc 21140) is required on every permit for well/septic verification.
• Plat of survey / site plan: A plat of survey / site plan showing lot lines, setbacks, and existing + proposed structures. The Building Dept does NOT hold plats of survey — the applicant supplies one (handout 709).
• Dimensioned construction drawings (correct # of copies): Dimensioned construction drawings per the family checklist, with the correct number of copies of all documents (deck checklist 689; pool check list 703; accessory setback 673; garage 17106; shed 707).
• Agricultural Exempt Structure Zoning Certificate & Affidavit: For an A-1 agricultural-use structure claiming the ag exemption (handout doc 675).

Fee schedules

• Building Permit (by structure type): Kendall publishes DIFFERENT flats/rates by structure type that cannot share one crossFamily building-permit row: new SF home $3,000; deck $200; accessory <=120 sf $75 / 121-599 sf $175 / >=600 sf $75 IRC or $100 IBC + $0.10/sf; addition/remodel $0.10/sf + $75/insp IRC or $100/insp IBC; driveway $200; solar 0-10 kW $150 / 11-50 $300 / 51-100 $600 — recorded on the family trigger notes. Do not present $0; confirm the applicable § 8-46 line. A $75 zoning certificate applies to every permit (zoning-permit).
• Swimming Pool Permit: Base fee $200 · minimum $200 · Flat $200 swimming-pool fee (§ 8-46(a)). A $75 zoning certificate also applies (zoning-permit) and an electrical permit is separate. Barrier per the 2018 ISPSC (§ 8-19).
• Zoning Certificate: Base fee $75 · minimum $75 · Flat $75 zoning certificate required on ALL building permits (§ 8-46(a): "a ... ($75.00) zoning certificate is required on all building permits."). Also the sole fee for an accessory structure <=120 sf and for patios in R-5/R-6/R-7. Unincorporated Kendall only.

• Illinois statewide code source

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