Building permits in Cook County, Illinois
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Cook County, 8 need a permit outright and 2 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 10
- in Cook County
Cook County Department of Building and Zoning
- Cook County Department of Building and Zoning, 69 W. Washington St., Suite 2830, Chicago, IL 60602
- Phone: 312-603-0500
- Email: intake.bnz@cookcountyil.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Cook County
Cook County runs an online permit portal. Many local portals let you check application status, search permit records, and view inspection results without calling the office.
What needs a permit in Cook County
Of the 10 common home projects we have verified in Cook County, 8 need a permit outright and 2 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Any size | ..."A. Minimum Fee (except uses of land not involving buildings) 73.50 plus $18.50 for... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Permit Fee Schedule, item 1-E SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLINGS: 0 to 499 square feet... |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Building Permit Fee Schedule, item 10-B FENCES: "Minimum Fee 100.00 Plus $2.00 for... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...item 2-M.C "Single-family dwelling air conditioning, minimum to 3½ tons and $21.00... |
| Patio Permit | Permit required | Any size | ..."A. Minimum Fee (except uses of land not involving buildings) 73.50 plus $18.50 for... |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Plumbing Permit Fee Schedule, item 3-P PLUMBING: "A. Minimum Fee 143.60 plus $20.00... |
| Pool Permit | It depends | prefabricated above-ground pools accessory to detached single-family dwellings | ...Permit Fee Schedule, item 16-B MISCELLANEOUS FEES, Swimming Pool, minimum $105.00... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...Schedule, item 13-B ROOF RECOATING OR COVERING: Residential, Single-Family... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | prefabricated storage containers | ...Permit Fee Schedule, item 2-B PRIVATE GARAGES - SHEDS: "Minimum Fee 73.50 or $21.00... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...flyer: "The average minimum permit fee for any installation is... |
Planning a project in Cook County?
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Cook County permit fees compared with nearby Illinois localities
| Illinois locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | ...of land not involving buildings) 73.50 plus $18.50... | ...air conditioning, minimum to 3½ tons and $21.00 each... | ...SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLINGS: 0 to 499 square feet... |
| Chicago | Installation or alteration of a deck is $250 per dwelling... | No permit to repair or in-kind replace a furnace, boiler... | ...or alteration of devices on existing circuits is $75... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Illinois jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Cook County permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Cook County?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 10 permit types we have verified for Cook County, 8 always require a permit (for example a deck permit), 2 depend on size or scope (a pool permit, for instance). Each Cook County permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Cook County?
- Cook County publishes a fee for 10 of the 10 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by Cook County Department of Building and Zoning; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Cook County?
- Cook County Department of Building and Zoning issues permits in Cook County, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at 312-603-0500. The Cook County official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
How the Cook County pages were verified. 10 permit types, 5 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from Cook County Department of Building and Zoning or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Cook County is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.