Pool Permit in Cook County, Illinois
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before installing an in-ground pool, an above-ground pool or a residential spa, unless the pool is a prefabricated above-ground pool less than 24 inches deep serving a detached single-family home.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Unincorporated Cook County requires a permit for residential swimming pools, but the Building Code exempts prefabricated above-ground pools less than 24 inches deep that are accessory to a detached single-family dwelling. The county defines a private residential above-ground pool as a structure holding water in excess of 24 inches deep at any point or with a surface area exceeding 250 square feet. Pool plans must be approved by the Cook County Department of Public Health BEFORE the permit application goes to Building and Zoning, and the pool contractor, plumbing contractor and electrical contractor must all be registered with the county.
Typical threshold: prefabricated above-ground pools accessory to detached single-family dwellings.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
When a permit is usually needed
Before installing an in-ground pool, an above-ground pool or a residential spa, unless the pool is a prefabricated above-ground pool less than 24 inches deep serving a detached single-family home.
What a pool permit costs in Cook County
How Cook County compares in Illinois
Closest pool permit thresholds outside Illinois
Jurisdictions we cover whose limit sits nearest Cook County's 24 inches of water depth.
- Alameda County, California, Depth of a prefabricated pool at which the building permit exemption stops; the exemption also requires the pool to hold no more than 5,000 gallons and to be installed entirely above ground
- Arlington, Texas, depth of a prefabricated inflatable swimming pool
- Buffalo, New York, pool designed for that water depth or more, or installed other than entirely above ground, at a one- or two-family dwelling or townhouse
- Contra Costa County, California, depth of a prefabricated pool accessory to a one or two family dwelling that is installed entirely above ground and holds no more than 5,000 gallons
How to apply in Cook County
A residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect.
What most pool permit applications include:
- Pool and spa design and construction fall under the residential code chapter that folds in the swimming pool and spa code, and permit review checks plans against that chapter (IRC R326).
- The site plan must show pool equipment such as pumps, filters, and heaters set back at least 36 inches from the outside of the required barrier (ISPSC 305.2.9).
- For an in-ground pool, engineered structural plans covering the shell and reinforcing steel, with the responsible structural engineer's license information, are a standard part of the submittal (per official pool submittal checklists).
- A barrier plan identifying the fence, pool structure, or dwelling wall that will enclose the pool must be submitted and must comply with the code's barrier chapter (ISPSC 305).
- Electrical plans must show the pool's equipotential bonding design, since the shell, perimeter surfaces, and metal fittings within 5 feet of the water must all tie into a common bonding grid (NEC 680.26).
- The electrical plan must also show a disconnecting means for the pool equipment that is readily accessible and within sight of the equipment (NEC 680.13).
General submittal guidance from 2021 IRC R326 (adopting the ISPSC), ISPSC 2021 Section 305, and NEC 2020 Article 680. Source. Cook County Department of Building and Zoning sets the exact checklist for Cook County.
Where to apply 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
Inspections and closing out your permit
Pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
- Before gunite or shotcrete is sprayed, the inspector checks the rebar against the engineered plans and confirms the equipotential bonding wire is stubbed out and tied into the steel, since it will be buried in concrete afterward (NEC 680.26).
- A bonding inspection separately confirms coping, decking, ladders, handrail cups, and any other metal within 5 feet of the water are tied to the bonding grid, and it must pass before coping is installed (NEC 680.26).
- A temporary barrier at least 4 feet high must enclose the site from the moment excavation starts until the permanent barrier is finished, and inspectors check for it throughout construction (ISPSC 305.1.1).
- A pre-plaster inspection confirms the circulation equipment's electrical work is installed and all bonding is complete before the pool's interior finish goes on (NEC 680.26).
- At final inspection the permanent barrier is checked against the code's requirements and the equipment and cover-mechanism bonding must be complete before the pool can be filled and used (ISPSC 305, NEC 680.26).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Cook County permit portal or by phone at 312-603-0500.
Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 680.26 (equipotential bonding) and ISPSC 2021 Section 305 (barriers). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Pool Permit checklist for Cook County
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: prefabricated above-ground pools accessory to detached single-family dwellings. Usually needed: Before installing an in-ground pool, an above-ground pool or a residential spa, unless the pool is a prefabricated above-ground pool less than 24 inches deep serving a detached single-family home.
- Budget the fee. Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. 32-1: Building Permit Fee Schedule, item 16-B MISCELLANEOUS FEES, Swimming Pool, minimum $105.00 or $52.50 per 1,000 cubic feet. Electrical Permit Fee Schedule item 5-E SWIMMING POOL FEES: above ground swimming pool $73.50, in-ground swimming pool $132.50. Plumbing Permit Fee Schedule item 3-P.G: Swimming Pools (In-ground) $163.80, Swimming Pools (Above-ground) $63.00. Cook County Department of Public Health plan review, unincorporated Cook County residential swimming facilities: in-ground swimming pool plan review $150.00, above ground swimming pool plan review $75.00, residential spa plan review $75.00. A $100.00 residential deposit is payable online and deducted from the final permit fee. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. A residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect. Start at the Cook County permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. Cook County Department of Building and Zoning. Phone: 312-603-0500. Address: Cook County Department of Building and Zoning, 69 W. Washington St., Suite 2830, Chicago, IL 60602.
- Plan for inspections. Pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a pool permit in Cook County?
- Unincorporated Cook County requires a permit for residential swimming pools, but the Building Code exempts prefabricated above-ground pools less than 24 inches deep that are accessory to a detached single-family dwelling. The county defines a private residential above-ground pool as a structure holding water in excess of 24 inches deep at any point or with a surface area exceeding 250 square feet. Pool plans must be approved by the Cook County Department of Public Health BEFORE the permit application goes to Building and Zoning, and the pool contractor, plumbing contractor and electrical contractor must all be registered with the county. Prefabricated above-ground pools accessory to detached single-family dwellings. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a pool permit cost in Cook County?
- Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. 32-1: Building Permit Fee Schedule, item 16-B MISCELLANEOUS FEES, Swimming Pool, minimum $105.00 or $52.50 per 1,000 cubic feet. Electrical Permit Fee Schedule item 5-E SWIMMING POOL FEES: above ground swimming pool $73.50, in-ground swimming pool $132.50. Plumbing Permit Fee Schedule item 3-P.G: Swimming Pools (In-ground) $163.80, Swimming Pools (Above-ground) $63.00. Cook County Department of Public Health plan review, unincorporated Cook County residential swimming facilities: in-ground swimming pool plan review $150.00, above ground swimming pool plan review $75.00, residential spa plan review $75.00. A $100.00 residential deposit is payable online and deducted from the final permit fee. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a pool permit in Cook County?
- You can apply through the Cook County permit portal or contact the Cook County Department of Building and Zoning directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in Cook County?
- Under Illinois law (225 ILCS 320/3): Whether an owner can pull a building permit is a municipal question in Illinois; there is no state building-permit statute. At the state level, the Plumbing License Law requires that 'all plumbing shall be performed only by plumbers licensed under the provisions of this Act,' but exempts owner-occupants (and lessee-occupants) of single-family residences doing their own plumbing, provided the work meets Illinois State Plumbing Code minimum standards, is submitted for inspection by the Department or local unit, uses no unlicensed helpers ('shall not employ other than a plumber licensed pursuant to this Act to assist'), and the occupant has 'a current intention to live in such premises as his or her bona fide sole and exclusive residence for a period of not less than 6 months after the completion of the plumbing work.' Confirm how Cook County applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Cook County
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. |
| Patio Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. |
| Plumbing Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. |
| Roof Replacement Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. |
| Shed Permit | It depends | prefabricated storage containers | Cook County Code of Ordinances Sec. |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | From the county's Solar Photovoltaic and Thermal System Permit Requirements for... |
Pool Permit in other Illinois localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Cook County documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with Cook County Department of Building and Zoning. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
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Pool Permit across Illinois