The Village of Arlington Heights issues building permits through its Building & Life Safety Department at Village Hall, 33 S. Arlington Heights Road. Permits are applied for and tracked in the village’s Civic Access Portal, where applicants also upload documents and schedule inspections, and all initial building permit submittals must be electronic.
This guide covers the village’s permit office, submittal rules, contractor registration, codes, inspections and construction hours. The building permit fee schedule is in the Municipal Code rather than on the village website and was not checked, so ask the department for permit fees.
What requires a building permit in Arlington Heights?
New single-family homes, additions, patios, pools, sports courts and detached structures need a permit with a site plan of existing and proposed conditions, drawn with contour data from Cook County’s CookViewer. Emergency repair work also needs a permit, submitted within 24 hours after the work begins.
All commercial, industrial and multi-family building projects must include plans developed, signed and sealed by a licensed architect.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Illinois leaves building codes to local government, but since 1 January 2025 any local code must regulate structural design at least as strictly as baseline editions of the International Building, Existing Building and Residential Codes, and where no code was adopted the statute sets minimums for commercial buildings and new homes (Public Act 103-0510). Illinois codes and the statewide baseline
Who handles permitting in Arlington Heights?
| Office | Handles | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Building & Life Safety Department | Building permits and inspections, Village Hall, 33 S. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005 | 847-368-5560; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, 9:30 a.m. opening on the first and third Wednesday |
| Planning & Community Development | Zoning and the village’s architecture and aesthetics review of single-family homes, sheds, detached garages, fences and signs | 847.368.5200; 8am-5pm weekdays |
Two outside permits can come first: a Cook County demolition permit before the village issues a demolition permit, and an IDOT permit for projects on state roads.
Contractor registration in Arlington Heights
Contractors register through Civic Access. All trades except electrical, plumbing and alarm pay a $130 registration fee ($65 for the half year starting July), and registrations expire December 31 each year. Demolition/excavation contractors post a $20,000 surety bond and sewer contractors $10,000.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Illinois licenses plumbers through the Department of Public Health and roofing contractors through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation; there is no state general contractor or electrician licence, and many jurisdictions require local registration. Contractor credentials in Illinois
How to get a building permit in Arlington Heights
Planning & Community Development reviews the application against zoning and the architecture and aesthetics standards.
Cook County for demolition; IDOT where the project is on a state road.
Upload plans as one compiled attachment, not individual sheets. A residential addition also needs the contractor’s proposal, a current plat of survey, the Construction Fence and Silt Fence Acknowledgment Form and the Tax Assessor Supplemental Information form.
Apply in the Civic Access Portal; the typical review time for a residential addition is 10 business days for the initial review or revisions.
Where ground is disturbed, a silt fence and a 6-foot-tall chain-link construction fence must be installed and inspected by an engineering inspector before work starts.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →A building permit carries a validity period set by Arlington Heights; confirm the expiry on phased or delayed work before it passes. Permit validity in Illinois
Building codes in Arlington Heights
The village’s codes, in effect since March 1, 2020, are the 2018 ICC building, residential, fire, existing building, mechanical, fuel gas and pool and spa codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code. Local amendments are in Chapter 23 Building Regulations and Chapter 27 Fire Regulations of the Municipal Code.
Inspections and permit life in Arlington Heights
Request inspections through the citizen self-service portal at least 24 hours ahead. Same-day inspections are not offered, next-business-day requests must be in before 4:00 pm, and inspections get a morning or afternoon slot rather than a set time. A hard copy of the approved stamped documents must be on site. Roof permits are closed with a roofing affidavit emailed to the department instead of a final inspection.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Permits are valid for one year and expire if substantial work has not started within six months; written extension requests can be granted for up to 180 days each. Construction is allowed Monday to Friday 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and on weekends 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Official Arlington Heights permitting resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Arlington Heights Building & Life Safety
- Arlington Heights inspections
- Arlington Heights permits and licenses
- Register as a contractor in Arlington Heights
- Arlington Heights Planning & Community Development
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
Can I get a same-day inspection in Arlington Heights?
No. Request at least 24 hours ahead in the portal; next-business-day requests must be in before 4:00 pm.
How is a roof permit closed in Arlington Heights?
With a roofing affidavit form emailed to the department, instead of a final inspection.
Do electricians pay the Arlington Heights registration fee?
No. Electrical, plumbing and alarm contractors are exempt from the $130 fee; other trades pay it.
Simplify Arlington Heights permitting with Alliance Permitting
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Check what the village or city needs for the project: permit, contractor registration, plans and outside approvals
- Prepare and file the application in the right portal, inbox or counter
- Track review, book the inspections and close out the permit
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Illinois. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.
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More Illinois permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Arlington Heights permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.