Building Permits & Inspections
{Building Permit Downloads}
Building permits are required to ensure that
minimum building standards are met for your safety, as well as that of future property owners and occupants
of your home.
Building permits are issued by the Community Development Department
located at the Municipal Services Center, 800 Field Drive.
Permit applications may be picked up at the Community
Development Department or downloaded from this web site. For your
convenience, a checklist of information that is required with each permit
submittal is included with the permit applications. When applying
for a permit, all of the appropriate applications, along
with the required architectural and/or engineering drawings
must be submitted in full to the Community Development
Department. Only complete applications will be accepted.
If there is a home improvement project in your future,
view our Quick Tips below to make the project go smoothly. If you are unsure whether your project requires a building permit,
contact the Community Development staff
by email or by phone, 847-810-3502.
Building Permits
Adopted Building Codes
Download a Building Permit Application
and Permit Fees
Construction Hours
Within the City of Lake Forest, construction activity is
permitted during the following hours:
- Monday - Friday 7am to 8 pm
- Saturday and Sunday 8 am to 6 pm
Building Permit InspectionsDo you have a
building permit inspection scheduled for today?
View the Daily Building Permit Inspection Schedule (1 page), posted each day by
the end of the day for the following day's inspections.
A Building Inspector is scheduled to visit the job site in
morning and afternoon blocks. Automated Building Permit Inspection Hotline
The Community Development Department automated inspection hotline allows residents, contractors, and design professionals to schedule building permit inspections and obtain results from inspections by phone, 24 hours a day. To
use the system, you will need your permit number and inspection
code. To Access the System 24 hrs a Day,
Call 847-604-7001
Tips on how to use the system can be found in the Automated Building Inspection Hotline Pamphlet (128k - 2 pages).
Other Information
IS THERE A HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECT IN YOUR FUTURE?
Here are some tips to help ensure your
project go smoothly:
- If you have questions about zoning
setbacks, building scale, compatibility with other homes
in your neighborhood, tree preservation, Board and
Commission reviews or other issues, contact the Community
Development early in the process. We can help save
you time and money!
|
- Be sure you or your contractor obtains a
permit before beginning work.
|
- Submit clear and complete plans and an up
to date survey of your property with all building permit
applications to avoid delays and problems down the line.
|
- If your plans change after permits are
issued, submit revised plans before you allow your
contractor to do work that differs from the approved
plans.
|
- Instruct your contractor to keep the site
and the street clean, avoid parking on neighbors' lawns or
obstructing driveways, and to keep all construction,
erosion and tree preservation fencing in place until
approval is granted to remove it.
|
- Did you know that violations such as
doing work without a permit, performing work that differs
from the approved plans and removal of required fencing
can result in a Stop Work Order and fines?
|
- Be sure your contractor calls for a final
inspection at the end of your job. A new or replacement
house may not be legally occupied until a Certificate of
Occupancy is issued. For other projects, a final
inspection is required. If you have any questions about
whether your contractor has met all the requirements
necessary to close out a permit, contact the Community
Development Department.
|
- A permit that is not closed out at the
end of a project is recorded against the deed to your
property and causes delays in the future when the property
is sold. In addition, cash bonds are often required at the
beginning of a project and are collected when the building
permit is issued. This money comes from you, the property
owner. Unless needed to correct damage to public property,
this money is returned to the property owner at the
completion of a project, but only after all necessary
final inspections have occurred.
|
|
