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Permits represent the Village's means to ensure that all construction adheres to an established standard. The Village reviews permit documents to make sure that new buildings and modifications to existing structures meet local, state and national standards for construction safety.  Most construction projects require a permit. 

Please call the Community Development Department at 630-434-5515 to determine if a permit is required.

Application Process

Effective November 7, 2022, the Village will accept permit applications online, ONLY, through our portal. Electronic permitting allows customers to apply for a permit and review the status of their application at any time, even when Village offices are closed.

The portal guides customers through the application process to electronically submit all information required for the permit and offers the following conveniences:

  • Track application and permit status.
  • Upload plans and documents.
  • Receive and respond to review comments.
  • Make payments.
  • Download the approved permit and related documents.
  • Request inspections

Please note, applications submitted after hours or on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.

Once the Village has received and validated your application, a Project Manager will be assigned to your project and serve as the primary contact going forward. The Village has a goal of completing a first review in 10 business days from the Village acceptance of a permit submission.  Additional reviews/comments should be responded to in five business days. 

All correspondence between the Village and the applicant will be through the portal, including notice of permit approval.

Forms

Below are certain forms and documents that you may need to upload with your permit submission.  All permits require an owner authorization form that must be signed by the property owner and uploaded with your submission. Please refer to each submission list on what may be required for your permit, under Step 7 on Portal.  If you require submission of a Planning and Zoning case (i.e. Plan Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals or Historic Preservation Design Review Board), please contact the Planning Division at 630-434-5515.

Fees and Bonds

Permit fees cover the Village's costs to review applications and inspect construction. Fees are applied in the portal upon approval of the permit application and must be paid before the permit is issued and work begins.

Bonds are often required to ensure that applicants complete certain aspects of the job and protect public infrastructure. Bonds are typically returned to applicants once the project is satisfactorily completed.

Once fees and bonds are calculated, the total amount of fees and bonds will be displayed on your portal account.

Payments

  • The portal accepts Visa/MasterCard/Discover, debit cards, and electronic fund transfers (eCheck).
  • Payments may also be made in-person at Village Hall or Public Works  with cash, check or accepted credit/debit cards.

Inspections

During the course of your project, a variety of inspections may be required, which typically require at least 48-hours notice. 

How do I schedule, confirm, or change the time of my inspection?

  1. Request an appointment via your portal account.  Once the Village has scheduled your inspection, a confirmation of the inspection date and time will be available in your portal account.
  2. Call the Inspection Hotline at (630)434-5529 during business hours, 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m., Mon-Fri.

Please be ready to provide a contact name, phone number, street address, permit number, and the requested type of inspection. Inspections are scheduled at the next available time slot, typically between 48-72 hours in advance.  Some inspections are scheduled only as morning (8:30 -11:30 a.m.) or afternoon (1:30-4:00 p.m.) appointments.

Resources

You can discover additional information regarding this service portal resources by clicking on common questions below.

Building and Fire
  • Accessory Structures/Detached Garages
  • Chicken Coop (Hen)
  • Commercial Occupancy/New Tenant
  • Commercial Projects
    • New
    • Additions
    • Interior Remodeling/Renovations
    • Roofing
    • Kitchen Exhaust Systems
  • Decks/Porch/Stoop
  • Demolition
  • Drain Tile
  • Driveways
  • Electrical
  • Elevator (New and Maintenance)
  • Fence
  • Fire
    • Above/Underground Tank Installation or Removal
    • Clean Agent Suppression
    • Dry Chemical Fire Suppression
    • Fire Alarm
    • Fire Sprinkler
    • Fireworks
    • Hood and Duct Fire Suppression
    • Open Burning
  • Gas Underground Line
  • Generator
  • Lawn Irrigation
  • Mechanical/HVAC
  • Parking Lots 
  • Patio/Flatwork
  • Plumbing
  • Pool/Hot Tub
  • Residential Projects
    • New
    • Additions
    • Interior Remodeling
    • Roofing
  • Signs (Permanent and Temporary)
  • Solar Panels
  • Stormwater/Site Development
  • Telecommunications Towers/Equipment
  • Temporary Use/Special Event
Planning and Zoning
  • Certificate of Design Appropriateness
  • Historic Landmark
    • Individual Landmarks
    • Historic Districts
    • Certificate of Appropriateness (major or minor)
  • Plan Commission Entitlements
    • Annexation
    • Lot Consolidation
    • Planned Unit Development
    • Plat of Subdivision
    • Plat of Vacation
    • Special Use
    • Zoning Map Amendment (Rezoning)
    • Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments
  • Zoning Board of Appeals
    • Administrative Adjustment
    • Appeal from an Administrative Decision
    • Variance
    • Zoning Exception
  • Zoning Verification Letter
Public Works
  • Right-of-Way
  • Small Wireless Facility
  • Stormwater Utility
  • Stormwater Variance
  • Utility
  • Water
  1. Click on Register
  2. Input your Email Address in the required field.
  3. Create a password that is eight (8) characters in length.
  4. Re-type password in "Confirm Password" field.
  5. Click Next Step: Contact Information
  6. Fill in the Contact Information as required. Please include your Name and Preferred Contact Method.
  7. Begin typing a street address In the Search for Address field. The system will search existing locations within Downers Grove. If your location appears, please select it from the list. If you cannot find your address, you can enter it manually in the fields below.
  8. Fill in the Mailing Address fields as required.
  9. Fill in the Contact Numbers fields as required.
  10. Fill in the Alternate Addresses fields as required. This information is not required, though marked with red asterisks. If you do not have any alternate addresses, email addresses, or contact numbers you can leave these blank.
  11. Type in the Security Characters as displayed on-screen and click Next Step: Complete Registration.
  12. A confirmation email has been sent to the email used to register the account. Please allow up to 30 minutes for it to arrive.
  13. You will then need to click on the hyperlink contained in the email to finish activating your account. Clicking the hyperlink will load a page that will confirm your account activation.
  14. Click the Activate button to finish.
  15. You will be redirected to the Online Portal Home.
  1. Click on Sign in and log into your account.
  2. Under the Building and Fire section, select Apply for a Building or Fire Permit.
  3. Select the type of application (New Commercial, Deck, Fire Alarm, etc.) you wish to apply for, the nature of work, and type a description of the work to be done. Once you select an application type, additional fields may appear for you to complete depending on the type you choose. Once finished, Click Next Step: Permit Type.

    • If you are unsure which application to apply for, please refer to the Application Type document to gain a better understanding of the different applications available. Checklists for applications are also available here.
  4. The application type you chose will be selected, click Next Step: Work Items.
  5. From this list select all items that are relevant to the work you wish to perform with your permit, then click Next Step: Description of Work.
  6. Fill in the fields with the appropriate information relating to the work you wish to perform with your permit. For those items that appear to already have a '1' in them, you may leave those items as is. Then click Next Step: Location.
  7. Begin typing a street address in the Search for location field. The system will search existing locations within Downers Grove. If your location appears, please select it from the list. Then click Next Step: Contacts.
    • If you cannot find your address, the property may not be within the Village's municipal boundaries and the Village will not be able to process your permit request.  If you believe there is an error in the system regarding your address, please contact the Community Development Department at 630-434-5515
  8. In the next step, confirm the applicant is correct. The property owner information will not appear for privacy reasons.  An owner authorization form and list of contractors will be required to be submitted in step 6. Click Next Step: Upload Files.
  9. This is where you will upload the required documents for your permit submittal.  Depending on the type of permit, various submittals will be required.  

    • Guidelines for submittals:

      • Documents should be under 50MB in size
      • Acceptable file extensions are: .pdf, .jpg, .png, .docx, .jpeg
    • Upload required submittal documents by selecting Browse. Find the document you wish to upload and click open. Once you have uploaded all documents into the correct Submittal type, click Next Step: Review & Submit.
      • For more information as to what a submittal item should include, click on the blue question mark next to the Submittal Item name.
  10. Review your application and make sure all information is correct. Read the disclaimer at the bottom of the page and click 'agree' then type in the Security Characters as displayed on-screen and click Submit Application.
  11. Once submitted, your Permit Number will be at the top of the page.
  12. To check status and more on your Building Permit, select My Items from the tabs at the top of the web page. Click here for more information on how to navigate the My Items tab.
  1. Click on Sign in and log into your account.
  2. Under the Code Enforcement / Service Request section, select Submit a Complaint/Request.
  3. Under Complaint/Service Request Type, select a type from the list, then select a Sub Type. To describe your complaint, enter a description about the nature of the complaint and if you have a specific location (e.g. backyard)  you may enter that in the next box.  Click Next Step: Location.  

    • Your complaint is public; however, Village staff will not release your name as being the complainant and that will be kept confidential.
  4. Begin typing a street address in the Search for location field. The system will search existing locations within Downers Grove. If your location appears, please select it from the list.  If you cannot identify an address, Use the tabs on the right side of the screen to find a location. Click Next Step: Complainant / Requestor.  
  5. You may choose to enter an anonymous complaint/request or you may enter your contact information. 
    • If you choose to be anonymous, you will not be able to check the status of your complaint/request.  
    • If you wish to use your contact information that is associated with your online account, select Use the contact information from my account, otherwise enter your contact information. Click Next Step: Uploads.
  6. Here you can upload any documentation or photos you wish to include with your complaint/request although not required, it is an option. To upload, select Browse under Upload Additional Documents. Select your document and click open. Once uploaded, click Next Step: Review & Submit.
  7. Review information and type the characters in the character box exactly how they are then click Submit Complaint/Service Request.
  8. Your case has now been submitted and the appropriate Village staff will be assigned to your request.  For some complaints and service requests, please allow 24-48 hours for Village staff to investigate.  
  9. To check the status of your Code Enforcement/Service Request case, select My Items from the tabs at the top of the web page. Click here for more information on how to navigate the My Items tab.

If you are having issues with creating an account, please contact the Village at 630-434-5515.

  1. Click Sign In.
  2. Log into your account with your username and password.
  3. Select My Items
  4. Click on the appropriate category, and a list of your current applications with their status will appear.
  5. For more information on your application, click on your permit number.

    Like submitting for a building permit, the portal allows customers to request an inspection with just a few clicks. Log into your CityView account, scroll to My Items, click on the appropriate category, scroll to your permit and select the Request Inspection button. On the next screen, select the appropriate inspection followed by a requested date and time frame. Once the Village has confirmed your appointment, an email will be sent to you.  Additionally, if you open the details of your permit, the scheduled inspection will appear in the portal.

    Once all final inspections are conducted and passed, the bond refund process automatically begins. Bonds are generally refunded within three to four weeks. In some cases, only a temporary certificate of occupancy and partial bond release is granted.  This may be due to seasonal or weather-related conditions.