Services
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- Food Trucks
- Garbage and Recycling
- Historic Preservation
- Map Services
- Parking
-
Permits
- Public Safety Education
- Self-Inspection Checklist
- Service Requests
- Snow and Ice Removal
- Social Services Referrals
- Street Maintenance
- Stormwater Management
- Stormwater Utility
- Tree Maintenance
- Utility Bill
- Vendor Self Services
Permits
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 projects require a permit of some type. If you're planning a project, it's best to start with a call to the Village before you begin.
Process
Permit applications and all required supporting documents may only be submitted online via the Permit portal.
The portal offers transparency for all users and handles every stage of the permit/approval process:
- Apply for a permit. Users can track the status of their application.
- Upload additional required forms and documents.
- View and respond to comments from Village staff.
- Request /schedule appointments for required inspections.
- Pay permit fees
- Download the approved permit.
Applications submitted after business hours or on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Submit a Permit Application
Building Codes
- 2021 International Building Code with D.G. amendments
- 2021 International Residential Code with D.G. amendments
- 2020 National Electric Code with D.G. amendments
- 2021 International Mechanical Code with D.G. amendments
- 2021 International Fuel Gas Code with D.G. amendments
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code with D.G. amendments & State of Illinois amendments
- 2021 International Property Maintenance Code with D.G. amendments
- 2021 International Fire Code with D.G. amendments
- 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with D.G. amendments
- 2015 Life Safety Code - NFPA 101
- State of Illinois Accessibility Code
- State of Illinois Plumbing Code with D.G. amendments
- Downers Grove Zoning Ordinance
- Downers Grove Stormwater and FloodPlain Ordinance
Timeline
Once an application is received and verified, a Project Manager will be assigned to serve as your primary contact for all questions.
- First Review: completed in approximately 10 business days .
- Additional Reviews/Comments: These should be responded to within five business days.
Fees and Bonds
Fees applied to the permit cover the costs to review the application and inspect construction. Upon approval of the application, fees are applied in the portal. These must be paid before the permit is issued, allowing work on the project to begin.
Bonds ensure that applicants complete certain aspects of the job and protect public infrastructure. If a bond amount is required, it will be applied to your permit in the portal.
Bonds are typically refunded once the project is satisfactorily completed.
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
A variety of inspections may be required during the course of your project.
Inspection requests can be made through the portal or by calling 630-434-5529. Please allow 48 to 72 hours notice when requesting an inspection.
Appointment confirmations are handled in the portal.
How do I register for online services?
- Click on Sign In.
- Under the Register a New Account heading, click Register.
- Input your Email Address in the required field.
- Create a password that is eight (8) characters in length.
- Re-type password in "Confirm Password" field.
- Click Next Step: Contact Information
- Fill in the Contact Information as required. Please include your Name and Preferred Contact Method.
- 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.
- Fill in the Mailing Address fields as required.
- Fill in the Contact Numbers fields as required.
- 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.
- Type in the Security Characters as displayed on-screen and click Next Step: Complete Registration.
- A confirmation email has been sent to the email used to register the account. Please allow up to 30 minutes for it to arrive.
- 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.
- Click the Activate button to finish.
- You will be redirected to the Online Portal Home.
How do I apply for a Building or Fire permit?
- Click on Sign in and log into your account.
- Under the Building and Fire section, select Apply for a Building or Fire Permit.
- 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.
- The application type you chose will be selected, click Next Step: Work Items.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Once submitted, your Permit Number will be at the top of the page.
- 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.
How do I submit a complaint or a request for service?
- Click on Sign in and log into your account.
- Under the Code Enforcement / Service Request section, select Submit a Complaint/Request .
- 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.
- 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 .
- 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 .
- 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 .
- Review information and type the characters in the character box exactly how they are then click Submit Complaint/Service Request .
- 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.
- 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.
Help! I'm having trouble creating an account.
If you are having issues with creating an account, please contact the Village at 630.434.5515.
How do I track the status of an application?
- Click Sign In.
- Log into your account with your username and password.
- Select My Items
- Click on the appropriate category, and a list of your current applications with their status will appear.
- For more information on your application, click on your permit number.
How do I request an inspection in the portal?
- Log into your account and scroll to My Items.
- Click on the appropriate category, scroll to your permit and select the Request Inspection button.
- Select the appropriate type of 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.
How do I get my bond money back and how long will it take?
Once all final inspections are conducted and passed, the bond refund process automatically begins. In most cases, bonds are generally refunded within three to four weeks.
Why do I not receive emails about my permit status?
- Log into your portal account.
- Select My Account.
- Under the Preferred Contact Method, set the option to Email. NOTE: This is the recommended contact method.
- If the Preferred Contact Method has Email selected as your option, check your spam, junk or trash email boxes. Email notifications will come from: cityview_donotreply@downers.us.
- In your personal/work email account, check your settings that the email address cityview_donotreply@downers.us is not identified as spam.
My permit is approved, how do I pay online and begin my project?
- Log into your portal account.
- Select My Items, and locate your permit under the appropriate category.
- Click Add Fees to My Cart.
- Open My Shopping Cart, and follow prompts to pay for the permit.
- Upon Village confirmation of fee payment, the Village issues two documents: a Permit Card and a Permit Inspection Card.
- Click My Items under Documents & Images of the selected permit
- Print the Permit Card and place it on a visible location on the front of your property when your project starts.
- Print your Approved and Stamped permit drawings to keep onsite during construction. Please print drawings for new single family homes and all commercial projects at full size and true to scale. The Village does not have a preference if the plans are printed in color or black and white.
- If your project requires a Site Management Sign or a Parkway Tree Protection Sign, please come to Village Hall to pick those signs up. These signs must be placed on site prior to the start of construction.
Using the Permit Portal
This video shows you how to use the Permit Portal.
Permit Fees
Fees for various permits can be found here:
Search the Municipal Code
Click on the municode image above to get started.
If you have questions about the Municipal Code, please contact our Legal Department.
Using the Permit Portal
This video shows you how to use the Permit Portal.
Permit Fees
Fees for various permits can be found here:
Search the Municipal Code
Click on the municode image above to get started.
If you have questions about the Municipal Code, please contact our Legal Department.
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