Arlington Heights, IL Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 23-201, Adoption of the 2018 International Residential Code and Appendices for One and Two-Family Dwellings, states: 'There is hereby adopted by reference the 2018 Edition of the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (IRC), including Appendices J, K, M, and O, except as modified by Section 23-202 of this Article. In the event that a detail of the construction or regulation is not covered by the 2018 Edition of the International Residential Code, the provisions of Article III of this Chapter shall apply.' Section 23-202 then amends the adopted IRC section by section for local use, and to the extent the IRC and the Municipal Code conflict, the Municipal Code controls.

One of those amendments narrows when a homeowner can skip a permit. Section 23-202 modifies 'R105.2 Work exempt from permit' by deleting Building list items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 10 from the model code's exemption list, along with Electrical list item 2 and Plumbing list items 1 and 2, so jobs the base IRC would let go unpermitted require an Arlington Heights building permit instead. The amendment keeps a narrower exemption for light cosmetic work: Building list item 6 is rewritten to exempt only 'painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, countertops, kitchen or bathroom upper cabinets, cabinets in rooms other than kitchens or bathrooms, exterior siding and gutter,' and Electric list item 3 is rewritten to exempt only 'replacement of non-circuit breaker type overcurrent devices.' The amendments also replace the IRC's foundation-inspection subsection with a Village-specific R109.1.1 requiring the permit holder to request every required inspection, and delete the IRC's separate plumbing, mechanical, gas, electrical, and floodplain inspection subsections outright.