Peoria, IL Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Peoria City Code Sec. 5-91
- Enforcing office
- Code official, Building Safety Division
- Residential permit fee
- 0.8% of cost, jobs $5,000+
- Commercial permit fee
- 0.9% first $5M, 0.2% above
- Permit expiration
- Void after 6 months unstarted/12 unfinished
- Unpermitted work penalty
- Fee tripled plus $500-$2,500 fine
Summary
Peoria requires a building permit before anyone constructs, enlarges, alters or demolishes a structure, changes an occupancy needing greater strength or exit capacity, or installs regulated equipment. City Code Sec. 5-91 exempts only ordinary repairs that don't violate the code. The Building Safety Division inside Community Development reviews plans and issues the permit once fees are paid.
(a)It shall be unlawful to construct, enlarge, alter or demolish a structure; or change the occupancy of a building or structure requiring greater strength, exitway or sanitary provisions; or change to a prohibited use; or to install or alter any equipment for which provision is made or the installation of which is regulated by this Code, without first filing an application with the code official in writing and obtaining the required permit therefor; except that ordinary repairs which do not involve any violation of this Code shall be exempt from this section. Building and associated permits are required for work done under housing code violation notices.(b)If after such permit shall have been granted, the operations called for by the permit shall not be begun within six months after the date thereof, or if such operations are not completed within 12 months, determined by the code official at the time of issuance of permit, then such permit shall be void.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 119).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 5-91 makes it unlawful to build, enlarge, alter or demolish a structure, or to change an occupancy needing greater strength, exitway or sanitary capacity, without first filing a written application with the code official and obtaining a permit; ordinary repairs that don't violate the code are the only exemption, and permits are also required for work done under housing code violation notices. Under subsection (b), once a permit issues, work must begin within six months and finish within 12 months or the permit becomes void, requiring a new permit and new fees.
Subsection (c) puts the duty on the general contractor to procure and pay for the permit when one is hired; otherwise it falls to the owner. Subsection (d) requires zoning, driveway, sidewalk, parking lot, fire department, health department and sewer district approvals before the building permit itself can issue, and subsection (e) bars pouring foundation concrete before every required permit is in hand. Sec. 00. Fees triple for work started before the permit is pulled, though a bona fide emergency is exempt as long as the permit is obtained within two business days; work started before a no-charge permit draws a per-day citation under Sec.
5-27. Governmental units and housing developments serving households under 80% of area median income must still get a permit but are exempt from the fee itself.
Violations & Fines
Building without the required permit is a Sec. 5-91 violation; Sec. 5-127 sets the chapter-wide penalty at not less than $500.00 nor more than $2,500.00 per conviction, on top of the tripled permit fee under Sec. 5-97 for work already started. A permit left unused for six months, or unfinished after 12, expires automatically, and the owner or contractor must reapply and pay the original fee again before continuing. The construction commission hears appeals of permit-fee decisions and unpermitted-work findings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Peoria require a permit for ordinary repairs?
What happens if I start construction before getting a Peoria permit?
How long does a Peoria building permit stay valid?
Who is legally responsible for pulling the permit, the owner or the contractor?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Peoria
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