Joliet, IL Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Joliet, IL, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- City manager
- Governing article
- Ch. 8, Art. X (Sec. 8-500 et seq.)
- Will County FIRM date
- February 15, 2019
- Kendall County FIRM date
- January 8, 2014
- Notice before enforcement
- 10 days written notice
- Floodway variances
- Not allowed at all
Summary
Anyone developing land in Joliet's special flood hazard area, in either the Will County or Kendall County portion of the city, must get a development permit from the city manager before starting work, under the Joliet Special Flood Hazard Areas Development Ordinance.
Development permit. No person, firm, corporation, or governmental body not exempted under Illinois law shall commence any development in the SFHA without first obtaining a development permit from the city manager. ... The base flood or one hundred (100) year frequency flood elevation for the SFHAs of all rivers and creeks shall be as delineated on the one hundred (100) year flood profiles in the Flood Insurance Study of Will County and Kendall County prepared by FEMA dated February 15, 2019 and January 8, 2014 respectively.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 200).
Full Breakdown
Article X of Chapter 8, adopted by Ord. No. 14207 and amended through Ord. No. 17917, governs development in the special flood hazard area (SFHA) across both counties Joliet sits in: the FEMA flood insurance study used for the Will County portion is dated February 15, 2019, and the Kendall County portion (FIRM Panels 130, 135, 140 and 145 of 225) is dated January 8, 2014, per Sec. 8-505. For land in the flood fringe, Sec. 8-506(1) requires a development permit from the city manager before any person, firm, corporation or non-exempt governmental body commences development in the SFHA.
The permit application under Sec. 8-506(2) must include scaled site drawings sealed by a licensed engineer, architect or land surveyor, existing and proposed grade elevations, and the elevation of the lowest floor of any proposed building. Sec. 8-506(5) bars submittal review until the applicant has also secured copies of every other required local, state and federal permit. Land within a regulatory floodway is stricter still: Sec. 8-507 limits it to only the specific uses and structures the article allows, with all modifications kept to the minimum necessary.
Fill used to raise a site above the base flood elevation triggers a duty under Sec. 8-506(7) to get a letter of map revision from FEMA, and Sec. 8-506(8) requires any storage lost to fill below the base flood elevation to be offset by equivalent excavation.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 8-513 makes failure to comply with a permit or variance condition a violation. After ten days' written notice, an owner who has not corrected the violation can be taken to circuit court for an injunction, and is separately subject to the general Sec. 1-8 code penalty for each offense, with each day of continuing violation counted as a separate offense. The city may also record a notice of violation against the property's title, and the city manager must warn the owner that a willful violation may cause a standard flood insurance policy to be suspended.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Joliet require a separate flood permit from the county?
What FEMA maps does Joliet use for flood zones?
Can I get a variance to build in a Joliet floodway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Joliet
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