Cook County, IL Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies in
- Unincorporated Cook County only
- Requires
- Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
- Enforced by
- Building Commissioner, Dept. of Building & Zoning
- Minimum fine
- $1,000 per Code violation
- Plan preparer
- Licensed architect, engineer or surveyor
Summary
In unincorporated Cook County, anyone tilling, clearing, filling or grading land tied to a building or special-use permit must first submit a Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Plan to the Building Commissioner for approval before any permit is issued.
In instances where building or special use permits are required, before land is tilled, cleared, filled, graded, transported or otherwise disturbed for any reason, by any person, said person shall submit a "Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Plan" to the Cook County Department of Building and Zoning for approval by the Building Commissioner before said permits will be granted.
Full Breakdown
The plan must be prepared, signed and sealed by a registered architect, professional civil or agricultural engineer, landscape architect, surveyor or licensed photogrammetrist, and must show erosion and sediment control measures for every construction phase, tied to standards in the 1973 "Standards and Specifications of Soil Erosion and Sediment Control in Northeastern Illinois." Exemptions cover farm tilling, septic/field-tile work, single-family additions, accessory buildings, pools, signs and short utility runs. The Building Commissioner may waive the plan on engineering data showing erosion won't occur, but installed control measures must still be maintained so sediment doesn't pass downstream.
Violations & Fines
No plan, no permit: the Building Commissioner withholds building or special-use permits until an approved plan is on file. Violations of the Code carry a minimum $1,000 fine, with each continuing day a separate offense (Sec. 1-10).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply in Chicago or other Cook County suburbs?
What triggers the erosion control plan requirement?
Can the plan requirement be waived?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
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