Kankakee County, IL Fence Regulations: Fence Permit Requirements (2026)

without first filing an application with the building division in writing and obtaining the required permit thereafter,' and the county's residential fee schedule in Section 105-166(a) confirms fences fall inside that rule: residential permit fees apply to 'accessory buildings or structures, swimming pools (24 inches or deeper), room additions, roofs, decks, fences, siding, garages, brick work' and more. Because the fee schedule is triggered only when a permit is required, listing fences there establishes that a fence needs the same building-division application, plan review, and fee payment as a deck or garage.

The application goes through the same process as any other structure: it is filed with the building division, reviewed under Section 105-67, and the permit fee is assessed on the value of the work under Section 105-70 and Section 18-1. Beyond the building permit, a fence must also meet the zoning chapter's dimensional standards at Section 121-285: open fences to the front of the house are capped at four feet, side and rear fences up to six feet if semisolid or solid, and barbed wire or electric fencing is barred from residential districts and must sit at least ten feet from a residential boundary line. Fences at a street corner must also respect the 30-inch sight-triangle limit in Section 121-282(c).