County Building Permits
Putnam County, IL - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Putnam County, Illinois. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
unincorporated Putnam County and county zoning / floodplain matters
- Department
- Zoning and Floodplain Office
Online Permit Portal
Platform: county document library with downloadable forms and fee documents • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Application Process
Source: Zoning and Floodplain Office
General Requirements
Required Documents
- application packet, site information, and any plan or sketch attachments required by the form.
- Building code
- county documents should be read together with the statewide minimum code baseline supplied by the requester, including 2021 IBC for commercial, 2021 IRC for residential, 2023 NEC, Illinois Energy Conservation Code, and Illinois Plumbing Code.
- Contractor requirements
- no county general contractor license published; Illinois trade licensing still applies for electricians and plumbers.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
- Verify directly with the Zoning and Floodplain Office before assuming small sheds, fences, decks, or accessory structures are exempt.
Inspections
How to Schedule
Additional Resources
- Building code: county documents should be read together with the statewide minimum code baseline supplied by the requester, including 2021 IBC for commercial, 2021 IRC for residential, 2023 NEC, Illinois Energy Conservation Code, and Illinois Plumbing Code.
- Ordinances and resolutions
- Zoning ordinance and procedure documents are listed in the document library
- Floodplain ordinance document library
- License lookup guide: Illinois Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Illinois Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Illinois hub: Illinois Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Zoning and Floodplain Office before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Putnam County Building Permit FAQ
- What work is exempt from building permits in unincorporated Putnam County, IL?
- The following work is generally exempt: Verify directly with the Zoning and Floodplain Office before assuming small sheds, fences, decks, or accessory structures are exempt..
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