City Building Permits
Braidwood, ILLINOIS Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in Braidwood, Illinois. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Includes the Grundy County portion, notably areas like Shadow Lakes.
- Department
- City of Braidwood Building Department
- Address
- 141 W. Main St., Braidwood, IL 60408
- Phone
- 815-458-2333 (Ext. 201)
- permits@braidwood.us
- Website
- https://www.braidwood.gov/
Online Permit Portal
Platform: Email/PDF • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Application Process
- (Shadow Lakes only) Receive Association Plan Review approval first.
- For Grundy properties on septic, obtain Grundy County Health Dept permit.
- Submit plans and application via email or at City Hall.
- Verify all contractors are currently registered with Braidwood.
Typical processing time: 5 to 10 business days.
General Requirements
New construction, alterations, accessory structures, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical.
Required Documents
- Building plans
- Site plan
- Health Department permit (for septic/well)
- Shadow Lakes approval (if applicable)
- Permit validity
- Not specified.
- Building code
- 2021 IRC/IBC (Effective 2025), 2020 NEC, Illinois Plumbing Code
- Owner-builder
- Allowed.
- Contractor requirements
- All contractors must be registered with Braidwood.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- $100.00 (Residential) / $150.00 (New Construction)
- Plan check fee
- Included in permit value calculation.
- Permit fee formula
- $18 per $1,000 value (Res); $22 per $1,000 (New/Commercial).
- Reinspection fee
- $75 re-inspection; Triple (3x) fee for no permit.
- Penalty (no permit)
- Triple (3x) fee for starting without permit.
- Payment note
- Fees due upon issuance.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective 2026-03).
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
- Ordinary repairs as defined by code
- Painting, wallpapering, tiling
- Playground equipment
Important: Exempt from building permit does not mean exempt from zoning and planning requirements. Confirm edge cases with Building Department before proceeding.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- inspections@braidwood.us (24 to 48 hour notice) (email)
- Scheduling deadline
- 24 to 48 hour notice required.
- Inspection hours
- 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday
Typical inspection sequence: Typical sequence: Footing, Framing, Rough-in, Final.
Additional Resources
- Building code: 2021 IRC/IBC (Effective 2025), 2020 NEC, Illinois Plumbing Code
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Grundy County Health Department
- 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 City of Braidwood Building Department before applying.
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