Building Permits in Illinois

How much does a building permit cost in Illinois?

Most building permits in the United States cost between $150 and $2,000, with a national median around $1,300. Permit fees are usually set as a percentage of the declared project value — commonly 0.5% to 2% — or on a per-$1,000-of-valuation schedule, so a larger Illinois project pays a proportionally larger permit fee.

Across the 89,441 Illinois permits we currently track, the average declared project value is about $126,000. At a typical 0.5%–2% permit-fee schedule, that implies roughly $630–$2,500 in permit fees for an average Illinois project — though your city's fee schedule and project scope set the exact figure.

Illinois Building Permit Activity

Across 127 Illinois cities we tracked 4,011 new building permits in the last 30 days, representing $1.3B in declared construction value. That's down 48.1% from the prior 30 days.

Fastest-growing Illinois markets this month

• Rosemont — 40 permits, up 73.9% vs the prior month
• Chicago — 2,833 permits, up 8.3% vs the prior month
• Evanston — 528 permits, up -3.1% vs the prior month
• Streamwood — 166 permits, up -17.8% vs the prior month
• Columbia — 58 permits, up -21.6% vs the prior month

Biggest project in Illinois this month

$190.0M permit - new construction permit in Chicago at 931 N Halsted St, filed by Onni Contracting (Chicago) Inc.

Illinois Construction Market

We're tracking 89,441 active building permits across 127 Illinois cities, led by Chicago with 18301 tracked permits.

PermitGrab pulls this data daily, directly from Illinois municipal permit offices — so you see new residential renovations, commercial buildouts, and major developments as they're filed, before your competition finds them.

Browse the cities above to explore specific markets, or sign up for Pro to get daily email alerts and full contact information for permit holders.

Frequently Asked Questions About Illinois Building Permits