What needs a permit in River Forest.

By project

Requires a permit

From the Village sheet, grouped the way the Building Department groups them.

• Site work: new central air conditioning, driveways, patios and walks, fences, grading changes, retaining walls, sheds larger than 100 square feet, pools and hot tubs.
• Equipment: new HVAC equipment, generators, solar panels, fuel tanks.
• Electrical: new outlets or lights including exterior, panel change, new or upgraded service, hard-wired smoke detectors, EV charger installation.
• Plumbing: boilers and heating units, cleanouts and sewer repair, drain tile interior and exterior, sump and ejector pumps, sewer and water service changes, interior piping changes, relocated fixtures, lawn sprinklers, street or parkway openings.
• Masonry, chimneys and flues: chimneys, fireplaces and hearths, tuckpointing, masonry walls, flues, structural steel, railings.
• Carpentry and finishes: decks, porches, garages, windows new or replacement, doors that change size or location, framing, skylights, siding, new drywall or plaster.
• Roofs and exterior: new roofs and re-roofs, gutters and downspouts, siding, awnings, pavers.
• Demolition: detached garage, interior demolition, fuel tank removal.

No permit required

Portable heaters and window air conditioners, driveway seal coating, landscaping without a grade change, painting and wall coverings, water heater replacement, replacement HVAC equipment with like kind, cabinets, countertops and floor coverings, trim, screens, garage doors, low-voltage and cable wiring, replacing an existing hearth, and tree removal on private property.

Two of those carry a condition on the Village sheet: like-kind HVAC replacement and private tree removal must be performed by a contractor licensed and bonded with the Village. No permit does not mean anyone can do it. See contractor licensing.

Furnaces, air conditioners and water heaters. The sheet lists like-kind HVAC replacement and replacement-only water heaters as not needing a permit. New equipment, new central air, a fuel or venting change, a relocation or new piping does need one. The Village’s express-permit page also lists furnaces, air conditioners and water heaters among its permit types, so the two Village documents do not fully agree. Confirm with Building & Zoning at (708) 714-3552 before work starts.

Trees. No building permit for most private trees, and the contractor must be Village licensed and bonded. Since October 27, 2025, an oak or elm (other than Siberian elm) 20 inches or more in diameter at 4.5 feet needs written approval from the Zoning Administrator before removal, and unless it is hazardous, diseased or otherwise meets the code’s conditions it must be replaced or paid for (Village Code 10-24-5).

Some exempt work still has to meet the code. Sheds of 100 square feet or less need no permit if they sit in the required rear yard or the buildable area, no closer than three feet to the side and rear lot lines; a shed on a poured concrete foundation needs a permit whatever its size. Landscape ponds stay three feet off any lot line, and anything with a pump or lighting needs a permit. Grade changes for landscaping may need a grading permit; the Building Department decides from your plan.

Public property

The sidewalk, the driveway apron, the curb and the parkway are Village property. Work on them needs a permit and must follow the Village construction details for sidewalk replacement, driveway aprons, curbs and ramps. Dumpsters and scaffolding on the public way need their own permit. Parkway trees are maintained by Public Works, not by you or your contractor, and construction near one must follow the parkway tree protection detail.

Without a permit

The Village states three consequences. The work is stopped until a permit is issued. A surcharge is added to the permit fee. And work performed without a permit may be subject to removal at the inspector’s determination. Permits are applied for online at riverforest.onlama.com; the Village publishes step-by-step instructions. Questions go to Building & Zoning at (708) 714-3552 or building@vrf.us.