The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Illinois / City of Canton Planning & Zoning Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Canton, IL?

Adopted code

City of Canton Planning & Zoning Department

Building permits in the City of Canton, Illinois, in Fulton County, are handled by the City's Planning & Zoning Department on the second floor of City Hall, 2 North Main Street. The Illinois Capital Development Board says "The State has not adopted a building code for repairs to existing single family residences," so Canton's roofing rules are its own: the City says it enforces, at a minimum, the 2003 International Residential Code, and that ice protection must be applied before shingles. This listing covers the office's contact details, the City's own statements on code and permits, and the rules state law sets for every Illinois roofer.

Jurisdiction
City of Canton, Illinois
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
2 North Main Street, Canton, IL 61520
Contact
  • url: https://www.cantonillinois.org/city-of-canton/departments/planning-zoning/
  • phone: 309-649-5338
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Illinois licenses roofing contractors statewide with no dollar threshold. 225 ILCS 335/9(2): "No work involving the construction, reconstruction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of any kind of roofing or waterproofing may be done except by a roofing contractor or a qualifying party licensed or credentialed under this Act." Under 225 ILCS 335/5(a-3), "A municipality or a county that requires a building permit may not issue a building permit to a roofing contractor unless that contractor has provided sufficient proof of current licensure as a roofing contractor by the State," and a holder of a limited license is restricted to permits for work on residential properties of 8 units or less. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation lists "Roofing Contractor, Licensed" among the professions it licenses.
  • city_level: A CITY ROOFING LICENSE ON TOP OF THE STATE LICENSE. The department's page says "Roofing Contractors performing any roofing work, for profit, in the City of Canton are required to be licensed by the City." The City's Roofing Code Requirement Letter says "All roofing contractors doing business in Canton must have a State of Illinois roofing license, and a City of Canton roofing license." The City's Roofing Contractor Application has the contractor acknowledge "it is unlawful within the city of Canton to perform any roofing work for profit without a license from the City," states that the license "Expires one year from date application is approved," and cites "Effective 1-1-10 per Ordinance No. 1989."
Permit process note
The department's page says "Permits are required and City of Canton Codes complied with by any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure or construct a fence, swimming pool (capable of containing 24″ of water or more) or retaining wall over 4′ in height," and adds "Call Planning & Zoning department prior to beginning any work to see if a permit is required." Neither the page nor the City's permit application names roof replacement, so this listing does not state a yes or no answer for a re-roof. The City's permit application, revised 2025, asks for a "State Roofing License #" that is "required if Contractor performs work," and sets fees on a scale by estimated project cost, starting at "$10" for a project of "$1.00 - $500.00."
Adopted code
THE 2003 INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE AS A MINIMUM, PER THE CITY'S OWN PAGE AND LETTER. The department's page says "The City has adopted, requires compliance with, and enforces, at a minimum the 2003 International Residential Code (IRC)." The City's Roofing Code Requirement Letter, from the Director of Planning & Zoning, says the same and adds "Chapter 9 of the IRC also calls out many other provisions that govern the design, materials, construction, and quality of roof assemblies" and "Both private individuals, and licensed roofing contractors, must comply with, at a minimum, the 2003 IRC codes." The City's permit application, revised 2025, lists "2003 International Residential Code" among its "Applicable Building Codes (the following list of codes & the 2004 Supplement)." The adopting ordinance in the City Code, hosted on American Legal Publishing, was not read for this listing, so it does not state whether the City has amended the IRC's roof provisions.
Ice & water shield
Required — REQUIRED, PER THE CITY'S OWN ROOFING LETTER. The City's Roofing Code Requirement Letter says "The 2003 IRC includes a requirement for “Ice protection” under section R905.2.7.1," and that this ice protection, "often called “Ice and Water Shield” must be applied per this code and in accordance with manufacturer’s installation instructions before applying shingles." The department's page says the same. This rests on the department's own written letter; the enacted adopting ordinance was not read. About ice & water barrier
Sales & use tax
Illinois taxes the roofer, not the job, and the operative rate is not keyed to the Canton job address. Under 86 Ill. Adm. Code 130.1940(c), a construction contractor "does not incur Retailers' Occupation Tax liability as to receipts from labor furnished and tangible personal property (materials and fixtures) incorporated into a structure," but "incurs Use Tax on the cost price of the tangible personal property that is incorporated into real estate," with "roofing materials" named in the rule's own list of examples. Repair and replacement are taxed identically: 130.1940(a)(3) defines "construct" to include "repair, renovate or remodel." The Illinois Department of Revenue states the Use Tax rate as "6.25% of the purchase price or fair market value, whichever is greater." Where the contractor buys for resale, the local tax follows "the place of business at or from which the contractor or builder handles the transaction" (130.2075(b)(3)), so the combined rate on materials is the supply house's or the contractor's, which this record does not pin down. The authoritative lookup is the Illinois Department of Revenue's MyTax Illinois Tax Rate Finder.

Local roofing hub

Roofing in Canton, IllinoisCity hub

More roof permit pages in Illinois

Carbondale, ILRoof permit Carpentersville, ILRoof permit Cary, ILRoof permit Champaign, ILRoof permit Charleston, ILRoof permit Roofing in IllinoisState hub

Related guides

Denver-Metro Roofing Permits Filing a Hail Insurance Claim Colorado Hail Season Prep Hiring a Contractor

Sources

Roofing questions: Canton, IL

Is ice & water shield required in Canton, IL?

Yes. REQUIRED, PER THE CITY'S OWN ROOFING LETTER. The City's Roofing Code Requirement Letter says "The 2003 IRC includes a requirement for “Ice protection” under section R905.2.7.1," and that this ice protection, "often called “Ice and Water Shield” must be applied per this code and in accordance with manufacturer’s installation instructions before applying shingles." The department's page says the same. This rests on the department's own written letter; the enacted adopting ordinance was not read.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Canton, IL?

Yes.

What building code does Canton, IL use?

THE 2003 INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE AS A MINIMUM, PER THE CITY'S OWN PAGE AND LETTER. The department's page says "The City has adopted, requires compliance with, and enforces, at a minimum the 2003 International Residential Code (IRC)." The City's Roofing Code Requirement Letter, from the Director of Planning & Zoning, says the same and adds "Chapter 9 of the IRC also calls out many other provisions that govern the design, materials, construction, and quality of roof assemblies" and "Both private individuals, and licensed roofing contractors, must comply with, at a minimum, the 2003 IRC codes." The City's permit application, revised 2025, lists "2003 International Residential Code" among its "Applicable Building Codes (the following list of codes & the 2004 Supplement)." The adopting ordinance in the City Code, hosted on American Legal Publishing, was not read for this listing, so it does not state whether the City has amended the IRC's roof provisions.