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Permitting Authorities / Illinois / City of Elmhurst Building Department

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

Adopted code

City of Elmhurst Building Department

No, Elmhurst, IL does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (City of Elmhurst Building Department). THE CITY'S RE-ROOFING SHEET SAYS NO PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR A ROOF REPLACEMENT. The Community Development Department's Re-Roofing sheet states: "Minor roof repair and/or roof replacement does not require a permit from the Community Development Department." It adds that "If a dumpster is needed, you will need a permit from Public Works," and advises owners to "Ask for a copy of his State of Illinois roofer's license." The sheet's file name carries a 2016 date and the City's Permits & Forms page lists it with a document date of 02-08-2024. The City's Residential Permit Checklist & Requirements sheet separately lists a "NEW ROOF" permit with "Scope of Work," "Sheathing," "Overflow Drainage?" and "Ice & water shield shingles"; it does not say whether that item reaches the replacement of an existing roof. Where a permit is needed, the Permits & Forms page says "Anyone seeking a permit in the City of Elmhurst will be required to utilize the Citizen Self-Service Portal.".

Roof code checklist: Elmhurst, IL

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNoreroofing info 04 16_201604131418...2026-10-17
Repair permit thresholdNot published
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedreroofing info 04 16_201604131418...2026-10-17
Deck & sheathingPublishedreroofing info 04 16_201604131418...2026-10-17
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldYesRoof Ice Protection 2016_20160413...2026-10-17
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNot published
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedelmhurst.org2026-10-17
Contractor license / registrationYesilga.gov2026-09-18
Sales & use taxPublishedilga.gov2026-09-18

Each row comes from the sourced record on this page; full wording is in the table below. "Not published" means no official source for that item was found when the record was last verified.

Jurisdiction
City of Elmhurst, Illinois
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
209 N. York St., Elmhurst, IL 60126
Contact
  • url: https://www.elmhurst.org/services/community_development/building/index.php
  • phone: 630-530-3025
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Not required
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.
Permit process note
THE CITY'S RE-ROOFING SHEET SAYS NO PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR A ROOF REPLACEMENT. The Community Development Department's Re-Roofing sheet states: "Minor roof repair and/or roof replacement does not require a permit from the Community Development Department." It adds that "If a dumpster is needed, you will need a permit from Public Works," and advises owners to "Ask for a copy of his State of Illinois roofer's license." The sheet's file name carries a 2016 date and the City's Permits & Forms page lists it with a document date of 02-08-2024. The City's Residential Permit Checklist & Requirements sheet separately lists a "NEW ROOF" permit with "Scope of Work," "Sheathing," "Overflow Drainage?" and "Ice & water shield shingles"; it does not say whether that item reaches the replacement of an existing roof. Where a permit is needed, the Permits & Forms page says "Anyone seeking a permit in the City of Elmhurst will be required to utilize the Citizen Self-Service Portal."
Adopted code
THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL CODE SERIES, PER THE CITY'S OWN BUILDING CODES PAGE. The City's Building Code Online & Amendments page says "The adopted Model Codes are the 2021 edition of the International Code Series as published by the International Code Council." The page does not name the International Residential Code by title. The City's amendments sit in its Municipal Code, hosted off the City's site, which this record did not read, so it does not state whether the City has amended the IRC's roof provisions beyond what the Community Development Department's own sheets say.
Ice & water shield
Required — REQUIRED ON ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOFS, IN THE DEPARTMENT'S OWN WRITTEN WORDS. The Community Development Department's Ice Protection sheet states: "Ice protection shall be provided for asphalt shingled roofs that consist of a self-adhering polymer modified bitumen sheet, which shall be used in lieu of normal underlayment and shall extend from the eaves to a point at least" 24 inches "inside the exterior wall line of the building." The sheet's file name carries a 2016 date. This rests on the department's own written sheet; the City's enacted amendment text was not read for this record. About ice & water barrier
Roof layer limit / recover
TWO LAYERS AT MOST, PER THE DEPARTMENT'S OWN RE-ROOFING SHEET. The sheet states: "When re-roofing, a maximum of two layers of roof shingles or other coverings are permitted," and "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering, new roof coverings shall not be installed without first removing the existing roof coverings." This rests on the department's own written sheet; the City's enacted amendment text was not read for this record.
Deck & sheathing requirements
5/8-INCH MINIMUM ROOF SHEATHING ON A SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE, WITH PARTICLE BOARD AND OSB NOT PERMITTED, PER THE DEPARTMENT'S OWN SHEET. The Re-Roofing sheet states: "If new roof sheathing may be required, advise your contractor that the minimum roof sheathing for single family dwellings is" 5/8 inch "(particle or OSB board is not permitted)." This rests on the department's own written sheet; the City's enacted amendment text was not read for this record.
Sales & use tax
Illinois taxes the roofer, not the job, and the operative rate is not keyed to the Elmhurst 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.

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Building permits in the City of Elmhurst, Illinois, in DuPage and Cook Counties, are handled by the Building Department of the Community Development Department at City Hall, 209 N. York St. The Illinois Capital Development Board says "The State has not adopted a building code for repairs to existing single family residences," so Elmhurst's roofing rules are its own: the City says its adopted model codes are the 2021 edition of the International Code Series, and its own Re-Roofing sheet says a roof replacement does not require a permit. 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.

Working an insurance claim in Elmhurst, IL? Everything on this page (drip edge, ice & water shield, inspections, Class 4 rules) formatted as a claim-ready evidence pack: verbatim ordinance quotes, code section cites, verification dates, and official source links, ready to attach to a supplement. See a real sample pack (PDF, 4 pages, free).

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Sources

Roofing questions: Elmhurst, IL

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

No, Elmhurst, IL does not require a permit to replace a roof.

Is ice & water shield required in Elmhurst, IL?

Yes. REQUIRED ON ASPHALT SHINGLE ROOFS, IN THE DEPARTMENT'S OWN WRITTEN WORDS. The Community Development Department's Ice Protection sheet states: "Ice protection shall be provided for asphalt shingled roofs that consist of a self-adhering polymer modified bitumen sheet, which shall be used in lieu of normal underlayment and shall extend from the eaves to a point at least" 24 inches "inside the exterior wall line of the building." The sheet's file name carries a 2016 date. This rests on the department's own written sheet; the City's enacted amendment text was not read for this record.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Elmhurst, IL?

TWO LAYERS AT MOST, PER THE DEPARTMENT'S OWN RE-ROOFING SHEET. The sheet states: "When re-roofing, a maximum of two layers of roof shingles or other coverings are permitted," and "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering, new roof coverings shall not be installed without first removing the existing roof coverings." This rests on the department's own written sheet; the City's enacted amendment text was not read for this record.

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

Yes.

What building code does Elmhurst, IL use?

THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL CODE SERIES, PER THE CITY'S OWN BUILDING CODES PAGE. The City's Building Code Online & Amendments page says "The adopted Model Codes are the 2021 edition of the International Code Series as published by the International Code Council." The page does not name the International Residential Code by title. The City's amendments sit in its Municipal Code, hosted off the City's site, which this record did not read, so it does not state whether the City has amended the IRC's roof provisions beyond what the Community Development Department's own sheets say.