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Roofing in River Forest, Illinois

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in River Forest, IL, issued by Village of River Forest Building & Zoning. THE VILLAGE LISTS A RE-ROOF AMONG THE WORK THAT REQUIRES A PERMIT. The Village's Building Permits For Your Protection sheet says "The following require permits in River Forest," and under "Roofs:" lists "Roofs (new or re-roof)"; it also lists "Framing (floors, walls, roofs)" and "Gutters or downspouts." The Village's contractor licensing page says roofers "must also submit" a copy of the State of Illinois license, and that for "Non-structural roofing projects: A completed express permit application" is filed, while "Structural roofing projects: A completed building permit application and required drawings" are needed. The Work requiring a permit page says that if a permit is not obtained, "the work will be stopped until a permit is issued, a surcharge will be added to the cost of the permit, and any work performed without a permit may be subject to removal." Permits and contractor licenses are applied for online. This hub aggregates roofing permit and contractor-registration requirements for River Forest, Illinois, along with sourced roofing material references — every fact linked to its directory record.

Roofing permits & building code in River Forest

Roofing permit and contractor-licensing rules in River Forest are set locally by Village of River Forest Building & Zoning. Illinois licenses roofing contractors at the state level: under the Roofing Industry Licensing Act (225 ILCS 335) no roofing work may be done except by a state-licensed roofing contractor or qualifying party, with a limited license for residential properties of 8 units or less and an unlimited license for everything else, and a city or county that requires a building permit may not issue one to a roofing contractor without proof of current state licensure, while some cities add their own contractor registration on top — always confirm the current requirements with the authority before starting work.

Roofing permit
Required
Contractor registration
Required
Adopted building code
THE 2018 INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE WITH VILLAGE AMENDMENTS, PER THE VILLAGE'S OWN CODES PAGE. The Village's Applicable codes page says "The Village of River Forest has adopted the codes listed below" and "Effective January 1, 2023, the Village has adopted the 2018 International Code Council series. This includes the International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), International Mechanical Code (IMC), International Fire Code (IFC), as well as other ICC codes." The list names the "2018 International Residential Code" and the "2018 International Existing Building Code," and the page says "Click on each code to review local amendments." The amendments are codified in the Village Code, which this record did not read, so it does not state whether the Village has amended the IRC's roof provisions.
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 VILLAGE CONTRACTOR LICENSE AND $25,000 BOND ON TOP OF THE STATE LICENSE. The Village's contractor licensing page says "All contractors performing work in the Village of River Forest must be licensed and bonded," lists a "$125 Annual License Fee," and requires "An original signed $25,000 surety bond signed by the principal of the company." It says "Contractors and subcontractors are licensed by trade for the specific work they will perform (general contractor is not valid)," and that roofers must also submit "A copy of his/her State of Illinois license."
Permit process
THE VILLAGE LISTS A RE-ROOF AMONG THE WORK THAT REQUIRES A PERMIT. The Village's Building Permits For Your Protection sheet says "The following require permits in River Forest," and under "Roofs:" lists "Roofs (new or re-roof)"; it also lists "Framing (floors, walls, roofs)" and "Gutters or downspouts." The Village's contractor licensing page says roofers "must also submit" a copy of the State of Illinois license, and that for "Non-structural roofing projects: A completed express permit application" is filed, while "Structural roofing projects: A completed building permit application and required drawings" are needed. The Work requiring a permit page says that if a permit is not obtained, "the work will be stopped until a permit is issued, a surcharge will be added to the cost of the permit, and any work performed without a permit may be subject to removal." Permits and contractor licenses are applied for online.
Portal
Permit portal

View the full River Forest permitting authority record →

Roofing materials for River Forest

Compare roofing material families — service life, weight, cost band, and durability — for a River Forest reroof. Every material entry in the directory carries a cited, dated source.

Start with all roofing materials or the asphalt vs. metal vs. tile comparison.

Local permitting authority

Village of River Forest Building & Zoningcity

Roofing guides

Class 4 Impact-Resistant ShinglesGuide Asphalt vs. Metal vs. TileGuide Wind & Fire RatingsGuide

Sources