A press release from the McHenry County Planning and Zoning Department:

McHenry County to offer training for property owners and contractors on new and revised building codes and permit procedures

WOODSTOCK, IL – On Tuesday, May 5, 2012, the McHenry County Board adopted several new and revised building codes. The new and revised codes include the Illinois Energy Conservation Code, the updated Illinois State Plumbing Code, and new amendments to the 2006 International Residential Code.

Effective June 1, 2015, the codes will regulate building construction in unincorporated areas of the county.

The codes were adopted to comply with state requirements and to minimize the permit requirements for certain small projects.

Concurrent with adoption of the new and revised codes, the Department of Planning and Development is creating new application forms and checklists and is implementing changes to the permit application and review process.

The Department will be providing training for property owners and contractors on the new codes, application forms, checklists, and review procedures on Thursday, May 28, 2015, at 2:00 PM in conference room A & B of the County Administration Building located at 667 Ware Road, Woodstock.

State law requires that the county adopt and enforce the Illinois Energy Conservation Code.

The County has not adopted any energy efficiency standards beyond those required by the state.

The Illinois Energy Conservation Code requires property owners who are building new residential or commercial structures and property owners who are renovating existing structures to use building materials and construction methods that will ensure the energy efficiency of new buildings and of the renovated portions of existing structures.

State law also requires that the county adopt the current addition of the Illinois State Plumbing Code, which was revised by the Illinois Department of Public Health in 2014.

The County has not adopted any plumbing standards beyond those required by the state.

For most construction projects, the newest plumbing code does not contain significant changes from previous additions of the code.

The code retains the core requirement that a permit and inspection is required for virtually any project that impacts new or existing plumbing systems, including replacement of hot water heaters.

It also retains the requirement that all plumbing work be performed by a licensed plumber. A home owner can do their own plumbing work if they intend to remain living in the home for at least 6 months, but a permit and inspection is still required.

The County also adopted new amendments to the 2006 International Residential Code.

Amongst other changes, the amendments reduce permitting requirements for certain small projects.

Effective June 1, 2015, building permits will no longer be required for accessory structures, such as detached storage sheds, under 150 square feet or for re-siding an existing structure. The county has long exempted re-roofing existing structures from obtaining permits.

All exempt construction must still comply with the county’s Unified Development Ordinance and Stormwater Ordinance.

The new and revised building codes are available on the McHenry County website at:
www.co.mchenry.il.us/plandevordinances. The new application forms and checklists are also available on the same webpage by following the “Applications & Checklists” link.

For more information about the new and revised codes, contact Dennis Sandquist at DASandquist@co.mchenry.il.us or (815) 334-4560.