Do I need a permit for fence installation or replacement in Arlington Heights?
Yes. In Illinois, fence installation or replacement generally requires a permit, and Arlington Heights is no exception.
Arlington Heights requires a permit to install or replace a fence, and the Village's fence packet caps residential fence height at five feet, with up to six feet allowed adjacent to certain arterial streets. Mark the exact fence line on your plat of survey. The Village's published fence permit fee is 40 dollars at the time of submittal, and any contractor other than the property owner must be registered with the Village before the permit is issued. Applications are filed through the Civic Access Portal. Call JULIE (the Illinois underground utility locate service) before you dig, and note that a Guaranty Deposit Bond can apply if any work extends into public property such as the parkway. A fence over 7 feet is above the height the model residential code exempts, so most jurisdictions that follow that model will require a permit for it. This state does not set that line, so confirm the threshold with your local building or zoning department. Illinois has no statewide residential permit-exemption list, so fence permit thresholds are set by each municipality or county. The 7 foot figure that appears in the model residential code is not an Illinois rule. Most Illinois jurisdictions require zoning approval for fence height, corner-lot visibility and placement even where no building permit applies. Confirm with your local building or zoning department. Many local codes impose specific barrier fencing requirements when a fence encloses a swimming pool.
Documents you may need
- Fence permit application through the Village's Civic Access Portalrequired
- Plat of survey drawn to scale showing the proposed fence placement, height, and stylerequired
- Contractor's proposal listing the fence style, height, and method of construction, with a cut sheet or photo of the fence typerequired
- Plat of survey / site plan showing fence location and property linesLikely required
- Fence height and material descriptionSometimes required
Possible inspections
- Fence location and installation inspection by the Building & Life Safety Department as required for the permit
- Final inspection (when a permit applies)
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a permit for fence installation or replacement in Arlington Heights?
- Yes. In Illinois, fence installation or replacement generally requires a permit, and Arlington Heights is no exception. Arlington Heights requires a permit to install or replace a fence, and the Village's fence packet caps residential fence height at five feet, with up to six feet allowed adjacent to certain arterial streets. Mark the exact fence line on your plat of survey. The Village's published fence permit fee is 40 dollars at the time of submittal, and any contractor other than the property owner must be registered with the Village before the permit is issued. Applications are filed through the Civic Access Portal. Call JULIE (the Illinois underground utility locate service) before you dig, and note that a Guaranty Deposit Bond can apply if any work extends into public property such as the parkway. A fence over 7 feet is above the height the model residential code exempts, so most jurisdictions that follow that model will require a permit for it. This state does not set that line, so confirm the threshold with your local building or zoning department. Illinois has no statewide residential permit-exemption list, so fence permit thresholds are set by each municipality or county. The 7 foot figure that appears in the model residential code is not an Illinois rule. Most Illinois jurisdictions require zoning approval for fence height, corner-lot visibility and placement even where no building permit applies. Confirm with your local building or zoning department. Many local codes impose specific barrier fencing requirements when a fence encloses a swimming pool.
- Who issues the permit in Arlington Heights?
- The local building department for Arlington Heights handles permitting. This page lists its contact details and online portal. Your mailing city is not always the permitting authority, so confirm the jurisdiction before you apply.
- How do I find out the exact requirements for my project?
- Run the free PermitRoadmap check for your specific project and answers. It returns the likely permits, documents, inspections, and next steps, each linked to its official source.
PermitRoadmap is an independent informational service and is not affiliated with any city, county, state agency, or permitting authority. Results are informational and do not replace confirming requirements with the local permitting authority.