On
Tuesday, May 5, 2012, the McHenry County Board adopted several new
and revised building codes.
These 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.
Among
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 residing 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
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