Building Permits

Residential

Building Permits are required for the following construction:

• A principal building
• Accessory buildings, such as sheds 50 square feet and over
• Swimming pools
• Decks
• Retaining walls over 4 ft. high

The City of Waterloo does not require building permits for fences; however,

• The Zoning Code of the City of Waterloo requires that fences may not be over 6 ft. high in the rear yard or 4 ft. high in the front yard setback area.
• The fence posts must be on the owner’s side of the fence.
• JULIE (800.892.0123) must be called to locate utilities before any digging is done.
• The City does not prohibit the construction of fences on public easements; however, the owner should be aware that Illinois Case Law protects the right to access the easements.
• Download Fencing Guidelines
  

All buildings, pools, etc. must meet the setback requirements of the City of Waterloo Zoning Code. The setbacks vary by zoning district and may be found in Section 40-2-3 (A) Area & Bulk Regulations, of the Zoning Code.  Download Section 40-2-3 (A) Area and Bulk Regulations.

Commercial

• The site plan for a commercial or public development must be approved by the Waterloo City Council before a building permit can be issued.
• All drawings must be signed and sealed by a design professional registered in the State of Illinois.

Building permit applications are available at the business office window in the lobby of City Hall or you can download the Commercial Building Permit Application here.

The City does not require the following:

• Fence Permits *
• Business licenses
• Garage sale permits
• Pet licenses **

* The City of Waterloo does not require building permits for fences, however, there are requirements which apply to fences per Section 40-4-3 of the City of Waterloo Zoning Code, AG105.2 and AM103.1.3 of the 2006 International Residential Code.
** The City does not license cats or dogs; however, anyone who keeps a dog or cat within City limits must maintain a current county license tag and rabies inoculation tag for each animal. The City does have an Animal Control Ordinance.