Who issues your permit
Suburban Cook County's 120 or so cities, villages and towns each issue their own fence permits and set their own heights, so a fence in Elk Grove Village or Homewood is permitted there. Only unincorporated land is permitted by the County's Department of Building and Zoning. Check which applies in CookViewer: enter the address, open "Layers" and tick "Unincorporated Area", which shows as an orange hatch. The County says applications sent to it in error are not refunded.
The County's fence rules
From Building and Zoning's Fence Permit Requirements (read 24 October 2026):
| Rule | Unincorporated Cook County |
|---|---|
| Which fences need a permit | All of them, any material, any height |
| Height along a common lot line, residential districts | 6 feet maximum |
| Height in front yards and corner side yard setback zones | 3 feet maximum |
| Height along a lot line, commercial and industrial districts | 10 feet maximum |
| Which side faces out | The finished side faces neighbours and streets; posts, supports and braces on your side |
| Post holes | Dug to 42 inches |
| Pool or water deeper than 24 inches | Gates must be self-latching and swing out from the property |
Your zoning district and front and corner side yard setbacks are on the Zoning Ordinance Administration tab of the Building and Zoning website.
What to file
- The full application, with your name, address, email, phone, Property Index Number (PIN), whether you are on well and septic or water and sewer, and the estimated cost.
- A plat of survey signed and sealed by an Illinois registered surveyor, not more than five years old, marked with the fence's exact location, height from grade, length, material, and the location, size and swing of each gate; a statement that the finished side faces out; and whether it encloses a pool.
- A signed letter of intent from a registered fence contractor.
Who can install it
"Hired contractors must be registered for ALL fence projects." You can put up your own fence, but you must register as a contractor, insured, for any fence that encloses a pool or water deeper than 24 inches, or that is taller than 5 feet. The County's Contractor Registration page sets that at $1,000,000 of liability coverage naming Cook County Building and Zoning, and you must live in the house. Contractor registration is $150, then $75 a year.
How to apply and what it costs
- Email the application and survey to intake.bnz@cookcountyil.gov (25 MB or less) or use the E-Permits portal.
- The County assigns a permit review number and posts a $100 residential deposit invoice; pay it to start the reviews.
- When the reviews clear, the balance appears on your permit status page; once paid, the permit is issued and mailed to you.
The County's fee schedule does not list fences on their own line, so the posted balance is the amount to pay.
What 16,560 suburban fence permits show
From the Assessor's copy of the suburbs' permits (fence and wall permits):
| Measure | Suburban Cook County fences and walls |
|---|---|
| Permits issued, Jan 2024 to Dec 2025 | 16,560, about 8,280 a year |
| Last 12 months on file (Jan to Dec 2025) | 8,146, 3% fewer than the 8,414 the year before |
| Usual declared value | $4,445 (middle half $2,200 to $7,578) |
| Busiest months / quietest month | April and May (index 175 each) / January (22) |
| Filed as "Fencing (And Gates)" | 14,866, 90% |
Only pools swing harder with the seasons in this file: April and May each run 75% above an average month, January at about a fifth of one. Applying in winter puts your permit in the queue before the April jump. National figures are in fence installation cost, and other cities' rules in do I need a permit for a fence.
Checking the work
Permits already on your address are covered in Cook County building permit search, and Illinois licence lookups in how to check a contractor's license in Illinois. The year and month breakdown is on permit statistics, and individual rows on browse permits.
What this does not tell you
The Assessor's file holds only the permits a suburb reported, names no installer, has no ZIP code we can publish and no final inspection dates. Village height limits and fees differ from the County's.
How we know this
The unincorporated rules are from Cook County Building and Zoning's Fence Permit Requirements sheet and its building permits and Contractor Registration pages, read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the Cook County Assessor's Assessor - Permits file, read 20 October 2026: suburban permits issued January 2024 to December 2025, Chicago excluded.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 20, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for a fence in unincorporated Cook County?
Yes, for any fence. The County's fence requirements say a permit is required for all unincorporated properties for fences constructed of any material at any height. In a city or village, the village's building department sets the rule.
- How tall can a fence be in unincorporated Cook County?
In residential districts, 6 feet along a common lot line, and 3 feet in front yards and corner side yard setback zones. Commercial and industrial districts allow 10 feet along a lot line, with the same 3-foot front-yard limit.
- Can I install my own fence in unincorporated Cook County?
Yes, but a hired installer must always be registered with Cook County, and a homeowner doing it must register as a contractor, with insurance, for any fence taller than 5 feet or any fence enclosing a pool or water deeper than 24 inches.
- Which way does the good side of a fence face in Cook County?
Out. The County's requirements say the finished side faces the neighbours and public streets, with posts, supports and braces on the owner's side, and post holes dug 42 inches deep.
- How many fence permits do Cook County suburbs issue?
16,560 from January 2024 to December 2025, as reported to the Cook County Assessor, about 8,280 a year. April and May are the busiest months, and the usual permit declared $4,445.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Do I need a solar permit in Albuquerque? Building and electrical permits, the engineer triggers and the fee
- Do I need an electrical permit in New Orleans? The Class A rule, the $40-plus fee, and 9,668 permits that took 47 days to final
- Do I need a plumbing permit in New Orleans? The master-plumber rule, the Sewerage and Water Board, and 7,492 permits