Who checks what in Wheaton
| Work | City of Wheaton asks for | State license, and where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing | Registration plus a "Copy of State Roofing license" and driver's license or State ID | IDFPR: at least a limited residential roofing license; IDFPR license lookup; numbers start with 104- |
| Plumbing, water heaters | Registration plus "State Plumbing Contractor Registration (055) and State Plumbing license (058)" | IDPH: Plumbing License Verification |
| Lawn irrigation | Registration plus "State Lawn Irrigation Certificate (060)"; a $10,000 bond and $1,000,000 insurance certificate if working in the City right-of-way | IDPH registers irrigation contractors annually (IDPH plumbing page) |
| Electrical | Registration plus a "Copy of Electrical License" | The City does not name the issuer; the Attorney General's guide lists roofers and plumbers as the state-licensed trades. Ask which municipality issued the license |
| General contracting, remodel, decks, foundations | Registration | None at state level: the Attorney General says Illinois does not require a general contractor license |
| Sewer and water service | Excavation or plumbing registration | The Plumbing License Law says plumbing "does not include" building sewers, so a sewer contractor may not hold an IDPH plumbing license; ask which City registration it holds |
| Any work in the City right-of-way | $10,000 surety bond and a $1,000,000 certificate of insurance | — |
The City's registration page does not publish a list of registered firms. Applications go through the City's portal, and questions to Building and Code Enforcement at 630-260-2050 (City of Wheaton).
How to run the lookup in five minutes
- Roofer: check that the license number on the bid starts with 104- (IDFPR brochure), then search it on IDFPR's lookup. Wheaton needs "a minimum of a Limited State of Illinois Roofing License - residential roofing" for a house.
- Plumber: search the person on IDPH's Plumbing License Verification. The law says the license number has to appear "with the plumbing identification on vehicles" (225 ILCS 320/5), so check the van too.
- Everyone else: call 630-260-2050 and ask whether the firm is registered with the City.
- Then read the permits. Open the firm on our Wheaton list for the trade: how many permits it filed, how recent, and how many reached the City's sign-off.
What Wheaton's permits show
| Trade | Permits | Firms | Finished | Usual days to sign-off | Usual filed value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofing | 917 | 295 | — | — | $15,432 |
| Heating and cooling | 1,060 | 69 | 47.3% | 398 | $9,578 |
| Windows and doors | 630 | 110 | 61.2% | 83 | $12,905 |
| Electrical | 398 | 114 | 52.5% | 159 | $4,050 |
| Plumbing and water heaters | 217 | 62 | 71.1% | 34 | $2,599 |
| Sewer and water service | 261 | 70 | 79.8% | 14 | — |
| Remodel | 283 | 142 | 92.4% | 132 | $44,063 |
| Foundation and waterproofing | 152 | 30 | 85.2% | 83 | $11,529 |
| Deck, porch and pergola | 187 | 91 | 89.2% | 111 | $18,955 |
"Finished" is the share of permits a year or more old that reached the City's sign-off; days count open permits as unfinished. Roofing has neither because Wheaton does not inspect reroofs: "There are no required inspections in the City of Wheaton for re-roofing" (City of Wheaton, Roofing - Residential, read 21 October 2026). That makes the license check the main control on a Wheaton roof.
Heating and cooling is the slow one: 47.3% finished and a usual 398 days, so an open HVAC permit in Wheaton is normal for a year. Remodels are the opposite, at 92.4%. Among the 10 window firms with 10 or more permits, 8 finished under 70%; compare a window firm with that.
See every Wheaton roofer by permit record and IDFPR match →
If the job goes wrong
Plumbing: IDPH can investigate unlicensed plumbing and set a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per offense (225 ILCS 320/29.5). Everything else: the Illinois Attorney General takes home repair complaints, and small claims covers cases up to $10,000. The steps are in Contractor didn't finish the job, which has a Wheaton plumbing section.
What this lookup does not tell you
We match Wheaton firms only to IDFPR's roofing licenses, by company name; plumbers' IDPH licenses and City registrations are not linked, so other trades show no license status on our pages. A registration or license says the firm may work in Wheaton, not how its last job went. The statewide picture, including Chicago's own general contractor license, is in How to check a contractor's license in Illinois.
How we know this
Source: City of Wheaton building permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026, snapshot 19 October 2026, classified by us into trades from the City's permit type and description. Roofing license status is our name match against IDFPR's roofing license file. "Finished" is the share of permits 365+ days old with the City's sign-off; days to sign-off count open permits as unfinished. Rules are quoted from the City of Wheaton (contractor requirements revised 19 February 2025; residential roofing page), IDPH, 225 ILCS 320, the Illinois Attorney General and IDFPR, read 20 and 21 October 2026.
Numbers come from City of Wheaton permits on homes (the city's permit application and inspection exports), data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Does Wheaton license contractors?
It registers them. General, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire alarm, fire sprinkler, heating and air conditioning, roofing, elevator, irrigation, excavation and right-of-way contractors register with the City, for $75 a year, and trades the state licenses must file a copy of that license (City of Wheaton, revised 2/19/2025).
- How do I check a Wheaton plumber's license?
Illinois plumbers are licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Search the name on IDPH's Plumbing License Verification page; plumbing contractors must also hold an annual IDPH plumbing contractor registration (225 ILCS 320).
- How do I check a Wheaton roofer's license?
Search IDFPR's license lookup. Wheaton allows residential reroofing by contractors with "a minimum of a Limited State of Illinois Roofing License - residential roofing", and an Illinois roofing license number starts with 104-.
- Is there a list of contractors registered with Wheaton?
The City's registration page has no public list. Call Building and Code Enforcement on 630-260-2050 (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and ask whether the firm is registered, or check that its permits appear on your address.
- Does Wheaton inspect a new roof?
No. The City says "there are no required inspections in the City of Wheaton for re-roofing", so the license check and a written scope are your main protections.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Contractor Registration Requirements — City of Wheaton (revised 2/19/2025) (2026-10-21)
- Roofing - Residential — City of Wheaton Building and Code Enforcement (2026-10-21)
- Plumbing — Illinois Department of Public Health (2026-10-21)
- Illinois Plumbing License Law, 225 ILCS 320 — Illinois General Assembly (2026-10-21)
- Home Repair and Construction: How to Choose a Contractor — Illinois Attorney General (2026-10-20)
- Roofing contractor consumer brochure — IDFPR (2026-10-20)
- Division of Professional Regulation (license lookup links) — IDFPR (2026-10-20)