What Wheaton asks for
From the City's Furnace & Air-Conditioner - Residential page (revised 24 August 2026, read 26 October 2026), under the 2024 IRC, IFGC and IMC and the 2023 NEC:
| Job | Submit |
|---|---|
| Furnace replacement or installation | Brand, efficiency and BTUs; the manufacturer's installation specifications; a combustion air calculation worksheet "if it is a gas-fired, non-high-efficiency appliance" |
| Standard to high-efficiency furnace | The orphaned flue "must be lined for proper ventilation", checked at final |
| Air conditioner replacement or installation | A site plan with the new unit's location; the manufacturer's specifications |
| New AC unit | "A properly sized, UL-listed circuit breaker", checked at final |
What the inspector checks
The same page lists the code points a Wheaton final looks at:
- Sizing. Equipment "must be sized based on building loads calculated in accordance with ACCA Manual J", and "A copy of the Manual J calculations shall be made available upon request by the inspector." Ask your installer for it before signing.
- Access. 30 inches of working space in front of the control side; an attic furnace needs an opening and floored passage large enough to remove it, at least 30 by 22 inches.
- Combustion air for standard-efficiency gas appliances: two openings to outside, one within 12 inches of the ceiling and one within 12 inches of the floor, each at least 1 square inch per 4,000 BTU.
- Thermostat. A forced-air furnace needs a programmable thermostat that runs heating and cooling on a daily schedule.
- Ducts and pipes. Ducts and air handlers replaced with the equipment must be sealed; new mechanical piping insulated to at least R-3.
- Disconnect for the outdoor condenser "in the immediate vicinity".
- Alarms. Because the job needs a permit, the 2024 IRC requires smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide alarms in a home with a fuel-fired appliance or attached garage, in the locations the page lists.
Inspections: a rough "If required for any new electrical installations", and a final "when the entire project is complete". The full list comes on the Plan Approval Notice attached to the approved plans.
Who can pull it
A contractor registered with the City. Wheaton registers general, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and heating and air conditioning contractors for $75 a year (Contractor Registration Requirements, revised 19 February 2025). Illinois does not license HVAC contractors, so the City registration is the check; it publishes no list, so call 630-260-2050. Any plumbing on the job needs an IDPH-licensed plumber; details in the Wheaton contractor license lookup.
How to apply and what it costs
- Apply online in the City's MaintStar portal; the Permits & Building Projects page says all building permit applications are now accepted online.
- Upload the equipment specs, site plan and combustion air worksheet as above.
- Book the final when the equipment runs; mechanical code questions go to 630-260-2051.
On the fee: Wheaton's Appendix B fee schedule (Ordinance O-2025-04) prices building permits on valuation "excluding electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fire protection", and we did not find the separate mechanical line in it. The portal shows the fee before you pay; Building and Code Enforcement is on 630-260-2050.
What 1,060 Wheaton HVAC permits show
| Measure | Wheaton heating and cooling |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 1,060 |
| Firms / with a permit in the last 12 months | 69 / 27 |
| Usual filed value | $9,578 |
| Middle half of firms' usual job (21 firms with 3+ permits) | $8,424 to $11,297 |
| Complete (permits a year or more old) | 47.3% |
| Usual days from issue to Complete | 398 |
| Firms with 10+ permits under 70% Complete | 9 of 10 |
| Share held by the busiest / five busiest firms | 35.1% / 66.4% |
| Busiest / quietest month | June (142) / February (68) |
An open HVAC permit is the norm in Wheaton: 9 of the 10 busier firms closed under 70%, and even the 90th-percentile firm reached only 60.6%. That makes the final something to put in the contract. The market is concentrated: the busiest firm holds 35.1% of permits and five hold 66.4%. Filed values are tight, $8,424 to $11,297 across firms; prices by home value are on Wheaton HVAC cost and national ranges in HVAC replacement cost.
See every Wheaton HVAC firm by permits completed →
Related
Past permits on your address: Wheaton building permit search. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for HVAC replacement. Counts by year: Wheaton permit statistics. Choosing one: hiring an HVAC contractor.
What this does not tell you
Wheaton's permit file has no completion date, so we date a Complete permit by its last passing inspection. Filed values are what applicants entered. We have no license match for HVAC firms because Illinois has no HVAC license.
How we know this
Submittals, code requirements and inspections are quoted from the City of Wheaton's Furnace & Air-Conditioner - Residential page (revised 24 August 2026); the online-application rule from its Permits & Building Projects page; the fee exclusion from Appendix B (Ordinance O-2025-04), all read 26 October 2026; registration from the City's Contractor Registration Requirements (revised 19 February 2025). Our figures are City of Wheaton heating and cooling permits on homes, October 2023 to September 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
- Do I need a permit to replace a furnace in Wheaton?
Yes. Furnace and air conditioner replacement is on Wheaton's list of residential building projects, and the City asks for the brand, efficiency and BTUs, the manufacturer's installation specifications, and a combustion air worksheet for a gas furnace that is not high-efficiency. A final inspection closes it.
- Do I need a permit to replace my AC in Wheaton?
Yes. For an air conditioner the City wants a site plan showing the condenser's location and the manufacturer's specifications. Inspectors check that a properly sized, UL-listed breaker is installed per the manufacturer and that there is a disconnect within sight of the condenser.
- How much is an HVAC permit in Wheaton?
The City's published valuation table in Appendix B excludes mechanical work, and we did not find the mechanical fee line, so ask Building and Code Enforcement on 630-260-2050 or read it on the portal invoice. HVAC contractors also pay a $75 yearly City registration.
- Who can pull an HVAC permit in Wheaton?
A heating and air conditioning contractor registered with the City. Illinois has no state HVAC license, so Wheaton's registration is the check; the City has no public list, so call 630-260-2050 to confirm.
- Why is my Wheaton HVAC permit still open?
Usually because no one booked the final. In our file only 47.3% of Wheaton HVAC permits a year or more old were Complete, and the usual completed one took 398 days. Ask the installer to call for the final as soon as the unit runs.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Ames building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Ames? Yes: what is exempt, homeowner permits, the $56.23 base fee and inspections
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Anaheim? The mechanical permit for a furnace or AC change-out, fees and inspections
- Do I need an HVAC permit in Arlington, VA? The like-for-like exemption, the gas exception and zoning
For one city
- Furnace & Air-Conditioner - Residential (revised 8/24/2026) — City of Wheaton Building & Code Enforcement (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Permits & Building Projects — City of Wheaton (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Wheaton online permit portal (MaintStar) (2026-10-26)
- City of Wheaton, Ordinance O-2025-04, Appendix B Fee Schedule (B-7 Community Development Fees) (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Contractor Registration Requirements — City of Wheaton (revised 2/19/2025) (2026-10-21)