City building department · Illinois
Champaign building department
Permits, inspections, and official contacts for Champaign Building Safety Division.
Verified Checked against 9 official sources
Contacts & online services
- Phone
- (217) 403-6100
- Office
- 102 N. Neil Street, Champaign, IL 61820
Get directions (opens in a new tab) - Serves
- Champaign · Champaign County
- Online services
- Applications · Permit search · Inspections
Check your address first. Champaign Building Safety Division handles building permits for property inside Champaign city limits. Property outside city limits is usually served by Champaign County or another municipality, even when the mailing address says Champaign.
On this page
The City of Champaign Building Safety Division, part of the Planning & Development Department, takes in permit applications, reviews plans, and inspects building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, and fire-alarm work inside Champaign city limits. Building Safety’s direct line is (217) 403-6100.
When a permit is required
A permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, or demolish a building or structure, or to change its occupancy. It is also required to install, alter, repair, or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, or fire-alarm system.
The City lists these exemptions:
- Sheds of 120 sq ft or less
- Fences, although zoning rules still apply. Contact Planning & Development at (217) 403-8800.
- Playground equipment
- Minor repairs to electrical, mechanical, or plumbing systems
Applying in OpenGov
Champaign moved to an online permit portal on January 1, 2025. Apply, upload plans, pay, and request inspections in OpenGov at champaignil.portal.opengov.com. Permit search depends on when the permit was applied for:
- On or after January 1, 2025: OpenGov public search
- On or before December 31, 2024: the legacy eTRAKiT site (etrakit.champaignil.gov)
Applications are reviewed at the same time by three City departments. Each reviewer is notified when you submit, and questions and comments come back through the portal. Staff will look at parts of a project before formal submittal if you ask. Commercial permits submitted on or after March 16, 2026 use a new OpenGov plan review module, and the City publishes a guide to the changes.
Estimated plan review times
| Project type | Initial review | Resubmittals |
|---|---|---|
| One- and two-family | 5 business days from receipt of all material | not published |
| Commercial and multi-family | up to 10 business days after intake and plan review fees are paid | about 5 business days |
Residential permit fees
From the City’s one- and two-family permit page. Permit fees are non-refundable.
| Work | Fee |
|---|---|
| New single-family home under 2,500 gross sq ft | $345 |
| New single-family home 2,500 gross sq ft or more | $435 |
| New two-family dwelling under 2,500 gross sq ft | $375 |
| New two-family dwelling 2,500 gross sq ft or more | $470 |
| Addition or alteration | $6 per $1,000 of construction cost |
| Minimum permit fee | $45 |
Commercial fees:
- Alterations: $6 per $1,000 of construction cost, excluding MEP. Alterations over $20,000 also pay a plan review fee of 0.5% of construction cost.
- New buildings and additions: gross area × ICC square-foot construction cost × a local multiplier of 0.0016. The cost table on the commercial page is effective July 1 through December 31, 2026. Plan review is based on building volume, with a 1.5 multiplier for MEP reviews and certain permit types.
Adopted codes
The City Council adopted the 2021 International Codes on January 9, 2024, and they apply to projects submitted on or after February 1, 2024. Codes in force:
- 2021 IBC, IEBC, IRC, IMC, IFGC, IFC, and International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, each with City amendments
- 2020 National Electrical Code
- 2014 Illinois Plumbing Code, with City amendments
- 2018 Illinois Accessibility Code
- 2024 Illinois Energy Conservation Code, effective November 30, 2025
Code and commentary books can be viewed at the Champaign Public Library.
Inspections
Required inspections are listed on the permit. Request them in the OpenGov portal and give at least 24 hours’ notice for your preferred time. Building Safety Manager Randy Smith oversees plan review and inspections for buildings, fire protection, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing.
Other agencies you may need
| Project involves | Agency |
|---|---|
| Food establishment | Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, (217) 352-9761 |
| Sanitary sewer work | Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District |
| Public right-of-way, grading, drainage | City Engineering Division, (217) 403-4700; IDOT for state routes |
| Fire code | Champaign Fire Department, (217) 403-7200 |
| Digging | JULIE, call 811 |
| Property outside city limits | Champaign County Zoning, (217) 384-3708 |
City subdivision regulations apply to land divisions inside the city and within 1.5 miles of the city limits.
Planning a project?
These guides explain the national model-code rules most departments start from. Champaign Building Safety Division decides what applies in Champaign, so use them to prepare your questions.
More Illinois building departments
Not the right office? If your property is outside Champaign city limits, one of these may handle it.
Sources
- champaignil.gov — Building safety
- champaignil.gov — Building permit applications
- champaignil.gov — Codes and amendments
- champaignil.gov — One and two family permit information
- champaignil.gov — Commercial and multi family permit information
- champaignil.gov — Meet the building safety staff
- champaignil.gov — Development services portal
- champaignil.portal.opengov.com
- etrakit.champaignil.gov — Etrakit