Building & Permitting

Below are a couple of links concerning consumer rights in Illinois and the Home Repair Act.

​The State of Illinois has a brochure Home Repair Know Your Consumer Rights

Home Repair and Remodeling Act

Railing requirements are one of the most frequent questions asked. We have provided a useful list of railing requirements here

1. Construction of any building or other structure with a total construction cost in excess of $100.00.
2. Construction of an addition to any building or structure.
3. Demolition of a building or structure.
4. A change in the occupancy of a building that effects fire egress and exit requirements or other occupancy restrictions.
5. The installation or alteration of any equipment regulated by this code.
6. Any change to a roof line, e.g. from a flat roof to a gabled or hip roof also normal shingle replacement.
7. Fence installation new or existing.
8. Electrical work.
9. Mechanical work.

A building permit is NOT required for any building maintenance, such as siding, painting, replacement of doors and windows in existing openings. UNLESS, it would cause a change in occupancy requirements or affect required fire egress and exits etc.

If you are hiring a contractor then the contractor is responsible for all permits. If you as the home owner are doing the work yourself then you must obtain the permits. As a home owner be sure you see the permit from your contractor prior to any work being started. Also remember all contractors must be registered with the City of Mount Carmel. 

Yes all contractors must be registered with the City of Mount Carmel.

Contractor Ordinance                Contractor Registration

1. Fill out the Application for Building Permit and Plan Review, providing all information required for the project. For one and two family dwellings the applicant must also complete the One & Two Family Plan Review form, also must show compliance with Illinois Energy Conservation Code by submission of Compliance Certificates generated by the U.S. Department of Energy’s REScheck code compliance tool; or The seal of an Illinois licensed architect/engineer as required by section 14 of the Illinois Architecture Practice Act, Section 12 of the Structural Engineering Licensing Act and Section 14 of the Illinois Professional Engineering Practice Act.
2. For structures to be constructed within a subdivision, the applicant should be aware of any restrictive covenants that may apply. Generally, covenants are recorded at the Office of the County Clerk.
3. Any application submitted for the construction of a building or structure to be used by the public MUST include a set of plans for such on which an architect or structural engineer licensed by the State of Illinois to perform such work has signed and affixed his seal thereon.
4. The site plan must indicate all set-back distances and dimensions (check for conformance with zoning regulations). All set-backs are measured from the property line and NOT from the curb or street center.
5. A requirement for the issuance of a demolition permit is for the applicant to NOTIFY JULIE for a dig number. This will assure that utilities have been properly disconnected.

The amount of time varies with the type of project, and how complete the information is when we receive it.

For projects that require plan reviews from various City departments (i.e. additions, new construction, all commercial projects, etc.) you should allow 1-3 weeks to receive plan review comments. Once a plan review is completed, it is the obligation of the property owner, or their representative (architect, engineer, contractor, etc.) to respond.

This time frame is not in the City's control, but some time to respond to the City's comments should be budgeted into your project schedule. Also, during the spring and summer months our permit activity increases. Please call the desk at 618-262-4822  for an estimate of application turnaround time.

The City does not regulate covenants. In order to find out if you have a covenant on your property you will need to go to the County Clerk's Office located at 401 N Market Street (618) 262-4561. It is important that you know the covenants for your parcel.

There are two basic types of covenants regarding property:

• covenants that run with the land:
  • A covenant that runs with the land is a condition that belongs to the property and is passed on to each successive owner, such as a condition that the property can not have a fence or an outbuilding.
• covenants of title that transfer ownership.
  • There are several types of title covenants, including, a covenant of seisin, by which the grantor guarantees ownership of the property and that he/she has the right to sell it;
  • a covenant against encumbrances warranting that the property is free of liens;
  • a covenant of the right to convey, which is similar to the covenant of seisin;
  • a covenant of quiet enjoyment, which gives the grantee peaceful ownership without hostile claims of title from others. 

Yes a permit is required for a roof. If you are contracting the work out the roofing contractor must have a valid Illinois Roofing License.

 Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act states a municipality or a county that requires a building permit may not issue a building permit to a roofing contractor unless that contractor has provided sufficient proof that he or she is licensed currently as a roofing contractor by the State. Holders of an unlimited roofing license may be issued permits for residential, commercial, and industrial roofing projects. Holders of a limited roofing license are restricted to permits for work on residential properties consisting of 8 units or less. 
 

Roofing Permit Application

Yes there are two different types of roofing license under the Illinois Roofing Licensing Act

• Limited roofing license: Limited to roofing residential properties consisting of 8 units or less. Limited Exam consists of technical aspects of residential roofing. $10,000 Bond

•  Unlimited roofing license: Unlimited in nature and includes roofing on residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Unlimited Exam consists of technical aspects of residential, commercial and industrial roofing.  $25,000 Bond

Overview of Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act

All roofing contractors and construction pros who may work on and maintain residential/commercial/industrial roofs must have an Illinois Roofers license, according to the Illinois Roofing Industry Licensing Act.

Unlicensed roofers can face up to a $5,000 fine if found working without a license in the state of Illinois.

It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business or act in the capacity of or hold himself or herself out in any manner as a roofing contractor without having been duly licensed under the provisions of this Act.

The contractor must:

• Display their license number to be seen on the vehicles, permits and all paperwork;
• Must have obtained public liability and property damage insurance;
• Must have workers Compensation Insurance covering his employees;
• Must have Illinois Unemployment Insurance;
• Must have $10,000 Bonded for Limited or $25,000 Bond for Unlimited;
• Must have a Qualifying Party Passed Exam.

Roofing  is defined as: To construct, reconstruct, alter, maintain and use materials and items used in the construction, reconstruction, alteration and repair of all kinds of roofing and waterproofing.

Roofing Contractor is defined as: One who has the experience, knowledge and skill to construct, reconstruct, alter, maintain and repair roofs and use materials and items used in the construction, reconstruction, alteration, maintenance and repair of all kinds of roofing and waterproofing as related to roofing, all in such manner to comply with all plans, specifications, codes, laws, and regulations.

VIOLATIONS OF  ROOFING ACT  PENALTIES AND FINES

Grounds for disciplinary action. The Department may refuse to issue or to renew, or may revoke, suspend, place on probation, reprimand or take other disciplinary or nondisciplinary action as the Department may deem proper, including fines not to exceed $10,000 for each violation, with regard to any license for any one or combination of the following causes:
 
• Advertising in any manner which is false, misleading or deceptive

• Violating Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Act

• Allowing the use of his or her roofing license by an unlicensed roofing contractor for the purposes of providing roofing or waterproofing services

• Aiding or assisting another person in violating this Act.

The city is prohibited from steering people to any specific contractors.

If you are in the process of selecting a contractor, we will be happy to tell you whether or not someone is currently registered with us.

If your selected contractor is not registered with us, that process is mentioned under contract registration, or your contractor may call, and we can assist them. However contractors are supposed to register annually with the city and have proof of insurance.

As far a recommendation, ask your proposed contractor for a list of current references - and then call them! A reputable contractor will have many satisfied customers.

Some questions to ask when making checking references are:

• What was the scope of the work performed? (Is it similar to your project?)
• Was the work done as per the agreement?
• Was the work done in the time frame that was proposed?
• Would you hire this contractor again? If not, why?

Tips on Hiring A Contractor

The list of contractors who have registered with the city may be found at 631 N Market Street, or online

Any structure in excess of 180 square feet must have a demolition permit. 

Demolition Ordinance                    Residential Application                  Commercial Application

Yes a permit is required to install a fence.

Fence Application

Yes. Please follow the links below for further information.

Culvert Ordinance                   Culvert Installation Application                 

Yes an individual needs to register with the Building Department in accordance with The City of Mount Carmel's Ordinances

Peddlers, Vendors and Solicitors. The permit is issued to the individual NOT the organization. Each individual from an organization that will be knocking on doors must register as there is a criminal background check done before a permit is issued. NOTE: Non-profits (e.g. Girl Scouts, school programs) and Canvassers (e.g. politicians) are exempt from the need to obtain a permit 

Yes and No

Yes if you are changing the window with a different size opening. This can affect the egress requirements.

No if you are replacing the same size window.

The type and group of a building refers to the type of construction, and the use and occupancy classification which is from the International Building Code.  For your convenience, please see the types of construction and occupancy groups listings. 

 Liquor license, Video Gaming license, Coin Operated Amusement Device License, and Contractor Registration are from January 1, and expire December 31, each year.

Liquor license, and Video Gaming license must be approved at the last council meeting in December before the end of each year.

Applications for each should be turned in by December 1st of each year along with applicable fees.

Liquor License application                  Video Gaming License application      COAD License application        

Contractor Registration

To apply for a liquor license, fill out a Liquor License Application. Return the completed paperwork to the City Clerk’s Office located at 631 N Market Street.

Liquor License applications are available here.Liquor License Application