10/21/26
Today, it was our pleasure to have Tom Corrigan, Director-Building & Code Enforcement Department as our guest speaker.
The mission of the Department is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community in all aspects of building design, construction, and maintenance. The Department's website is very informative and helpful: https://www.wheaton.il.us/150/Building
Building codes have long existed, with the earliest recorded being the Code of Hammurabi dating from about 1750 BC. Included laws:
If a builder builds a house for a man and does not make its construction firm, and the house which he has built collapses and causes the death of the owner of the house, that builder shall be put to death.
If it causes the death of the son of the owner of the house, they shall put to death a son of that builder.
If it causes the death of a slave of the owner of the house, he shall give to the owner of the house a slave of equal value.
If it destroys property, he shall restore whatever it destroyed, and because he did not make the house which he builds firm and it collapsed, he shall rebuild the house which collapsed at his own expense.
If a builder builds a house for a man and does not make its construction meet the requirements and a wall falls in, that builder shall strengthen the wall at his own expense.
However, for most of us the critical question regarding the Department is what kinds of projects require a permit. Some examples of projects that require a permit include:
Addition of decks, sheds, and lawn sprinkler systems
Any structural changes
Construction of garages, pools, hot tubs, and spas
Demolitions
Electrical and mechanical projects
Installing driveways, curbs, and sidewalks
Installing a fence
Plumbing projects
Roofing work
Sewer repair
Signs
See the Guidelines for Building Projects and Permits section for information on these and many other types of projects.
Electrical projects are the most frequently dealt with: remodeling projects, EV charging stations, etc.