Building Department

Building Inspector Hours

The Building Department is responsible for providing permits to residents with remodeling, roof, heating, air conditioning, plumbing (including sewer work on property), concrete, paneling, ventilating, storage sheds, fences, garages (attached & detached) projects. Please use the checklists  in the download section to help with your project.

Call before you DIG!
Downloads
Codes-Which codes are applicable for working in Rock Falls?
Permits
Ordinances
Planning Commission Forms

CALL BEFORE YOU DIG!

Underground cables for various utilities are buried throughout Rock Falls. These services can be damaged or ruptured by an assortment of digging instruments; a small bend, cut, nick or dent can create problems months later. The ramifications of damaged equipment and interrupted service are serious. Damaged cable can endanger property and public safety-it can also be expensive and time consuming to repair.

Before you plant trees or shrubs, erect a fence, or undertake any construction work, state law requires anyone digging to call JULIE (Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators) a free service through a single toll-free phone number (1-800-892-0123) that can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to call for the locating and marking of underground utility facilities. JULIE alerts utility members in the area of your intent to dig.  Any one digging in Rock Falls, including home owners and contractors must call JULIE a least two working days before digging.

PLEASE NOTE!  Sewer laterals from the main to a residence or building ARE NOT  marked.  Water lines to a residence or building are only marked to the stop box.

Colors used to mark buried facilities are:

• Yellow - gas or oil

• Red - Electric

• Orange - telephone or cable TV

• Blue - water

• Green - sewer

Downloads

Building Permit Checklist-This checklist is a recommended download for anyone doing any work within the City relating to building permits.  It is a simple checklist of things that owners should ensure that they address when they are applying for a building permit within the City.

New Residential Construction Checklist-This checklist is a recommended download for anyone building a new residential home in Rock Falls.

New Commercial Construction Checklist-This checklist is a recommended download for anyone doing any working on Commercial buildings in Rock Falls.

City Contact List-This is a simple contact list for departments that the City maintains.  It is often helpful to have this handy for questions relating to City owned utilities or Code questions.

Industrial Park Covenants-This is the list of requirements for building within the Rock Falls Industrial Park located off of Route 30 in Rock Falls.  Any questions regarding these Covenants should be directed to the Building Department.

City Zoning Map-This is the City Zoning map.  Every March this map is updated with new parcels and new zones. Please check with the Building department to ensure that any property in question has not been rezoned since the most recent map update.

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WHAT ARE THE APPLICABLE CODES IN ROCK FALLS?

• 2003 International Building Code

• 2003 International Residence Code for one and two family dwellings

• 2002 National Electric Code

• 2003 International Mechanical Code

• 2003 International Existing Building Code

• 2003 International Fuel and Gas Code

• 2003 International Property Maintenance Code

• 2003 International Fire Prevention Code

• 2003 International Energy Conservation Code

• Illinois State Plumbing Code

• City of Rock Falls Municipal Code

• Americans with Disabilities Act

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Permits
Most generally, any remodeling being done on the inside/outside of your home will require a building permit.

• The owner of the property or contractor must come IN PERSON to obtain this permit.
• The building Inspector requires an initial inspection of your project BEFORE A BUILDING PERMIT WOULD BE ISSUED.

GIS maps/Sidwell maps, copies of the city ordinance, and the checklist may also be obtained directly in the office which is located in the municipal complex at 603 W. 10th Street.

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Ordinances

Building Permit ordinances begin in Section 5 (Building & Construction) of the City code book.

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Planning Commission Forms

The building department also receives any correspondence for the Planning Commission.  Below are a couple of the forms that are required for the issues that would come before the planning Commission.

Rezoning Form- This form is used when someone wishes to change the current zone of their property.  Please download the form, fill it out and submit it back to the Building department, at 603 W. 10th Street, Rock Falls, IL 61071.

Variance/Interpretation of Zoning Map/Special Exception- This form is used when someone wants to apply for a variance from the Standard Zoning code requirements, when someone wants to have the Planning Commission examine the zoning map and interpret the map when there is a question and when someone wants to get Special Usage status for a project, such as when they want to create a cemetery in a residential zone, a child care facility in a residential zone or many other items, which are spelled out in sections 16-101, 16-121, 16-141, 16-145, 16-161, 16-181, 16-241and 16-270 of the Current Rock Falls Zoning Code.

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Normally the building inspector can be contacted by calling the office at (815) 622-1108, or use the email links below to contact them:

Building Inspector
Mark Searing

Building Staff
Sylvia Frey

 

JULIE 1-800-892-0123

603 W. 10th Street • Rock Falls, Illinois 61071 • 815.622.1100