Construction documents · Illinois
An Illinois review needs both the local adoption record and the statewide requirements that apply to the project. Do not assume that a jurisdiction without its own building ordinance has no construction standards.
Your codes, connected to your drawings
Groundbook can review your drawings against the state and local code PDFs you upload. Add the adopted code books and amendments that apply to your project, then review potential issues with links to the supporting sources.
Upload the applicable code PDFs alongside the drawing set. Include the edition, local amendments, and project requirements.
Set code PDFs to Code and Use as reference. Mark the drawings you want reviewed as Check this file.
Follow the linked drawing and reference, check applicability, and have the responsible professional verify the issue.
State and local references
Examples of references you can bring into Groundbook. Confirm the adopted edition, effective date, and project scope with the reviewing authority, then upload the applicable PDFs.
Include this reference where applicable to the project category, alongside the selected building code.
Bring the relevant state references and confirm the local building-code package. Check any applicable stretch-energy requirements separately.
Code names link to official agency or publisher resources. Reviewed September 9, 2026. The reference set comes from the files you supply.
Illinois reference guide
The Capital Development Board explains statewide building-code requirements effective January 1, 2025, including provisions for commercial construction in jurisdictions without an adopted code and for state-funded buildings. Check the project-specific category and exceptions.
Illinois CDB: building codes and regulationsCDB separately publishes Illinois accessibility and energy-code resources. Its local-code guidance directs applicants to the city, village, or county official for the most accurate local requirements.
Illinois CDB: code resourcesSources reviewed September 9, 2026. Confirm current requirements and project applicability with the reviewing authority.
Prepare a useful review
Use this preparation list for Groundbook alongside the official permit checklist.
Record the municipality’s adoption information and identify which statewide provisions apply. Attach the local permit checklist and applicable amendments.
Supply the project’s Illinois accessibility and energy references with the corresponding plans, schedules, and compliance documents.
State whether the work is state-funded, new construction, or an alteration. Include a code analysis and existing-condition information sufficient for the responsible reviewer to confirm the chosen path.
Identify which files are being checked, which are references, and which revisions are superseded. Include reviewer comments and responses where they explain an unresolved decision.
Use the drawing-register templateFrom documents to decisions
Compare stated design information with the code and local references you supply. Verify scope, exceptions, and the source behind each potential issue.
Review code referencesLook for incomplete information and conflicting requirements before submission. Assign each verified finding to the responsible designer.
Prepare for submissionCheck relationships across drawings, schedules, specifications, and reports. Resolve the source conflict and carry the decision into the issued set.
Review the whole packageBefore you start
Do not make that assumption. CDB describes statewide provisions effective in 2025 for specified projects, including commercial buildings in jurisdictions without adopted codes. Confirm the category, exceptions, and separate accessibility and energy requirements.
Supply the current drawing set and schedules, relevant specifications and reports, the applicable code and amendment PDFs, and the reviewing authority’s checklist. Identify the edition, project scope, and permit stage. Groundbook reviews the supplied evidence; do not assume every local requirement is already available.
No. Groundbook surfaces potential conflicts and omissions with links to source documents for professional verification. It does not issue permits, certify compliance, provide permit-expediting services, or replace the authority having jurisdiction.
Official source directory
2025 statewide provisions and project categories; verify exceptions.
Accessibility and energy resources; introductory future-tense wording predates the 2025 transition.
Bring your drawings and the references that govern the project.