Bathroom Remodel in Unincorporated Winnebago County, IL

Local rules

Permits, plumbing and water in unincorporated Winnebago County

This page covers the rural parts of the county outside any city or village, and its Census numbers are the summed estimates of the six townships with no city or village mostly inside them (Burritt, Harrison, Laona, Owen, Seward and Shirland). Those townships include the census-designated places Lake Summerset and Westlake Village, which also have their own pages, and a small part of Machesney Park, so the figures overlap. A median year built is not shown because medians cannot be summed. We found no primary-source permit page for Seward or Shirland themselves, and neither is on the County Building Division's list of municipalities served, so call the Building Division at 815-319-4350 to confirm.

Bathroom work and permits

The Winnebago County Building Division issues and inspects permits here, and County Code Chapter 18 makes it unlawful to alter a structure without one. The county pages do not say whether a same-spot toilet, vanity or tub swap is exempt, so call the Building Division at (815) 319-4350 before treating any bathroom job as permit-free. Moving a drain, adding a fixture or opening walls is alteration work. source 1 source 2

Permit office

The Winnebago County Building Division (Regional Planning and Economic Development), 404 Elm Street, Room 403, Rockford, (815) 319-4350, permits and inspects construction in unincorporated areas and also serves Cherry Valley, Durand, New Milford, Rockton, Roscoe and South Beloit. County Code Chapter 18 makes it unlawful to alter a structure without first obtaining a permit. Applications use the Commercial and Residential Building Permit Application with plans. source 1 source 2

Who may do the plumbing

No local rule found, so state law applies: plumbing is done by an Illinois licensed plumber, except that the owner-occupant of a single-family home may do their own, to the Illinois Plumbing Code and subject to inspection. A permit office may only issue a plumbing permit to a licensed plumber or that owner-occupant. source 1 source 2

Permit fees

The county's posted fee schedule (Ordinance 2016 CO 073) charges a $40 processing fee per trade permit (structural, electrical, HVAC, plumbing) and $40 per re-inspection, and values interior remodel work at $60 a square foot for its valuation table. The county notes the Board can change fees, so confirm before budgeting. source

Code edition

The county's codes page (last modified February 20, 2025) says that as of April 1, 2016 the Building Division follows the 2015 International Building Code, 2015 International Residential Code, 2014 National Electrical Code, the 2015 International Fire, Fuel Gas and Mechanical Codes and the 2014 Illinois State Plumbing Code. Ordinance 2016 CO 034 adopts the 2015 IRC at Winnebago County Code Sec. 18-321 with amendments (we did not retrieve the amendment text). That listing looks old next to the statewide baseline that began January 1, 2025, so confirm the edition with the Building Division before designing. source 1 source 2

Contractor rules

The county application has fields for general, electrical and other contractors, but we found no county contractor registration requirement. Illinois does not license general contractors at the state level. source 1 source 2

Water supplier

Many homes outside a city or village are on a private well and septic system. The County Health Department says you most likely have a well if the water line coming into the house has no meter and you get no water bill. No county-wide hardness figure is published. source

Also worth knowing

The County Health Department checks proposed construction against existing wells and septic systems. Adding a bathroom to a house on septic can raise a capacity question, so ask the Health Department before adding fixtures. source 1 source 2

Full pricing, the complete service menu, and the rest of the service area are on the bathroom remodel in Rockford, IL homepage.