Building & Zoning » Construction requirements

Construction requirements

Construction work hours

7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. - Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. - Saturdays
No work on Sundays, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas

Construction shall be considered to include job-site material deliveries, pre-start staging activities and any equipment operation including trucks with back-up alarms.

Display of permit placard

The permit placard must be displayed in a prominent space visible from the street during the entire duration of the project. If it cannot be displayed in a front window then it must be mounted as a stand-alone weatherproof sign erected in the front yard. Display of the placard is mandatory. Projects not displaying this sign shall be considered in violation of the required permit conditions and risk being shut down. Replacement Placards are available at Village Hall at a cost of $15.

Display of construction sign

All projects involving the demolition of an entire structure (except accessory buildings and detached garages) or that result in an increase in floor area of 300 square feet or more (except two car frame garages) or are valued at $200,000 or more will be required to display a construction sign to be supplied by the Village of River Forest at a point no further than 10 feet from the public sidewalk. Said sign will be a minimum of 24 by 30 inches in dimension and shall be posted immediately after the owner and contractor attend a preconstruction meeting with Village Officials to discuss the project. The posting of the sign shall occur a minimum of one week prior to the start of work (site fencing and required tree protection work may proceed in advance of the posting of the sign).

Responsibility to the public and protection of public property

Earthwork activities must have equipment standing by for mud and dirt removal from the street and sidewalks. All streets and sidewalks must be kept clean and power washed if necessary to prevent dust. Open sandblasting, open masonry cutting/grinding or any other operation which causes airborne dust will not be tolerated. Adequate measures (such as wet-sawing or containment) shall be provided to prevent movement of airborne dust off-site. Waste materials may not be placed on the ground and must be containerized for disposal. Construction materials may not be stored in a front yard for a period exceeding seven calendar days. The Director of Public Works may grant an extension due to circumstances beyond the control of the contractor. Portable toilets must be regularly serviced to avoid odors. A portable toilet that emits an odor that is detectable from an adjacent property shall be considered a nuisance. Portable toilets shall be placed in rear yards where possible.
Excavations and structures shall be completely surrounded by fencing until backfilling is completed and the structure can be secured against unauthorized entry. Notice of excavations which may potentially impact foundations of adjoining properties shall be made in accordance with the Illinois Adjacent Landowner Excavation Protection Act.
Cement trucks are not permitted to wash out into the street or into catch basins.
Do not block public sidewalks or streets. Do not allow materials to be placed or dumped in the streets, parkways or sidewalks. Vehicles are not permitted to park on the parkway areas. Contractor vehicles are to be parked on the same side of the street and may not be parked on both sides.
Equipment that is not being actively used may not be stored outdoors at job site without a temporary permit.
Curb/gutter or sidewalk to be traversed by construction traffic must be protected with planking. All cracked and broken sidewalk and curb will have to be replaced at your expense. Metal track tractors are not permitted to travel the Village streets unless they are covered with appropriate covering.
All parkway trees, including the root system, are to be protected from damage. A fence must be placed around all parkway trees in accordance with the Village's Parkway Tree Protection detail, which can be found online here.
Filling in or removing soil may require Village approval and permits. Please check with the Engineering Department for regulations and requirements before starting.
After the foundation of a new home or other structure has been poured, an “as built” by an Illinois Licensed Land Surveyor with the top foundation elevations on a plat of survey, with the exact sizes and dimensions of the new foundations and distances to all lot lines, must be submitted to the Building Department for approval before any framing or building construction can continue. (As built foundation surveys will not be required for residential building additions.) When the foundation is back filled, rough grading of the site needs to be accomplished, per the approved grading plan. Every effort must be made to avoid water runoff to the adjoining properties.
This is a residential community with many children. Drive safely. Watch out for the children. Do not trespass on neighboring properties. Do not litter. Keep noise and other disturbing activities to a minimum. Contractors should obey the posted speed limits (or slower) and park per the regulations (right wheel to curb on one side of the street, etc.) The Village expects all contractors to act professionally and courteously. Excessive noise is subject to applicable Village noise regulations.
No construction advertising signs other than the sign or permit placard required by these regulations are allowed in residential neighborhoods.
At the time of Final Inspections, all Public Right of Way trees, parkways, sidewalks and curbs will be inspected by the Village. The Owner and/or Contractor shall be liable for any damage incurred during construction. The Owner and Contractor will be responsible for documenting any pre-existing conditions in the Public Right of Way and shall submit such documentation to the Village prior to the start of construction.
During construction grass and weeds shall be maintained at a height not to exceed eight inches.
During construction snow and ice must be removed from sidewalks adjacent to the site within 24 hours after the end of each snow event.
At least 48 hours prior to digging, call JULIE (1-800-892-0123) for utility locations. This is the law!
No open fires or open burning permitted. If heat is needed, use propane or gas system.
Fire Hydrant Use is prohibited except as authorized under an approved fire hydrant use permit.

Portable Storage Containers: