Hampshire building permits and fees: fences, decks and home projects

Verified through October 4, 2026. This guide covers projects administered by the Village of Hampshire, not every property with a Hampshire mailing address. Confirm the permitting authority for the site before applying.

Current status and the fee-document mismatch

The discrepancy is visible in the village’s own links: Building Permits links the 2025 schedule, while Maps, Fees and Documents links the 2024 schedule. The older accessory-project table lists a $50 plan review and $42 per inspection. That is not the basis of the newer fence/deck table. We did not locate a later fee schedule; SAFEbuilt must confirm the applicable assessment for your application.

How much is a fence, deck, roof or shed permit?

These are selected components from the currently linked schedule, not flat-price quotes. The fee schedule’s pages 2–3 cover these common projects; page 5 lists reinspections.

Source: fee schedule, PDF pages 2–3 and 5. A missing fee line is not a promise that additional work will be free. Added electrical work, changed scope or a separate approval can change the total. The village also warns that development agreements can alter fees.

A worked fee worksheet

For a project using all three common components:

Illustrated fee = $75 + ($90 × review hours) + ($52 × required inspections).

These are hypothetical calculations, not village estimates of typical workload. They exclude any other applicable charge. Ask for the review hours, required inspections and additional approvals in the fee assessment rather than budgeting from a single advertised “permit price.”

What documents should I prepare?

The January 2026 guidelines provide the following starting checklist. They expressly defer to the building department and are not a complete codebook.

This is a submission aid, not design approval. A paver/brick patio is described as not needing a building permit in the guidelines, but zoning location restrictions still apply. An EV charger simply plugged into an existing outlet is treated differently from work altering the electrical system. Ask SAFEbuilt to classify your actual scope.

For larger work, Village Code 5-1-5 addresses application contents, project cost and professionally prepared plans. A small job’s price alone does not automatically exempt it: any waiver described there is at the building official’s discretion.

Which projects need a separate right-of-way or engineering permit?

Hampshire’s Public Works and Engineering permit page separates these approvals from CommunityCore:

A building permit does not approve civil plans. Resolve the engineering route early if the project affects drainage, public utilities or the right-of-way. For development-level approvals, see the Hampshire development tracker. Utility connection work and recurring household utility charges are different costs; the water/sewer bill guide explains the latter.

How do I apply and arrange inspections?

Start at the village’s Building Permits page and choose its contractor or community-member CommunityCore link. The stated residential review window is up to five business days after a complete submission; commercial review is up to ten. Clarifications and resubmissions can affect the elapsed process.

The published sequence is review, fee assessment, payment, then permit and inspection-card issuance. Obtain the permit before scheduling work; some inspections happen before construction is concealed. Check the required inspections in your account and retain the issued documents and final result.

For application or inspection questions, the building department page lists SAFEbuilt: 847-510-4104; ILinspections@safebuilt.com. Village Hall is 234 S. State Street, 847-683-2181. No application, payment or inspection booking is made through this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Hampshire fence permit a flat $75?

No. The currently linked schedule lists $75 administration, $90 per code-review hour and $52 per required inspection. The $75 is one component.

Why did I find a $50 review fee and $42 inspection fee?

Those amounts appear in the older 2024 accessory-project schedule still linked from the village’s maps/fees index. The permit webpage links a schedule effective May 1, 2025. Confirm the assessed schedule with SAFEbuilt.

Does my building permit cover a driveway apron or grading?

Not necessarily. Public Works and Engineering approvals are separate and do not use CommunityCore. Describe the right-of-way, utility and drainage impacts when asking which applications are required.

Can I start after submitting an application?

Submission is not issuance. Follow the village’s instruction to obtain the permit and arrange the required inspections before scheduling work.

Evidence limits and update log

Unknown until project review: final fee, required inspection count, review hours, site-specific restrictions and whether a separate development agreement changes a charge. This guide does not determine that a particular site or design complies.

October 4, 2026 — Phase 3: Published the fee-version comparison, worked worksheet and project-to-approval checklist. Next update: a replacement fee schedule, revised guideline packet or changed application process.

Hampshire hub · Development and zoning · Property taxes and SSAs · Utility project costs · Illinois local coverage

Source register

• Village building permits: application, review, fees and inspections
• Fee schedule approved April 3, 2025; effective May 1, 2025 (PDF pp. 1–6)
• January 2026 small-project guidelines (PDF pp. 1–7)
• Public Works and Engineering permits
• Maps, fees and agreements index — still links the older schedule
• Historical March 7, 2024 fee schedule
• Village building and code enforcement
• Village Code 5-1-5: permit applications