McHenry County
McHenry County Department of Planning and Development
In short
McHenry County Department of Planning and Development issues 5 permits we publish for McHenry County, last verified 2026-10-07. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Planning and Development | $400–$750 per sign permit: on-premise $400; off-premise commercial advertising $750 | per sign | 2026-10-07 |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Planning and Development | $300 per Temporary Certificate of Occupancy | temporary, until the permitted work is completed | 2026-10-07 |
| Commercial Alteration, Change of Use or Tenant Buildout Permitonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Planning and Development | $1,000–$4,000 per permit, by area: under 500 sq. ft. $1,000; 500 to 2,000 sq. ft. $2,000; 2,000 to 4,000 sq. ft. $3,000; over 4,000 sq. ft. $4,000; commercial service upgrade (plumbing, electrical, mechanical, structural) $200; after-the-fact application double the permit fee | per project | 2026-10-07 |
| New Commercial Structure or Commercial Addition Permitonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Planning and Development | $1,500–$5,500 per permit, by area: new commercial structure under 1,500 sq. ft. $2,500, 1,500 to 4,000 sq. ft. $4,000, over 4,000 sq. ft. $5,500; commercial addition under 500 sq. ft. $1,500, 500 to 2,000 sq. ft. $3,000, over 2,000 sq. ft. $4,500 (addition fees include alterations to existing portions) | per project | 2026-10-07 |
| Commercial Demolition Permitonly if it applies to you | McHenry County Department of Planning and Development | $500 per commercial structure demolition permit | per project | 2026-10-07 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Sign Permit
A business sign in unincorporated McHenry County needs a Planning and Development sign permit. An on-premise sign costs $400 and an off-premise commercial advertising sign costs $750, as published in the Planning and Development Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, which the county's P&D page links as "New Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2026"; the county's Strategic Plan Report Card (published September 15, 2026) states that the County Board adopted an updated P&D fee schedule in May 2026 and approved an ordinance amending it in June 2026. Permit modifications and six-month extensions are 25% of the original permit fee, with a $100 minimum, and an after-the-fact application is charged double. A business inside a city or village applies to that municipality instead.
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy
A business that needs to occupy a building in unincorporated McHenry County before all permitted work is complete can request a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy from Planning and Development, which posts a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy Request form on its page. The fee is $300, as published in the Planning and Development Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, which the county's P&D page links as "New Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2026"; the county's Strategic Plan Report Card (published September 15, 2026) states that the County Board adopted an updated P&D fee schedule in May 2026 and approved an ordinance amending it in June 2026. Inside a city or village the municipality handles occupancy instead.
Commercial Alteration, Change of Use or Tenant Buildout Permit
In unincorporated McHenry County, Planning and Development issues building permits; the P&D page tells owners whose property is in a village or city to contact that municipality instead. A commercial alteration, change of use or tenant buildout costs $1,000 under 500 square feet, $2,000 for 500 to 2,000 square feet, $3,000 for 2,000 to 4,000 square feet and $4,000 over 4,000 square feet. A commercial service upgrade (plumbing, electrical, mechanical or structural) is $200, and an after-the-fact application is charged double. The greater of $100 or 25% of the building and stormwater permit fees is due at submittal and is non-refundable, with the balance due at first resubmittal or at issuance. Figures are as published in the Planning and Development Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, which the county's P&D page links as "New Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2026"; the county's Strategic Plan Report Card (published September 15, 2026) states that the County Board adopted an updated P&D fee schedule in May 2026 and approved an ordinance amending it in June 2026. Plans are reviewed against the 2021 ICC codes and 2020 NEC.
New Commercial Structure or Commercial Addition Permit
A new commercial building in unincorporated McHenry County costs $2,500 under 1,500 square feet, $4,000 for 1,500 to 4,000 square feet and $5,500 over 4,000 square feet. A commercial addition costs $1,500 under 500 square feet, $3,000 for 500 to 2,000 square feet and $4,500 over 2,000 square feet, and the addition fee includes any alteration to existing portions of the structure. The greater of $100 or 25% of the building and stormwater permit fees is due at submittal and is non-refundable. Figures are as published in the Planning and Development Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, which the county's P&D page links as "New Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2026"; the county's Strategic Plan Report Card (published September 15, 2026) states that the County Board adopted an updated P&D fee schedule in May 2026 and approved an ordinance amending it in June 2026. Inside a city or village the municipality issues building permits instead.
Commercial Demolition Permit
Demolishing a commercial structure in unincorporated McHenry County requires a Planning and Development demolition permit at $500, as published in the Planning and Development Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, which the county's P&D page links as "New Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2026"; the county's Strategic Plan Report Card (published September 15, 2026) states that the County Board adopted an updated P&D fee schedule in May 2026 and approved an ordinance amending it in June 2026. The same schedule sets $150 for an accessory structure and $300 for a residential structure. A demolition inside a city or village is permitted by that municipality instead.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- McHenry County
- Phone
- 815-334-4000
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Planning and DevelopmentMcHenry County Department of Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Planning and Development Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2026)McHenry County Department of Planning and Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
- Strategic Plan Report Card (published September 15, 2026)McHenry County Board · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-07
Other offices serving McHenry County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Illinois jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.