Burr Ridge sets $5,000 fee for unpermitted construction

Burr Ridge homeowners who start building without a permit face a $5,000 fee after a unanimous Village Board vote Monday, Nov. 9.

The board approved the new fee for construction-necessitated zoning variations at a special meeting held at the Village Police Department Training Room on County Line Road, according to Patch. The standard variation petition fee for projects where work has not begun remains $800.

The $5,000 charge is non-refundable, even if the homeowner withdraws the request or the board denies it, according to the village's meeting packet. On top of that fee, the minimum permit fee for work started without approval is $750 or 50% of the base permit fee, whichever is greater.

Janine Farrell, the village's community development director, said the charge functions as a penalty. "It's codified as essentially a zoning petition fee," Farrell said, as reported by Patch. "It's just more of a penalty for building first without receiving approval."

A pattern the board confronted in August

The village has encountered an increasing number of unpermitted projects over the past couple of years, Patch reported. The fee change re-establishes a category that existed before 2024. The prior construction-necessitated variation fee was $2,500, according to the board packet. That category was removed when the board adopted revised fee schedules in 2024. Staff recommended restoring it at the higher $5,000 level because variation requests for projects built without approval had increased.

At least three times in 2026, homeowners came before the board seeking exceptions after building without permits, Patch reported in August. One case involved Stefan Kaplarevic, who built a house at 7310 Giddings Ave. and added a covered deck not included in the original plan. The deck itself was allowed, but its roof violated setback rules, according to the village.

The board granted that exception 4-2. Trustees Tony Schiappa and Guy Franzese voted against it.

Schiappa expressed frustration at the Aug. 24 meeting, according to Patch's August report. Franzese cast doubt that a hardship existed, calling it another instance of a homeowner seeking forgiveness after building without approval.

The Nov. 9 vote drew no dissent.