Aurora

1. Pre-application meeting (Building & Permits Division, 44 E Downer Pl) (~7d)
   Optional but strongly recommended for Aurora ADU work. Walk in for a counter consult on whether the parcel is in R-1, R-2, R-3, or one of the historic overlay districts. Staff confirms whether the proposal needs a CUP or qualifies as legal-nonconforming repair.
2. Conditional Use Permit application (Planning & Zoning Commission) (~45d)
   Required for any new ADU not occupying a legal-nonconforming footprint. Application must include site plan with all setbacks dimensioned to a 1"=20' scale, lot-coverage worksheet against R-1/R-2 35% lot-coverage cap, neighbor-notification mailing list 250 ft.
3. Aurora Preservation Commission review (if applicable) (~30d)
   Triggered for parcels in Tanner Historic District, Stolp Island, Riverview, Grand Boulevard, Round House, or West Park districts. APC meets monthly; Certificate of Appropriateness required before building permit.
4. Building permit submittal (Building & Permits, online + counter) (~5d)
   Submit signed/sealed plans (Illinois-licensed architect or structural engineer required for new shell), Manual J energy compliance, Manual D duct calc, electrical load letter from ComEd if upgrading service.
5. Plan review (Building, Fire, Public Works, Engineering) (~35d)
   Concurrent review across four divisions. Public Works checks water/sewer tap capacity (Fox River collector); Fire Marshal checks egress and ladder access; Engineering checks stormwater. Typical 2-3 review cycles for first submittal.
6. Permit issuance and fee payment (~5d)
   After approvals, Aurora issues the building permit upon payment of plan-review and impact fees. School district impact fee (East Aurora 131 or West Aurora 129) applies to new dwellings.
7. Construction inspections (footing through final)
   Required inspections: footing/foundation, framing, rough MEP, insulation, drywall, final. Aurora Building uses a same-day-by-7AM-call scheduling system.
8. Certificate of Occupancy (~7d)
   Final Building inspection signs off; CO issued by Building Division. Required before legal occupancy or rental.

• Long-term rental: yes (Aurora Rental Housing Code (Chapter 38)) 30+day rental permitted with annual rental registration and Healthy Homes inspection.
• Short-term rental: with-restrictions (Aurora Code Chapter 38 (Rental Housing) and Chapter 12 (Business License)) Aurora has not adopted a separate Airbnb-specific ordinance; STRs are regulated under general rental-housing code plus hotel tax.
  • Aurora rental registration certificate required
  • Annual inspection of rental units
  • City business license + 6% Aurora hotel tax may apply for STR
• Office rental: no Chapter 49 zoning limits ADUs to dwelling-unit use; commercial tenancy in residential zone not permitted.
• Home office: yes Home occupation allowed under Chapter 49 with no employees outside household, no on-site customer traffic, and signage limit.
• Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist/workshop is a permitted accessory residential use.
• Agriculture: with-restrictions (Aurora urban-agriculture provisions) Backyard chickens (max 6) permitted; community gardens permitted; livestock prohibited in R-1/R-2.
• Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly contemplated under CUP standards; no rental but multigenerational use favored in Council findings.

• Aurora Historic Preservation Property Tax Assessment Freeze — 8-year assessment freeze on rehabilitated historic structures (Owner-occupied parcels in Aurora historic districts undertaking certified rehabilitation)
• Invest Aurora housing rehab match — Aurora Economic Development Corporation (Invest Aurora) periodically matches owner rehab costs in TIF-eligible neighborhoods including downtown and East Side near River Street.

Staff: Planning & Zoning Commission Secretary (Conditional Use Permit intake), Aurora Preservation Commission Liaison (Certificate of Appropriateness intake), Aurora Code Enforcement (Zoning & occupancy enforcement)

• Water: City of Aurora Water Production Division (Fox River intake + Wells 14-17 deep aquifer) · 21d connect · $4,200
• Sewer: Fox Metro Water Reclamation District (Oswego treatment plant) · 30d connect · $5,400
• Electric: Commonwealth Edison (ComEd / Exelon) · 35d connect · $1,900
• Gas: Nicor Gas (Southern Company) · 28d connect · $1,450

Realistic total: best 8mo · typical 12mo · worst 18mo

Fox Valley GC labor pool is shallower than Chicago; winter shutdown Dec-Feb extends worst-case. Historic-district work compresses framing schedule by another 3-4 weeks for material lead times.

Modular pathway Illinois Manufactured Building Program (Capital Development Board) · inspectors are rare with modular · 1 modular permits (last 24mo)

Fox River bridge clearances along Galena Boulevard / New York Street limit module width to 14 ft on most downtown streets; rear-yard crane setup tight on corner lots in Tanner Historic District.

State ADU loans:

• IHDA Smart Buy / Access Forgivable (Illinois Housing Development Authority) up to $25,000
• Invest Aurora rehab match (TIF-eligible neighborhoods) (Aurora Economic Development Corporation)

Tornado / hail exposure in Fox Valley is the dominant carrier concern; flood policies via NFIP for Zone AE Fox River parcels run $700-1,100/yr separately.

Aurora newer subdivisions (Stonebridge, Eola, Far Southwest) are heavily HOA-governed; older neighborhoods east of the Fox River are largely fee-simple. HOA covenants prohibiting ADUs are enforceable in Illinois.

• flood-zone — FEMA SFHA Zone AE along Fox River through downtown Aurora, Indian Creek, and Blackberry Creek; X-shaded near Phillips Park. · +21d · +9% cost
  ADUs on Zone AE parcels require finished-floor 1 ft above BFE, flood vents, breakaway-walls below BFE on enclosed crawlspaces. Fox River cuts the city in half - both downtown sides have AE exposure. (map)
• historic-district — Six city-designated districts: Tanner, Stolp Island, Riverview, Grand Boulevard, Round House, and West Park · +30d · +12% cost
  Aurora Preservation Commission (APC) reviews exterior alterations and new accessory structures. Material-grade requirements add typically 8-12% to building cost; Tanner (Galena/Downer) is the most stringent. (map)
• tornado-zone — Aurora sits in the northern reach of Tornado Alley; ASCE 7-22 tornado loads apply to risk category II-IV structures · +2% cost
  Above-grade ADUs benefit from continuous load-path hardware; Illinois IRC amendments do not mandate tornado shelters but Aurora staff strongly suggest interior basement bathroom or stairwell shelter for occupant safety. (map)
• other — Two-school-district straddle: West Aurora 129 (west of Fox River) and East Aurora 131 (east of Fox River) - distinct impact-fee schedules · +1% cost
  ADU dwelling-unit count adds to school impact-fee calc; West and East fee schedules differ by ~$200 per unit. (map)