Permits · 8 min read
Two questions decide whether a container can go where you want it: does the town allow it in that spot, and does it license the company supplying it? Illinois towns lean hard on hauler licences and franchises. Here is what each town's own code and pages say, as read in October 2026.
Driveway or private lot: we found no town on our list with a permit written for a roll-off on a private driveway — but North Aurora limits how long one can sit on a house lot, and West Chicago wants it at least 5 feet from the property line. Street, parkway or sidewalk: Naperville, Wheaton and Downers Grove publish permits and fees; Glen Ellyn and North Aurora ban it; most others want an official's sign-off. Who may supply the container: Naperville, Glen Ellyn, West Chicago, Wheaton, Warrenville, Downers Grove, Lisle, Woodridge, North Aurora, Plainfield and Montgomery all license haulers or reserve some waste to a contractor in their codes. Illinois itself has no general roll-off hauler licence that we could find. Where a town requires one, we hold it.
Driveway: no City permit for a driveway-only roll-off was found in the code or on the City's permit pages. Street, parkway, alley or sidewalk: the City says a Right-of-Way permit is required "for the obstruction or excavation of the street, parkway, alley or sidewalk," and the application asks for a map showing the proposed location of the dumpster. It is filed through the City's Civic Access portal. The fee is $88, or $120 if part of a street or alley is temporarily closed, with a $5,000 maintenance bond and about 14 calendar days of review (an expedite can be requested). Code § 9-1A-10.1 keeps at least 18 feet of roadway usable and limits storage to the frontage of the work site unless the neighbor consents, and § 9-1A-10.2 requires warnings, barricades and lights where needed. Permit questions: (630) 420-6100, option 2.
Who may haul: Code § 4-2-4 makes it unlawful to collect or dispose of commercial waste without a City commercial scavenger licence — $250 a year ($150 in the downtown special service area), a $50,000 surety bond and insurance. But § 4-2-1 says commercial waste "does not include 'temporary construction roll off containers'," defined as containers "used exclusively during construction and/or remodeling." The code does not say in plain words whether a construction roll-off needs the licence, so we hold ours. Household trash is a City contract with Groot, with "the exclusive right" to pick it up (§ 4-2-3.2.1). Demolition: a one- or two-family demolition permit is $1,045 (§ 1-9H-1.3.4), and the Right-of-Way permit is issued with it. In the downtown historic district, demolition also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Lisle issues one residential scavenger licence, by agreement (LRS), and unlimited commercial licences. The Village says "Only those haulers that have a Village of Lisle business license may perform hauling services in Lisle." Whether a residential remodel roll-off is carved out was not found — we hold ours. No street-placement rule was found. Warrenville gives Groot an exclusive residential franchise (§ 6-2-9) and lists a $750 scavenger licence running May 1 to April 30; we hold ours. Items on City right-of-way need a right-of-way permit; the fee chart lists $400 for construction of a driveway or other work in the right-of-way.
Wheaton § 54-41 bars solid-waste collection from any location without a City contract or licence; the commercial hauler licence is $500 a year, applied for by June 1. The code does not say outright whether construction-only roll-offs need it — we hold ours. On the street, § 58-9 requires a street occupancy permit from the engineering department for building materials or equipment: $10 a day, $100 minimum, a $500 deposit and a certificate of insurance, for up to 90 days with 30-day extensions. Winfield's placement and scavenger sections could not be read online, so we make no permit claims there and confirm with Village Hall (630-933-7100) before a street drop.
Downers Grove lists a Scavenger License at $4,680 (Class A) or $785 (Class B) under Sec. 8.58; what each class covers was not published, so we hold ours. Crossing the parkway costs $85 ("Temporary access across a parkway (including lawn irrigation systems, dumpsters, etc.)"), storage in the right-of-way $80 to $120 by area, plus a $300 completion bond. Woodridge issues one residential licence (Groot) and unlimited commercial licences with a $1,000,000 performance bond. Contractors hauling their own job debris are exempt; whether a roll-off company renting to homeowners needs the commercial licence is not stated, so we hold ours. Waste on any street or parkway is a nuisance under § 4-1-1(J).
Glen Ellyn locks household trash to Groot (7-6-3(C)), but 7-6-3(I) lets a contractor or owner use any scavenger "licensed by the Village" for construction debris. The commercial licence is $100 a year for up to four vehicles, $20 for each extra, with a $5,000 bond — we hold ours. Code 8-1-11 bans obstructing any street, parkway, sidewalk or alley, and no dumpster street permit was found, so the box goes on the driveway. Construction, demolition, hauling and loading run 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. West Chicago gives Groot exclusive residential service, except that with "a valid building permit for work which requires disposal of significant debris," the owner or contractor may use a different service for the project (§ 9-142(b)). Commercial and industrial scavenging needs a $3,290 City licence; we hold ours. Dumpsters may not go on streets without the building official's advance approval (§ 4-1(g)(5)), and for permitted work they go on private property at least 5 feet from the property line.
North Aurora is the strictest: a $270-a-year Waste Removal Licence for any hauler other than the Village's contractor (§ 5.04.030) — we hold ours. Since June 2025, § 8.12.060 allows a dumpster on a single-family lot only for a limited clean-up, "for as long as is strictly necessary," or for the life of a permitted project, and § 8.12.070 bans any container on the public right-of-way. Fines run $50 to $750 a day. Montgomery has an exclusive residential garbage contract with LRS (§ 9-42) and refers to "licensed scavengers," though the licence section itself was not found — we hold ours. Temporary street obstructions need the Village Clerk's permit (§ 17-1), and street storage needs a bond and 18 feet of roadway left open (§ 6-36).
Aurora says "Any work in the Public Right of Way will always require permit and may require a licensed Public Works Contractor"; its hauler and dumpster rules were not reachable, so we confirm with the City before booking. Batavia's code could not be read, so we make no permit claim there. Oswego reserves curbside residential pickup to its contract hauler (§ 7-2-5); no hauler licence was found. Street obstruction needs the Director of Public Works' authorization for construction work (§ 8-2-8), and sidewalks may not be blocked from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Bolingbrook has no hauler licence or franchise in its business chapter, and its code wants construction rubbish in a container of at least 15 cubic yards, emptied within 24 hours of being full (§ 42-6(b)). Street obstruction needs a permit from the Public Works and Engineering Director (§ 44-1); no dumpster fee was found. Romeoville's code was not reachable, so we confirm with Village Hall (815-886-7200). Plainfield requires a scavenger licence for anyone in the business of collecting or disposing of refuse — $50 a year, a $1,000 bond and insurance, and "No more than seven (7) such licenses shall be in force at any time" (§ 4-162). We hold ours. Licensed hauler vehicles may not drive village streets on a Sunday (§ 4-142), so plan Plainfield drops and pickups for another day. No street-placement rule was found.
Whatever the town, Illinois EPA sits on top for asbestos. Owners and operators of a regulated demolition or renovation send a notification form with a $150 fee 10 working days before work starts; late notice can bring extra fees or penalties. Privately owned homes and apartment buildings of four or fewer units are exempt, but Illinois EPA still says asbestos should be removed before demolition, ideally by a licensed contractor. Town demolition fees we found: Naperville $1,045 for a house, Wheaton $1,000 for a dwelling, Downers Grove $780, Glen Ellyn $625 or $775 by size, Warrenville $250 single-family, and West Chicago $80 to $315. North Aurora wants demolition debris cleared within 15 days. Asbestos never goes in a roll-off.
Tell us the address and where you want the box. A Naperville driveway is the simplest case; a street spot anywhere takes a call and, in Naperville, about two weeks of permit review. In the towns that license haulers, we hold the licence for that town — we would rather settle it on the phone than have a container turned away. Call (630) 864-6143, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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From this guide
We found no City of Naperville permit for a roll-off on a private driveway. On the street, parkway, alley or sidewalk you need a City Right-of-Way permit — $88, or $120 with a partial street closure, plus a $5,000 bond.
The City lists about 14 calendar days for review by Engineering, Utilities and Public Works, with an expedite possible on request. Apply through the Civic Access portal; plan the street spot early.
Naperville, Glen Ellyn, West Chicago, Wheaton, Warrenville, Downers Grove, Lisle, Woodridge, North Aurora, Plainfield and Montgomery license haulers or reserve some waste to a contractor. We hold ours in every town we serve.
Yes, with a street occupancy permit from the engineering department under § 58-9: $10 a day, $100 minimum, a $500 deposit and a certificate of insurance, for up to 90 days.
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