11/27/2025
Illinois inspectors, take this information to your legal departments, your code officials and your building officials. This has already been signed into law.
Dear SBOC Members, Friends and Colleagues:
I hope you’re getting a chance to enjoy these final days of fall and are gearing up
for a relaxing Thanksgiving weekend with the people who matter most. As we
move into this season, permits usually start to calm down just enough for us to
take a breath, clear out the lingering odds and ends on our desks, and refocus for
the year ahead. It’s a welcome stretch of time that helps us reset and prepare for
what’s coming next
There has been quite a bit of discussion surrounding Illinois House Bill HB2987,
which was signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker on August 15, 2025 and goes into
effect January 1, 2027. SBOC has been working closely with ICC, IACE, IMLA,
NWBOCA, IBEW and our lobbyist, Margaret Vaughn, to sort out what the bill truly
requires of our profession and to help shape a trailer bill that clarifies its intent.
Our goal is to minimize unnecessary impacts on our industry while still
supporting the professional standards that define our work.
This legislation brings changes that will influence our organization, our
profession, our municipalities, and the way we plan for staffing and budgeting.
And just to be clear, this bill has already passed. Our focus now is on crafting a
trailer bill that reflects the intent of industry experts and lays out clear, workable
guidance for everyone affected.
For specific information on this bill, visit the Illinois General Assembly website at
www.ilga.gov.
For a deeper look at how this bill originated, review the Warehouse Safety
Standards Task Force at https://labor.illinois.gov/about/warehouse-safety-task-
force.html.
The bill, as written, requires that any building inspector hold an International
Code Council certification in the specific discipline they are inspecting. It also
directs each county to maintain copies of all inspectors’ certifications on file for
anyone conducting inspections or examinations on the county’s behalf. In
addition, the bill provides a one-year grace period from the date of hire for a
building inspector to obtain the required certification. The actual bill can be read
on Illinois General Assembly HB2987.
Our current focus is a trailer bill with clarifications on what certifications are
required which could be revised as follows:
P.O. Box 502
Hinsdale, IL 60521
www.sboc-7.com 2025 December Newsletter.docx
A building inspector who performs inspections or examinations under this Division must either:
1. 2. 3. 4. Hold the appropriate International Code Council certification, as follows:
(A) Residential Building Inspector certification for residential inspections or examinations;
(B) Commercial Building Inspector certification for commercial inspections or examinations;
(C) Property Maintenance and Housing Inspector certification when performing property
maintenance inspections or examinations;
(D) Certified Building Official certification when conducting work across multiple disciplines;
or
Be credentialed through an equivalent nationally or state-recognized building apprenticeship
program approved by the United States Department of Labor in the area in which the
inspector is performing inspections or examinations.
Individuals performing plumbing inspections shall be licensed under the Illinois Plumbing
Licensing Law and are exempt from this Section.
Individuals licensed under the Architecture Practice Act of 1989, the Professional Engineering
Practice Act, or the Structural Engineering Practice Act of 1989 are also exempt.
A building inspector shall have a grace period of 18 months from the date of hire to obtain the
required certification or credentials. An individual employed as a building inspector on or before
January 1, 2027 may have until July 1, 2028 to meet these requirements.
This draft language provides definitive outlines for the proposed certification requirements,
exemptions, and timelines for building inspectors, with additional refinements to follow as we
continue developing the full trailer bill.
https://ilga.gov/ftp/legislation/104/HB/10400HB2987.htm
