The City of Evanston now requires projects costing greater than $500,000 or with a significant impact on the city to provide digital versions of construction documents. This includes a general site plan, floor plans and a building elevation. These documents are in addition to and do not replace any current submission requirements for permits. The City of Evanston will use this information to maintain a digital base map of all the buildings and significant features in Evanston. The base map is used extensively to provide information, analysis and public safety services to Evanston.

What is required

• Site Plan: A plan view, drawn to scale, depicting the projects location and showing at a minimum: property lines, building footprints, building elevation changes, sidewalks, driveways, proximate reference points identifiable within the City of Evanston and any fire lanes. (Example Site Plan)
• Floor Plans: Interior plan view for each floor, drawn to scale, showing at a minimum: interior walls, exterior walls, doors and any stairs and elevators. In multi-floor buildings, identical floor plans need not be submitted for each floor, but you should indicate which floor(s) each plan is for. (Example Floor Plan)
• Elevation Views: Exterior profile view, drawn to scale, showing at a minimum: height of building sections, main entrance and roofline. (Example Elevation View)
• Permit Number, Address or Location, and an Index of Files explaining what is being submitted.

A Building Department Representative will inform you if you must submit these documents for your permit.

Acceptable document formats

Preferred file formats

• DXF: Drawing Exchange Format, popular with most CAD software
• DWG: Native AutoCAD file format
• SHAPE: Popular ESRI geographic file format
• E00: ESRI export file format
• DGN: Intergraph graphics file format

Other file formats

• TIFF, GIF, JPG, PNG, PDF

How to submit documents

Email: digitalplans@cityofevanston.org (preferred method)

Physical media: Bring to permit desk or mail to Digital Plans address provided below.

Accuracy requirements

The data must be a proportionally accurate representation of the construction project, sufficient to fully explain the project, with the defined scale clearly represented

When to submit

Submission of a series of construction/design documents in a digital format is required as part of the permitting process prior to the issuance of any Certificates of Occupancy.

What if you are unable to submit digital documents

The party required to submit information in a digital format can request that The City of Evanston digitally convert paper based submitted documents for a fee. This can be arranged by contacting the GIS Division, contact information is provided at the end of this document. Any person who fails to comply with the requirements shall be subject to revocation of any related Final Certificates of Occupancy.

Time this is expected to add to permit process

With the exception of the time needed to gather and submit the required documents, we anticipate a minimal impact on the permitting process. A Permit may be issued without digital submissions being completed; however, the Building Office will not issue any Certificates of Occupancy until informed by the GIS division that all required documents have been submitted. The GIS division will review all submissions to ensure that all submissions have been made as required and immediately inform the Building Office.

More information

Call 847.448.8080 with any questions.

Mailings

Digital Plans (GIS)
Information Technology Division
2100 Ridge Avenue
Evanston IL 60201