Design, hardscapes and drainage for Batavia homes, from the Historic District downtown out to the newer streets on the edge of town.
Batavia is the oldest municipality in Kane County, which is not just trivia when you are planning work on a property here. The Historic District downtown, the Fox River running through the middle of town, and a building department that wants a stamped survey before anything gets dug all shape what a project actually involves.
We work the whole town, older streets and newer ones. Most jobs here start as a drawing, partly because a drawing is what the city wants to see — this is what a 3D landscape rendering is and why it earns its keep. For everything we do, see our services, or the other towns we serve.
Batavia reviews exterior work more closely than most of its neighbours, and the river decides what can go where. Both are far easier to deal with before a design is finished than after.
A fence permit here needs a plat of survey stamped by a licensed surveyor, drawn to scale and not resized, with the work located on it. Batavia then inspects twice, at post-hole and at final. Marking the property line and finding the pins is the owner's job.
Batavia sits on the Fox. Fences are not permitted in floodplains as determined by the FEMA maps, and anything set in a utility or drainage easement is at the owner's risk and cannot obstruct drainage. We check the maps before we draw.
A Certificate of Appropriateness covers any exterior change to a property in the Historic District or on a local landmark, and the city recently added painting previously unpainted material to that list. Some scopes clear administratively, others go to the Commission.
In a town that reviews exterior work, the drawing is the project. A plan that shows the city exactly what is going in is the shortest route to a yes.
Batavia lives outside in the summer. Most of what we build here is a patio and a walk that look like they belong to the house rather than bolted onto it.
Near the river, water is not just a nuisance, it is a rule. Drainage gets designed so it works and so it stays clear of an easement.
Up the Fox in Elgin. Tiered retaining walls and drainage correction on a side yard that dropped close to six feet, planned as one design across the property.
West of the river. A full property redesign drawn first as a 3D plan, then built out with trench edging, garden beds, irrigation and a stone walkway.
What homeowners here ask us most, answered straight.
For anything structural, yes, and fences are the strictest example. Batavia requires a building permit to put up any new fence regardless of length or height, including replacing one that is already there. The application takes two copies of a plat of survey stamped by a licensed surveyor, drawn to scale and not resized, plus a dimensioned fence detail showing picket profile, post spacing and materials. There are two inspections, post-hole and final, each needing 48 hours notice. The Building Division is at 100 N Island Avenue, (630) 454-2700.
Not in a floodplain. Batavia does not allow fences in floodplains as determined by the FEMA NFIP and FIRM maps. Utility and drainage easements are different: you can build in one at your own risk, but it cannot obstruct drainage, and if the city or a utility contractor has to pull the fence out to reach something, nobody is obliged to put it back. We check the maps at design stage so it does not surface at permit stage.
Batavia established its Historic Preservation Commission and Historic District in 2006, and a Certificate of Appropriateness is required for any exterior change to a property in the district or on a locally designated landmark. The city recently expanded that to include painting previously unpainted exterior material, which used to be exempt. Depending on scope, staff may approve administratively or send it to the Commission. The planner is at (630) 454-2711, and the city encourages an informal conversation early rather than a surprise at review.
In residential districts: three feet in the required front setback, with chain link and chicken wire not allowed there; four feet in a corner side setback, except along rear property lines where it can go to six; six feet in side and rear setbacks; and eight feet on a rear or side lot line adjoining commercial or industrial property or a Strategic Regional Arterial street. The finished side has to face outward and the supports go on your side.
Permit and review requirements described on this page reflect City of Batavia guidance published as of September 2026. Codes change — Batavia's own Certificate of Appropriateness scope was recently expanded. Confirm current requirements with the city before starting work.
Batavia is a few minutes down the Fox from St. Charles, and we are in this stretch of Kane County most weeks of the season.
Tell us what you want the yard to do and we will put it on paper first, permits and all. Free on-site estimate, no pressure.
