Bolthole Index

Cook County, Illinois

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bedford Park, Illinois

The Village of Bedford Park, Illinois adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance1, and its own building department handles permits, plan reviews and inspections2. Septic approval is not a village matter: Cook County Department of Public Health reviews private sewage systems throughout Cook County, and Bedford Park is not one of the four exceptions3. Cook County's unincorporated rules do not apply inside village limits.

At a glance

Zoning
Village of Bedford Park zoning ordinance (Title VI, Chapter 1)1
Building permits
Village building department; application by email or fax2
Septic
Cook County Department of Public Health3
Residential districts
R-A1 and R-A, plus business, industrial and office districts4
Height limit
35 feet or 2½ stories in R-A1 and R-A56
Residential building code
2021 International Residential Code, with amendments2

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Bedford Park Building Department

Building permits, plan reviews, inspections and enforcement of building-related ordinances inside Bedford Park

(708) 458-2067

[email protected]

6701 S. Archer Road, Bedford Park, IL 60501

Septic permits

Cook County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health

Review and approval of private sewage disposal systems and well/septic evaluations in Cook County

708-836-8600

7556 Jackson Boulevard, Forest Park, IL 60130

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Bedford Park means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Bedford Park, Illinois have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The Village of Bedford Park adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance, Title VI, Chapter 1, with a village zoning map1. Residential land falls in the R-A1 and R-A districts; the code also sets business, park, school, heavy and light manufacturing, office and mixed-use districts and a Cicero Avenue corridor overlay4. Confirm your parcel's district on the village zoning map before you buy.

Rules differ by district. In R-A1, main buildings need a rear yard of at least 40 feet and side yards of at least 6 feet on one side and 13 feet on the other7. In R-A, the rear yard is also at least 40 feet, with side yards of at least 5 feet and 6 feet, and two dwellings must stand at least 11 feet apart8. Front setbacks come from a separate section of the code that we could not confirm, so ask the building department.

Building coverage is capped at 40 percent of an interior lot in R-A1 and 30 percent in R-A; corner lots may reach 50 percent in both910. Homes may not exceed 35 feet or 2½ stories in either district56.

A detached garage in R-A1 must sit at least 18 inches from the side lot line and 24 inches from the rear lot line, with a hip or gable roof only11. Minimum lot size and minimum home size were not found in the district text we reviewed, so ask the building department.

Do you need a building permit in Bedford Park, and who issues it?

The Bedford Park Building Department issues them. Its page says the department is responsible for permits, plan reviews, inspections and enforcement of applicable building ordinances2. The village tells anyone doing a project inside Bedford Park to complete its building permit application and send it by email or fax2. The same page says the application package for contractors includes a business license, a certificate of insurance and a $10,000 surety bond2.

The village's codes in use include the 2021 International Residential Code, with amendments2. Illinois requires statewide baseline building-code standards effective 2025-01-01, and local codes must regulate residential structural design at least as stringently as the International Residential Code12.

Bedford Park's building code text and its owner-builder rules were not confirmed for this guide, so ask the Building Department before you assume a homeowner can pull their own permit. Cook County's building permit rules cover only unincorporated land13; inside village limits the county's Department of Building and Zoning sends you to the local authority14.

How do septic permits work in Bedford Park?

Septic is not a village decision. Cook County Department of Public Health reviews and approves private sewage disposal systems throughout Cook County, except in Barrington Hills, Inverness, Palos Park and South Barrington, and Bedford Park is not on that list3. Applications require a completed application, seven sets of plans, a soil report and payment by check or money order3.

Whether a given Bedford Park address is on public sewer or would need a septic system is not something we could confirm; the village's sewer-connection rules were not located. Ask the Village Building Department about sewer service, and the Cook County health department's Environmental Health unit at 708-836-8600 about any septic or well plan15.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Bedford Park?

We could not confirm it. The village's R-A1 and R-A permitted-use lists do not mention RVs, but we did not find an explicit RV or tiny-home rule, so the answer is unconfirmed1. Cook County's ban on living in a parked RV applies to unincorporated Cook County, not to land inside Bedford Park16. Call the Bedford Park Building Department at (708) 458-2067 before you buy or park anything with the intention of living in it2.

Building a home in Bedford Park: what are the steps, in order?

  1. Find the parcel's zoning district on the village zoning map, then read the district rules for setbacks, coverage and height4.
  2. Ask the Bedford Park Building Department about sewer service, front setbacks and minimum lot size, which we could not confirm2.
  3. Get Cook County Department of Public Health approval first if the property would use a septic system or well17.
  4. Submit the village's building permit application by email or fax, with the contractor documents the village lists2.
  5. Build to the village's adopted codes, including the 2021 International Residential Code with amendments, and schedule inspections with the department2.

What stays with Cook County, and what to check before you buy in Bedford Park?

Septic and well approvals stay with Cook County Department of Public Health3. Floodplain, drainage and driveway rules inside village limits were not confirmed here; ask the Village Building Department. For land outside village limits, see the Cook County page, where unincorporated rules differ.

Cook County's effective property tax rate is about 2 percent18, with a median annual property tax bill of $6,05319. The typical home value in Cook County is $343,35020. These are county-level figures, not Bedford Park's own.

Watch-outs

  • The village building code and owner-builder rules were not confirmed; ask the Bedford Park Building Department at (708) 458-2067 before you plan work yourself2.
  • Cook County's permit, zoning and RV rules cover unincorporated land only and do not apply inside Bedford Park21.
  • The village's code library notes that newer ordinances may be pending codification, so confirm current rules with the department1.

Sources

  1. Bedford Park, IL Code of Ordinances - American Legal Publishing overview (Village of Bedford Park), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of Bedford Park Building Department (villageofbedfordpark.com)
  3. Septic, quoted and re-checked
  4. Bedford Park, IL Code Title VI Chapter 1 Zoning - 6-1-2 district boundaries, 6-1-3 R-A1 and 6-1-4 R-A district regulations (Village of Bedford Park), quoted and re-checked
  5. Bedford Park, IL Code Title VI Chapter 1 Zoning - 6-1-2 district boundaries, 6-1-3 R-A1 and 6-1-4 R-A district regulations (Village of Bedford Park), quoted and re-checked
  6. Bedford Park, IL Code Title VI Chapter 1 Zoning - 6-1-2 district boundaries, 6-1-3 R-A1 and 6-1-4 R-A district regulations (Village of Bedford Park), quoted and re-checked
  7. Bedford Park, IL Code Title VI Chapter 1 Zoning - 6-1-2 district boundaries, 6-1-3 R-A1 and 6-1-4 R-A district regulations (Village of Bedford Park), quoted and re-checked
  8. Bedford Park, IL Code Title VI Chapter 1 Zoning - 6-1-2 district boundaries, 6-1-3 R-A1 and 6-1-4 R-A district regulations (Village of Bedford Park), quoted and re-checked
  9. Bedford Park, IL Code Title VI Chapter 1 Zoning - 6-1-2 district boundaries, 6-1-3 R-A1 and 6-1-4 R-A district regulations (Village of Bedford Park), quoted and re-checked
  10. Bedford Park, IL Code Title VI Chapter 1 Zoning - 6-1-2 district boundaries, 6-1-3 R-A1 and 6-1-4 R-A district regulations (Village of Bedford Park), quoted and re-checked
  11. Bedford Park, IL Code Title VI Chapter 1 Zoning - 6-1-2 district boundaries, 6-1-3 R-A1 and 6-1-4 R-A district regulations (Village of Bedford Park), quoted and re-checked
  12. Illinois Codes (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Building and Zoning Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
  14. Building and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  15. Cook County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health (cookcountypublichealth.org)
  16. 25-0036 Full Text PDF, quoted and re-checked
  17. Septic, quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  21. Amendment to Cook County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Bedford Park

Village of Bedford Park’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Community residences (licensed group homes) in R-A1 and R-A districts inside Bedford Park village. This does not state a general certificate of occupancy rule for other buildings.

    • Certificate is issued by the building coordinator.
    • Community residence must be at least 600 feet from any existing community residence, lot line to lot line.
    • Operator must be licensed or certified with the state and other regulatory agencies.
    • No more than six individuals may reside in the residence.

    minimum distance from another community residence: >= 600 feet

    “no dwelling unit shall be occupied as a community residence until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the building coordinator.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Bedford Park village limits. The village adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Title VI Zoning, Chapter 1 Zoning, with a village zoning map).

    • Zoning districts are shown on the village zoning map that is part of Chapter 1.
    • Code is current through Ord. 23-1732, passed October 5, 2023, per the American Legal Publishing overview; the overview also says newer ordinances may be pending codification.
    “the village is hereby divided into the following classes of districts. the use, height and area regulations are uniform in each class of district”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Bedford Park village limits. Zoning district classes are set by Chapter 1 Zoning section 6-1-2.

    • Districts named in 6-1-2 include R-A1 residential, R-A residential, B-1 business, P-D park, S-D school, H-1 heavy manufacturing, F motor freight terminal, L-1 light manufacturing, T bulk storage of flammables, O office, M-U mixed-use business, and a Cicero Avenue corridor overlay.
    • Boundaries are shown on the official village zoning map, which is part of the chapter, and were not opened.
    “r-a1 residential district r-a residential district b-1 business district p-d park district s-d school district”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Main buildings in the R-A residential district inside Bedford Park village (rear and side yards only; front setback not read)

    • Side yards: one side yard not less than five feet beginning at the building line to the lot line, and one side yard not less than six feet beginning at the building line to the lot line.
    • Two dwellings must be at least eleven feet apart building line to building line.
    • Front setback is governed by section 6-1-12, which was not read.

    rear yard minimum: >= 40 feet · side yard minimum (one side): >= 5 feet · side yard minimum (other side): >= 6 feet · separation between two dwellings: >= 11 feet

    “there shall be a rear yard having a width of not less than forty feet (40') from rear building line to the rear lot line.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-A1 residential district inside Bedford Park village

    • Limit includes accessory buildings.
    • Accessory buildings or garages may not occupy more than 50 percent of the interior rear yard (section 6-1-3(g)6).

    maximum building coverage, interior lot: <= 40 percent of lot area · maximum building coverage, corner lot: <= 50 percent of lot area

    “no building with its accessory buildings shall occupy in excess of forty percent (40%) of the area of an interior lot, nor in excess of fifty percent (50%) of the area of a corner lot.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-A1 residential district inside Bedford Park village

    • Garages are limited to 14 feet to the roof peak, measured from the finished floor of the garage (section 6-1-3(g)5).

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories

    “no building shall hereafter be erected or altered to exceed thirty five feet (35') in height, or two and one-half (2 1 / 2) stories of fourteen feet (14') per story.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Bedford Park or Cook County directly.

  • Building permit — Construction inside Bedford Park village
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Bedford Park village
  • Building code adopted — Building construction inside Bedford Park village
  • Inspections — Construction inside Bedford Park village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Bedford Park village
18 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Bedford Park publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cook County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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