Bolthole Index

Cook County, Illinois

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Glencoe, Illinois

The Village of Glencoe, Illinois, not Cook County, adopts and administers zoning inside village limits1. Glencoe has adopted the 2021 International Building Code and International Residential Code with local amendments2. Building permits run through Village Hall3. Septic permits for any lot with a septic system come from the Cook County Department of Public Health4.

At a glance

Zoning
Village of Glencoe's own zoning code, with residential districts R-A, R-B, R-C and R-D15
Building code
2021 International Building and Residential Codes, with local amendments2
Building permits
Handled by the village; specific requirements not confirmed3
Minimum lot (R-A)
20,000 sq ft for a single-family dwelling6
Septic permits
Cook County Department of Public Health4
RV and tiny-home living
Not confirmed in village zoning; ask Village Hall3

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Glencoe Village Hall (development services, building and zoning permits)

The village's building, zoning and planning functions, plus building and zoning permit applications and inspection scheduling inside Glencoe

(847) 835-4111

[email protected]

675 Village Court Glencoe, IL 60022

Septic permits

Cook County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health

Review and approval of private sewage disposal systems, and well and 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 Glencoe means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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

Yes. The Village of Glencoe adopts and administers its own zoning code for land inside village limits1. The residential districts we could confirm are R-A, R-B, R-C and R-D, the last split into single-family and multiple-family versions5.

Lot size depends on the district. A single-family lot in R-A needs at least 20,000 sq ft6. In R-B the minimum is 13,000 sq ft, rising to 15,000 sq ft in the area bounded by Westley Road, Sunset Lane, Hohlfelder Road and Longmeadow Lane7. In R-C the minimum is 7,000 sq ft8.

Setbacks also vary. Principal buildings in R-A have a front yard of 40 to 50 ft and a 12 ft interior side yard9. In R-B the interior side yard is 10 ft10, and in R-C it is 8 ft11. Single-family homes in R-D have a 25 ft front yard and a 5 ft interior side yard12. A footnote modifies the front-yard figures, so confirm the exact number for a specific lot with Village Hall before drawing plans.

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

Building permits inside Glencoe come from the village, not from Cook County. The village website links directly to building and zoning permits and applications3, and Cook County's Department of Building and Zoning says inquiries about properties in incorporated municipalities belong with the local building and zoning authority13.

Glencoe adopted the 2021 International Building Code, International Existing Building Code and International Residential Code by ordinance, with local amendments2. The state does not issue permits for privately funded construction; any permit requirement is set by the local government14.

We could not confirm the village's permit thresholds, fees or inspection steps. Call Village Hall before starting any work, including a remodel or addition.

How do septic and well permits work in Glencoe?

The Cook County Department of Public Health reviews and approves private sewage disposal systems throughout Cook County, with exceptions only for Barrington Hills, Inverness, Palos Park and South Barrington, so a septic system in Glencoe goes through the county health department4. Illinois requires plan approval before construction of a new private sewage system starts15.

We could not confirm whether Glencoe requires new homes to connect to public sewer or water. Ask Village Hall that question first, because a required sewer connection would make a septic permit moot3.

Water wells in suburban Cook County are also handled through the county health department16. Whether the village restricts private wells inside its limits is unconfirmed.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Glencoe?

We could not confirm what Glencoe's zoning code allows for RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or temporary camping. Ask the village's zoning staff at Village Hall before buying with any of those plans3.

Cook County's rule that a parked RV may not be used for living or sleeping applies to unincorporated Cook County, so it does not by itself answer the question inside Glencoe17.

Building a home in Glencoe: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and its minimum lot size and setbacks with Village Hall1.
  2. Ask Village Hall whether the lot connects to public sewer and water, and which permits the village requires3.
  3. If the lot would use a septic system or well, get Cook County Department of Public Health approval4.
  4. Apply for building and zoning permits through the village, with plans that follow the 2021 International Residential Code and the village's amendments2.
  5. Schedule inspections through the village as construction proceeds3.

What stays with Cook County, and what should you check before you buy in Glencoe?

For land outside village limits, Cook County's rules apply instead; see the Cook County page for unincorporated land. Septic and well oversight stays with the county health department even for addresses inside Glencoe4.

If a lot touches a mapped floodway, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources may require a state permit for construction there18. Property taxes are significant: Cook County's effective property tax rate is 2%19.

Watch-outs

  • Glencoe's building-permit requirements, fees, and inspection rules were not confirmed; call Village Hall before work begins3.
  • Glencoe's district list and bulk table were only partly confirmed, and front-yard setbacks carry a footnote, so check the exact figures for a lot with Village Hall9.
  • Cook County's permit and zoning rules cover only unincorporated land, so a county page will send you to the wrong office for a Glencoe address13.

Sources

  1. Village of Glencoe, IL Code of Ordinances overview (American Legal Publishing) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  2. Section 9-18 Adoption of the International Building Code, 2021 edition (Glencoe Chapter 9 Buildings and Construction) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  3. Village of Glencoe Village Hall (development services, building and zoning permits) (glencoeil.gov)
  4. Septic - Cook County Department of Public Health, quoted and re-checked
  5. Section 3-111 Bulk, space, and yard requirements (Glencoe zoning code) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  6. Section 3-111 Bulk, space, and yard requirements (Glencoe zoning code) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  7. Section 3-111 Bulk, space, and yard requirements (Glencoe zoning code) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  8. Section 3-111 Bulk, space, and yard requirements (Glencoe zoning code) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  9. Section 3-111 Bulk, space, and yard requirements (Glencoe zoning code) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  10. Section 3-111 Bulk, space, and yard requirements (Glencoe zoning code) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  11. Section 3-111 Bulk, space, and yard requirements (Glencoe zoning code) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  12. Section 3-111 Bulk, space, and yard requirements (Glencoe zoning code) (Village of Glencoe), quoted and re-checked
  13. Building and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  14. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.190 Installation Approval (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Wells - Cook County Department of Public Health, quoted and re-checked
  17. 25-0036 Full Text PDF, quoted and re-checked
  18. Permit Program (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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 Glencoe

Village of Glencoe’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Glencoe village limits: the village adopts the 2021 International Building Code, 2021 International Existing Building Code and 2021 International Residential Code by ordinance, with local amendments.

    • Code section 9-18a adopts the National Electrical Code, 2023 edition; section 9-18b adopts the International Mechanical Code, 2021 edition; section 9-18c adopts the Illinois State Plumbing Code (per Chapter 9 table of contents).
    • Village website states the village has adopted codes with local amendments; the website list of editions was not fully read.
    “§ 9-18 adoption of the international building code, 2021 edition, the international existing building code, 2021 edition, and the international residential code, 2021 edition.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Glencoe village limits. The village adopts and administers its own zoning code (residential districts R-A, R-B, R-C, R-D).

    • Zoning code is current through ordinance 2026-14-3656, passed 5-21-2026, per the code overview page.
    • Full zoning chapter (Article 2 districts, Article 3 bulk and use tables) was only partly read; use rules were not confirmed.
    “zoning code: current through ordinance 2026-14-3656, passed 5-21-2026”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Land inside Glencoe village limits: residential zoning districts R-A, R-B, R-C, R-D (single family) and R-D (multiple family) as named in the Section 3-111 bulk table.

    • Section 2-101 (Establishment of Zoning Districts) and the zoning map (2-104) were identified in search results but not opened within the research budget.
    • Only the residential district names are confirmed here; non-residential districts are not covered.
    “r-a r-b r-c r-d (single family) r-d (multiple family)”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwelling lots in the R-A district inside Glencoe village limits

    • Minimum lot area for dwelling is stated in the Section 3-111 table; district rule applies.

    minimum lot area - dwelling: >= 20000 sq ft · average width of lot: 100 ft

    “1. lot area-dwelling (sq. ft.) (18) 20,000 13,000/ 15,000 7,000 n/a n/a”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal buildings on lots in the R-A district inside Glencoe village limits

    • Table footnote (7) applies to front yard; footnote text not read.
    • Corner-lot side yard and total side yard (25% of average lot width) also apply; rear yard row not extracted.

    front yard: 40-50 ft (per table footnote (7)) · interior side yard: 12 ft

    “1. front (feet) (7) 40-50 40-50 30-50 25 25”
    3 more reviewed findings on this topic

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New construction inside Glencoe village limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Glencoe village limits
  • Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Glencoe village limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new or altered buildings inside Glencoe village limits
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Glencoe village limits
19 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • 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 Glencoe publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cook County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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