Bolthole Index

Cook County, Illinois

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hickory Hills, Illinois

Hickory Hills, Illinois requires a city building permit for all new construction, remodeling and additions1. The city adopts its own zoning ordinance with residential, commercial, industrial and floodplain districts2. City code prohibits private sewage disposal systems3, and living in a motor home or van camper is prohibited4. Land outside city limits falls under Cook County instead.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for all new construction, remodeling and additions, issued by the city1
Zoning
Yes, the city's own ordinance with R-1 to R-5 residential districts25
Septic
Private sewage disposal systems are prohibited in city code3
RV living
Prohibited4
Driveway permit
Required; the city fee is $606
Building permit fee
$20 per $1,000 of construction cost, minimum $2507
Owner-builder
No city provision located; only a plumbing exemption exists statewide8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Hickory Hills Building Department

Building permits, electrical permits and plan review inside Hickory Hills city limits

708/237-4140

8652 West 95th Street

Septic permits

Cook County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health

Septic and well approvals and evaluations in Cook County; the first call if you hold a property with an existing well or septic system

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 Hickory Hills means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Hickory Hills, Illinois?

Yes. Hickory Hills requires building permits for all new construction, remodeling, new additions and other repair work, and issues them after reviewing blueprints and a site plan1. Electrical service upgrades need their own electrical permits9. A building or structure cannot be used or occupied until the city issues a certificate of occupancy10.

The city's code adopts the 2009 International Building Code, with local changes11. The text we reviewed dates from a 2013 supplement, so ask the Building Department which edition is in force today.

The residential building permit fee is $20 per $1,000 of construction cost with a minimum of $2507. Inspection, plan examination, engineering, occupancy and water/sewer connection fees are charged on top7. A new driveway or driveway extension carries a separate $60 permit fee6. Fees may have changed since the text we reviewed, so confirm before budgeting.

Who issues building permits in Hickory Hills, and how do you reach them?

The City of Hickory Hills Building Department issues building permits inside city limits. Reach it at 708/237-41409, at City Hall, 8652 West 95th Street. Permit forms are on the city's Forms & Permits page12.

The city has not published a step-by-step process, timelines or an inspection sequence in the pages we reviewed12. Ask the department what inspections apply to your project.

Cook County's Department of Building and Zoning handles permits only for unincorporated Cook County, not for a municipality. Its own page says inquiries for properties in incorporated municipalities should go to the local building and zoning authority13. For land outside city limits, see the Cook County page.

Does Hickory Hills have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. Hickory Hills administers its own zoning ordinance inside city limits2. The districts are R-1 to R-5 residential, C-1 to C-3 commercial, I-1 industrial, FP-1 floodplain and FP-2 channel5. The city lists no agricultural or rural-residential district, so this is not a place for farm-style land use14.

In the R-1 single-family district, the minimum lot area appears to be 20,000 square feet, with a minimum width of 75 feet and depth of 125 feet14. That table was garbled in our copy, so verify the numbers with the city. We could not confirm yard setbacks, lot coverage or building height for R-1; ask the Building Department9.

Living in a mobile home, motor home, mini motor home, van camper or other temporary structure is prohibited4. We could not confirm whether that ban reaches a permanent tiny house, so ask the Building Department before planning one4.

How do septic permits work inside Hickory Hills?

Hickory Hills city code changes the building code to read that private sewage disposal systems are prohibited3. A new home inside city limits is therefore expected to connect to public sewer, not a septic field15. The city's code also ties new taps to city water lines15, and we found no private-well rule for city lots.

The source is a 2013 supplement, so confirm with the Building Department that the ban still stands. For an existing well or septic system on a property you are buying, Cook County Department of Public Health reviews private sewage disposal systems across Cook County16. Call 708-836-860016. Soils matter less here: Cook County rates only about 0.9% of its soils as not limited for a conventional drain field17, another reason the city steers lots to sewer.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Hickory Hills?

No for an RV. Hickory Hills city code states that no person shall live in any mobile home, motor home, mini motor home, van camper or other temporary structure4. That also covers living in one while you build18. The city text does not separately address a parked RV that nobody lives in.

Tiny homes are unresolved. We found no tiny-home provision, and we could not tell whether the mobile-home ban reaches a permanent tiny house. A tiny house on a foundation would also need the same building permit as any new construction1. Call the Building Department at 708/237-4140 before buying9.

How do you build a home in Hickory Hills? The steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and minimum lot size with the city5.
  2. Prepare blueprints and a site plan, then apply for a building permit at the Building Department1.
  3. Add an electrical permit if the work upgrades electrical service9.
  4. Apply for a driveway permit if you add or extend a driveway6.
  5. Plan for sewer and city water connections rather than septic3.
  6. Build within permitted hours and before occupying, obtain the certificate of occupancy10.

The city's page says construction hours run Monday through Saturday, with no work on Sundays or holidays9.

What stays with Cook County, and what should you check before buying in Hickory Hills?

City limits decide who permits your project. Inside Hickory Hills, the city sets zoning and issues building permits2. Cook County's Building and Zoning department covers unincorporated land only13. Cook County Department of Public Health keeps the septic and well approval role countywide, apart from four named municipalities19.

Before you buy, check whether the lot touches the FP-1 floodplain or FP-2 channel districts5. We could not confirm the city's floodplain development rules, so ask the Building Department. Cook County's effective property tax rate is 2%, with a median bill of $6,053 a year2021. The typical home value is $343,35022.

Watch-outs

  • The city code text we reviewed dates from a 2013 supplement, so the adopted building code edition, fees and the septic ban should be confirmed with the Hickory Hills Building Department11.
  • Cook County's rules, including its RV and zoning ordinances, apply only to unincorporated land and not inside Hickory Hills13.
  • We could not confirm R-1 setbacks, lot coverage, height, subdivision rules, short-term rental rules or owner-builder allowances inside the city; ask the Building Department9.
  • Illinois does not issue building permits for private construction; local government decides23.

Sources

  1. City of Hickory Hills - Building Department (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Hickory Hills Zoning Ordinance - Article VI, Establishment of Districts and Schedules (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Hickory Hills Municipal Code Chapter 24 Building Code (January 2013 supplement) (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  4. City of Hickory Hills Municipal Code Chapter 24 Building Code (January 2013 supplement) (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Hickory Hills Zoning Ordinance - Article VI, Establishment of Districts and Schedules (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Hickory Hills Municipal Code Chapter 24 Building Code (January 2013 supplement) (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Hickory Hills Municipal Code Chapter 24 Building Code (January 2013 supplement) (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  8. HB5913 Enrolled — Illinois Plumbing License Law amendment (2026 county census)
  9. City of Hickory Hills Building Department (hickoryhillsil.org)
  10. City of Hickory Hills Municipal Code Chapter 24 Building Code (January 2013 supplement) (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Hickory Hills Municipal Code Chapter 24 Building Code (January 2013 supplement) (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Hickory Hills - Building Department (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  13. Building and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  14. City of Hickory Hills Zoning Ordinance - Article VI, Establishment of Districts and Schedules (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  15. City of Hickory Hills Municipal Code Chapter 24 Building Code (January 2013 supplement) (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  16. Cook County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health (cookcountypublichealth.org)
  17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  18. City of Hickory Hills Municipal Code Chapter 24 Building Code (January 2013 supplement) (Hickory Hills), quoted and re-checked
  19. Septic, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  23. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), 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 Hickory Hills

Hickory Hills’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    All new construction, remodeling, additions and repair work inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • Permits are issued after review of blueprints and a site plan, so construction proceeds only after the permit issues.
    • Electrical service upgrades also require electrical permits, per the same city page.
    “building permits for all new construction, remodeling or new additions, and other repair work are issued after the review of blueprints and site plan.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    New construction and alterations inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • Source is the city's Chapter 24 text in the January 2013 supplement; the current Amlegal Chapter 24 edition was not opened, so the adopted edition may have changed.
    • Section 24.01(b) also adopts the 2009 International Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings, with local changes.

    adopted building code edition: 2009 International Building Code (Local changes listed in Section 24.01(a))

    “"the 2009 international building code" as published by the international code council, inc. is hereby adopted as the building code of the city”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Construction permitted under the city building code inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • The building commissioner may require a sworn contractor's statement before a certificate of occupancy or occupancy permit issues.
    • Occupancy permit fee is charged separately from the building permit fee (Section 24.02(a)(3)).
    “no building or structure shall be used or occupied in whole or in part until a certificate of occupancy (also known as a certificate of use and occupancy under boca) has been issued by the city.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Hickory Hills city limits, administered by the city under its own zoning ordinance (Article VI, zoning districts and schedules)

    • Use and dimensional limits differ by district; see the district-specific claims.
    • Source is the city's own zoning article page; the city's Amlegal Chapter 22 text was not opened in full.
    “in order to carry out the purposes and provisions of this ordinance, the city of hickory hills is divided into the following zoning districts”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • Districts: R-1 to R-5 residential, C-1 to C-3 commercial, I-1 industrial, FP-1 floodplain and FP-2 channel.
    • Zoning maps are incorporated by reference (Section 6.02); the map images were not opened.
    “in order to carry out the purposes and provisions of this ordinance, the city of hickory hills is divided into the following zoning districts”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Main single-family residential district R-1 inside Hickory Hills city limits (district named in applies_to; R-2 and R-3 carry separate minimums in the same table; no agricultural or rural-residential district is listed in Section 6.01)

    • Column alignment inferred from the garbled 6.042 table; verify against official table.

    minimum lot area, R-1: >= 20000 sq ft · minimum lot width, R-1: >= 75 ft · minimum lot depth, R-1: >= 125 ft

    “20,000 20,000 75 125 15,000 15,000 75 125”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Living in a motor home or van camper on any lot inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • Applies to the use of the vehicle as a dwelling; the city text does not separately address parked-but-unoccupied RVs.
    “no person shall live in any mobile home, motor home, mini motor home, van camper or other temporary structure.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Living in temporary structures or vehicles inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • Covers living in a temporary structure; tent camping is not separately addressed in the text reviewed.
    “no person shall live in any mobile home, motor home, mini motor home, van camper or other temporary structure.”
  • Who permits septicLocal

    Private sewage disposal (septic) systems inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • The city building code bars private sewage disposal systems, so the city code controls the question locally.
    • Source is the 2013 Chapter 24 text; confirm in current code.
    “section 101.4.4, change the last sentence to read “private sewage disposal systems are prohibited”.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Off-grid or private sewage disposal inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • Based on the city building code text in the 2013 supplement.
    “section 101.4.4, change the last sentence to read “private sewage disposal systems are prohibited”.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    New or extended driveways inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • Driveway permit fee is $60 under Section 24.02(e) of the 2013 supplement.
    • Driveway design and access standards were not located.

    driveway permit fee: 60 USD

    “the permit fee for a new driveway or extension of existing driveway shall be $60.”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Building permits for single-family and multi-family residential structures inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • The building permit fee excludes inspection fees, plan examination fee, engineering fee, occupancy permit fee and water/sewer connection fees.
    • Plan examination fees: $250 for new single-family residential structures; $150 for remodeling of existing single-family.
    • Source is the January 2013 supplement; fees may have been amended since.

    building permit fee, residential: per 20 USD per $1,000 construction cost (minimum $250; excludes inspection, plan examination, engineering, occupancy permit and water/sewer connection fees)

    “for single-family and multi-family residential structures the fee shall be $20 per $1,000 of “construction cost” with a minimum of $250;”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit intake and review inside Hickory Hills city limits

    • Permits are issued after review of blueprints and a site plan; forms are on the city's forms and permits page.
    • Step-by-step process, timelines and inspection sequence were not published in the text reviewed.
    “building permits for all new construction, remodeling or new additions, and other repair work are issued after the review of blueprints and site plan.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Hickory Hills city limits
  • Inspections — Inspections for construction inside Hickory Hills city limits
  • Setbacks — Yard setbacks for R-1 single-family residential district inside Hickory Hills city limits
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage for R-1 single-family residential district inside Hickory Hills city limits
  • Building height — Building height for R-1 single-family residential district inside Hickory Hills city limits
6 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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 Hickory Hills publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cook County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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