Bolthole Index

Cook County, Illinois

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in River Forest, Illinois

Building permits and zoning in River Forest, Cook County, Illinois come from the Village of River Forest, not from Cook County's unincorporated-area offices12. Single-family construction pays $20 per $1,000 of estimated cost, with a $100 minimum3. Septic permits for Cook County, with four named exceptions, are reviewed by the Cook County Department of Public Health4.

At a glance

Zoning
Adopted by the Village of River Forest in Title 10 of the Village Code1
Building permit
Village building department; single-family fee $20 per $1,000 of estimated cost, $100 minimum32
Building code
2018 International Residential Code adopted for one- and two-family dwellings5
Inspections
Final inspections required; $75 for each reinspection6
R1 minimum lot
15,500 square feet and 85 feet wide, with an older-plat exception7
R1 height
35 feet and 2½ stories on lots under 100 feet wide8
Septic
Cook County Department of Public Health reviews private sewage systems countywide, except four named municipalities4
RV or tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the Village building department2

Who to call

Building permits

Village of River Forest Building & Zoning

Building plan review, inspections, zoning questions, variations, special uses and contractor licensing inside the Village of River Forest

(708) 714-3552

[email protected]

400 Park Avenue, River Forest, IL 60305

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 River Forest Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

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

Yes. The Village of River Forest adopts its own zoning in Title 10 of the Village Code, and the rules apply to land inside the Village's zoning jurisdiction1. Cook County's zoning ordinance covers only unincorporated land and excludes municipalities that have their own zoning, so the county's district rules are not the ones that apply here9. The Village code lists R1 wide lot, R2 single-family detached, R3 single-family attached, R4 multi-family, three commercial districts, ORIC and PRI districts10.

The wide-lot single-family district is the one we reviewed in detail10. Lots need at least 15,500 square feet and 85 feet of width, except lots recorded on the November 26, 1967 plat with at least 8,712 square feet and 50 feet of width7. Rear yards must be at least 15 percent of lot depth or 26 feet 2 inches, whichever is greater11. Buildings and accessory buildings together may cover no more than 30 percent of a lot12. A building on a lot under 100 feet wide may not exceed 35 feet or two and one-half stories, and an accessory building is capped at 18 feet8. We have not confirmed the rules for the other districts or whether RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings are allowed; call the Village building office before you plan around them2.

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

The Village of River Forest's own building department handles building permits and plan review inside the Village, not Cook County2. Cook County's Department of Building and Zoning says inquiries about permits and zoning certificates for properties in incorporated municipalities go to the local building and zoning authority13.

For a permit to build or alter a structure, River Forest charges $20 per $1,000 of estimated cost for single-family residential construction and $23.50 per $1,000 for other construction, with a $100 minimum3. Village code adopts the 2018 International Residential Code as the one- and two-family dwelling code5. A certificate of occupancy costs $5014. Illinois requires statewide baseline building-code standards from January 1, 2025, and local codes must be at least as stringent as the state's structural minimums15. Whether an owner-builder exemption exists in the Village code is unconfirmed; ask the building office2.

How do inspections and the certificate of occupancy work in River Forest?

A River Forest project counts as complete only after all required final inspections are approved, and the Village charges $75 for each additional inspection caused by unfinished work or a failed inspection6. The list of required inspection stages was not published in the sections we reviewed, so ask the building office for the stages that apply to your project2. For permitted construction, the Village code lists a $50 certificate of occupancy fee and a $50 temporary certificate of occupancy fee14.

How do septic permits work in River Forest?

Septic permits are not a Village function in the material we reviewed. The Cook County Department of Public Health reviews and approves private sewage disposal systems throughout Cook County, except in incorporated Barrington Hills, Inverness, Palos Park and South Barrington, which have their own septic ordinances4. River Forest is not on that exception list, so a septic question here goes to the county health department at 708-836-860016. We could not confirm whether any River Forest property relies on septic rather than sewer, since the Village appears to be sewered; ask the Village building office which service your address has2.

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

Cook County's unincorporated-area rules do not apply inside River Forest, including its ban on living in a parked RV, which covers unincorporated Cook County only17. For RV, tiny-home and accessory-dwelling questions inside the Village, the Village code controls and we could not confirm the answer, so ask the building office2. Land outside the Village follows Cook County's page.

Before you buy, ask the Village building office for the zoning district of the parcel and whether a variation, special use or planned development is needed, since an ordinary variation requires a hearing before the zoning board of appeals2. Cook County's effective property tax rate is about 2 percent18.

Watch-outs

  • The Village code's operative text adopting the 2018 International Residential Code was not fully confirmed, so ask the building office which code edition applies to your project52.
  • The R1 figures above are for the R1 wide-lot district only; the R2 and other districts have different rules we have not confirmed10.
  • The fee schedule we reviewed was last amended in 2022, so confirm current fees with the Village building office before budgeting32.

Sources

  1. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 10 Zoning, Chapter 8 R1 Wide Lot Single-Family Residential District (10-8-1 to 10-8-7) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of River Forest Building & Zoning (vrf.us)
  3. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 4 Chapter 2 Building Permits (4-2-1 fees) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Septic - Cook County Department of Public Health, quoted and re-checked
  5. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 4 Building Regulations, Chapter 1 Building Codes (4-1-7 plumbing, 4-1-9 IRC 2018) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 4 Chapter 2 Building Permits (4-2-1 fees) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 10 Zoning, Chapter 8 R1 Wide Lot Single-Family Residential District (10-8-1 to 10-8-7) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 10 Zoning, Chapter 8 R1 Wide Lot Single-Family Residential District (10-8-1 to 10-8-7) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Amendment to Cook County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  10. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 10 Zoning, Chapter 8 R1 Wide Lot Single-Family Residential District (10-8-1 to 10-8-7) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 10 Zoning, Chapter 8 R1 Wide Lot Single-Family Residential District (10-8-1 to 10-8-7) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 10 Zoning, Chapter 8 R1 Wide Lot Single-Family Residential District (10-8-1 to 10-8-7) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Building and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  14. Village Code of River Forest, IL, Title 4 Chapter 2 Building Permits (4-2-1 fees) (River Forest Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Illinois Codes (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Cook County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health (cookcountypublichealth.org)
  17. 25-0036 Full Text PDF, quoted and re-checked
  18. 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 River Forest Township

River Forest Township’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    New residential and other construction inside the Village of River Forest code area (River Forest township per the job, not verified as coterminous)

    • Section 4-1-9 is titled as the 2018 International Residential Code edition; its operative adoption sentence was not in the captured text window.
    • Section 4-1-7 adopts the Illinois Plumbing Code by reference, with Village amendments (public water or sewer is deemed available within 200 feet; PVC cellular core pipe not permitted; sewer depth minimum 3 feet 6 inches).
    • Section 4-1-14 adopts the 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with amendments.
    “the 2018 edition of the international residential code is hereby adopted by reference as the one- and two-family dwelling code of the village”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside the Village of River Forest code area

    • Final inspections are required before a project is complete; a reinspection fee applies after a failed or late inspection.
    • Inspection scheduling and the list of required inspection stages were not opened.

    reinspection fee: 75 USD (for each additional inspection due to failure to complete the work or a failed inspection)

    “the project shall be considered completed upon approval of all required final inspections and restoration, if required, of any public right of way”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Inside the Village of River Forest code area, for permitted construction and temporary occupancy

    • Temporary certificate of occupancy is also listed at $50.
    • Section 10-23-1 of the zoning code is cross-referenced as the zoning certificate of occupancy authority in search snippets; that page was not opened, so its issuance conditions are unverified.
    • Special service area number one requires a zoning inspection and zoning certificate of occupancy not more than sixty days before a sale closing; this is a search-snippet lead only and not cited.

    certificate of occupancy fee: 50 USD (temporary certificate of occupancy also $50)

    “in addition to other permit requirements of this code, permits and fees shall be required for: permit/certificate fee permit/certificate fee certificate of occupancy $ 50.00”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside River Forest township limits as the Village of River Forest code administers it. The adopted code is the Village of River Forest's, not a township ordinance. Coterminity of township and village was not confirmed on an official page.

    • Zoning is adopted by the Village of River Forest in Title 10 (Zoning), Chapter 1 Zoning Ordinance.
    • Use and dimensional rules in Title 10 apply only to land inside the Village's zoning jurisdiction.
    “title 10 zoning chapter 1 zoning ordinance chapter 2 purpose chapter 3 definitions”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts of the Village of River Forest code area (Title 10)

    • Chapters list R1 wide lot, R2 single-family detached, R3 single-family attached, R4 multi-family, C1, C2, C3, ORIC, and PRI districts, plus site plan, special use, planned development and land use chart chapters.
    • Only the R1 chapter text was read; other district chapters are not verified.
    “chapter 9 r2 single-family (detached) residential district chapter 10 r3 single-family (attached) residential district chapter 11 r4 multi-family residential district”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R1 wide lot single-family residential district (Title 10, Chapter 8) inside the Village of River Forest code area. Main single-family residential district other than R1 (R2) not yet confirmed.

    • Lots recorded on the Cook County plat of November 26, 1967 with at least 8,712 square feet and at least 50 feet width may still be built on, if setbacks are met.
    • Setback regulations in 10-8-7 must still be complied with.

    minimum lot area: >= 15500 square feet (lots recorded on the Nov. 26, 1967 plat: 8,712 sq ft and 50 ft width) · minimum lot width: >= 85 feet (throughout its depth; same 1967 plat exception)

    “the limitation as to lot area and lot width imposed by this section shall not prohibit the erection of a single-family detached dwelling on a lot shown as such on a recorded plat in the recorder's office of cook county, illinois, on november 26, 1967, and containing an area of not less than eight thousand seven hundred twelve square feet, and having a width of not less than fifty feet”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R1 wide lot single-family residential district (Title 10, Chapter 8, section 10-8-7) inside the Village of River Forest code area

    • Front yard is the average of existing front setbacks on the same block side, with extremes removed; corner lots have a secondary front yard of at least 13 feet for a 50-foot lot, increased by 2 feet per 5 feet of width to a maximum of 25 feet.
    • Front porches may encroach up to 11 feet where the front yard is deeper than 50 feet, and porches are excluded from the average-setback calculation (10-8-7 a.3).
    • Side yard: eaves must keep a minimum 3-foot side yard; accessory structures may have a 3-foot side yard if entirely within the rear 30 percent of the lot; accessory buildings may be built in the rear yard no closer than 3 feet from any lot line.
    • Attached front garages may project up to 12 feet in front of the primary front plane on lots 60 feet wide or less.
    • Yards must be unobstructed except as allowed in subsection 10-20-2 a of the zoning code (not opened).

    rear yard minimum: >= 15 percent of lot depth (or 26 feet 2 inches, whichever is greater) · side yard minimum: >= 10 percent of lot width (or 5 feet, whichever is greater; combined side yards 25 percent of lot width or 10 feet, whichever is greater)

    “a rear yard shall have a depth of not less than fifteen percent of the depth of the lot or twenty six feet two inches, whichever is greater”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R1 wide lot single-family residential district (10-8-5) inside the Village of River Forest code area

    • Floor area ratio is 0.4 for lots under 20,000 sq ft and 0.35 for lots of 20,000 sq ft or more; the resulting maximum gross floor area on lots of 20,000 sq ft or more is not less than 8,000 sq ft.
    • An accessory building may occupy not more than thirty percent of a rear yard.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent of lot (building plus accessory buildings or structures) · maximum floor area ratio: <= 0.4 ratio (lots under 20,000 sq ft; 0.35 for lots of 20,000 sq ft or more)

    “in the r1 district, no building with its accessory buildings or structures shall occupy (cover) more than thirty percent of a lot and the maximum floor area ratio shall not exceed 0.4 for lots less than twenty thousand square feet in area and 0.35 for lots twenty thousand square feet or greater”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R1 wide lot single-family residential district (10-8-6) inside the Village of River Forest code area; accessory buildings have a separate limit

    • Buildings on lots 100 feet wide or more may be 40 feet high, still limited to two and one-half stories.
    • Accessory buildings may not exceed 18 feet or one and one-half stories (whichever is less) and may not include an inhabitable second floor.
    • Buildings damaged by fire, explosion or act of God before the effective date may be restored to prior height.

    maximum building height, lot width under 100 ft: <= 35 feet (and not more than two and one-half stories) · maximum accessory building height: <= 18 feet (or one and one-half stories, whichever is less)

    “in the r1 district, a building erected or structurally altered after the effective date hereof shall not exceed thirty five feet in height and shall not exceed two and one-half stories for a lot with a width less than one hundred feet”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit fees inside the Village of River Forest code area

    • Fee is $20 per $1,000 estimated cost for single-family residential construction and $23.50 per $1,000 for other construction, minimum $100.
    • Certificate of occupancy $50; temporary certificate of occupancy $50; reinspection $75; roofing, siding, gutter and paving $100 each; demolition minimum $200 for accessory and $1,500 for primary structures.
    • Plan review fee may be imposed in addition to the building permit fee.
    • Fee schedule last amended by ord. 3872 (9-12-2022) per the section history; later amendments not checked.

    single-family construction permit fee rate: 20 USD per 1,000 estimated cost (other construction $23.50 per $1,000; minimum fee $100)

    “for a permit for the construction or alteration of a building or structure, the fee shall be at the rate of twenty dollars per one thousand dollars of the estimated cost for single-family residential construction and twenty three dollars fifty cents per one thousand dollars of the estimated cost for all other types of construction. the minimum fee shall be one hundred dollars.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit rules for River Forest township land
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in R1 district inside the Village of River Forest code area
  • Living in an RV — Recreational vehicle occupancy on private land inside the Village of River Forest code area
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside the Village of River Forest code area
  • Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside the Village of River Forest code area
12 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • 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 River Forest Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cook County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Cook County: county rules, score and offices