Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of River Grove, Illinois
Village of River Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois. Village of River Grove adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Village of River Grove’s rules apply, not the county’s. 4 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 22, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Cook County page.
Answers from the rulebook for Village of River Grove
Village of River Grove’s own rules
Building permitRequired
Remodeling and general construction projects inside River Grove village limits (the village Building Department issues the permit).
The stated threshold is remodeling valued over $100; the page lists windows, doors, decks, concrete work and other general construction.
Permit applications are on the village Building Department page; trade permits (electrical, HVAC, plumbing, roofing, sign, fence) are separate applications.
Whether new single-family construction needs a permit was not separately quoted; status conditional because construction proceeds after the permit is issued.
remodeling value threshold: > 100 USD (remodeling plans valued at or below this amount are not listed as requiring a permit on this page)
“all remodeling plans valued at over $100 will require a building permit. this includes projects such as windows, doors, decks, concrete work, or other general construction.”
Local zoningPresent (with conditions)
All land inside River Grove village limits; the village adopts and administers its own zoning title (Title VI, Zoning) by Ord. 2006-37.
Zoning title adopted by Ord. 2006-37 dated 12-21-2006 as shown in the code citation for section 6-5-1.
Section 6-5-1 divides the village into residential (R1 to R4), commercial (C1 to C4), manufacturing (M1, M2) and specific use (OS, G/E) districts; use and bulk rules differ by district.
Section 6-11-1 limits the R1, R2 and R3 districts to one principal building per lot.
“in order to carry out the purpose and intent of this title, the village of river grove is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”
Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)
All land inside River Grove village limits.
Residential districts: R1 single-unit dwelling detached, R2 single-unit dwelling attached, R3 single- and multi-unit dwelling, R4 general residential.
Commercial districts: C1 mixed use storefront, C2 office and commercial, C3 heavy commercial, C4 shopping center commercial.
Manufacturing districts: M1 light manufacturing, M2 medium manufacturing. Specific use districts: OS open space, G/E government and education.
Official zoning map incorporated by section 6-5-2; land not shown on the map is deemed R1.
“any land lying within the village, but not shown on the official zoning map as being included within a district, shall be deemed to be classified as within the r1 single-unit dwelling detached residential district.”
Permit feesPublished (with conditions)
Permit, license and inspection fees charged by the River Grove village Building Department.
Fee schedule is posted as a PDF on the village Building Department page; the PDF itself was not opened, so amounts are not recorded.
Some individual fees appear on the page: dumpster permit fee of $150 for placing a dumpster in a village street or right-of-way; all projects are subject to a permit fee based on the scope of the project.
dumpster permit fee: 150 USD (placing a dumpster in a village street or right-of-way)
“fee schedule (pdf) - list of permit, license, and inspection fees.”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of River Grove or Cook County directly.
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building on their own property in River Grove village.
Building code adopted — Residential and building code adopted by River Grove village (Title VII, Building Regulations).
Inspections — Building inspections for work inside River Grove village limits.
Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new or altered buildings in River Grove village.
Minimum dwelling size — R1 single-unit dwelling detached residential district (main single-family district) inside River Grove village.
21 more unanswered
Minimum lot size
Setbacks
Lot coverage
Building height
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 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 River Grove publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cook County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Village of River Grove means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
