Bolthole Index

Kane County, Illinois

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of West Dundee, Illinois

The Village of West Dundee, Illinois (Kane County) runs its own zoning under Title 10 of the village code1 and requires building permits for construction inside village limits2. Septic permits are signed by the village director, and a private system is allowed only where no public sewer is available3. Land outside village limits follows Kane County's rules instead4.

At a glance

Zoning
Village of West Dundee zoning (Title 10 of the village code) applies inside village limits1
Building permit
Required for construction the village permit process covers; apply through the village2
Septic
Permit signed by the village director; allowed only where no public sewer is available35
Public sewer hookup
Mandatory when a village sewer is within 300 feet of the property line6
Subdivision
Regulated by Title 11 of the village code7

Who to call

Building permits

Village of West Dundee, Community & Economic Development (Building Codes)

Building permits, inspection scheduling and adopted building codes inside West Dundee village limits

(847) 551 - 3800

102 S. Second Street West Dundee, IL 60118

Septic permits

Kane County Health Department, Environmental Health (Private Sewage Program)

Kane County's private sewage (septic) program, including soil evaluations; confirm with the village whether the village director or the county issues the permit for a given lot

630-444-3040

1240 N. Highland Ave., Aurora, IL 60506

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

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Does West Dundee, Illinois have zoning?

Yes. The Village of West Dundee adopts its own zoning regulations as Title 10 of the village code, and they apply to land inside village limits1. Use and dimensional standards are set district by district, so a lot's rules depend on which district it sits in1.

We could not confirm what the village zoning code says about living in an RV, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size or setbacks. Ask the village's planning and zoning staff at the Village Hall for the lot's district and its standards before you buy.

Dividing or developing land is a separate layer: Title 11 of the village code governs subdivision and development inside village limits7.

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

Construction inside West Dundee village limits that the village building permit process covers needs a building permit from the village2. The village's Building Codes page lists a building permit among the permits it issues, with inspections scheduled through the village8. Which projects fall inside that process, and the permit fees, are not published in the pages we could read, so ask the Village Hall.

We also could not confirm which building codes the village has adopted or whether owner-builders get any exemption. The Building Codes page lists an adopted-building-codes category8.

How do septic permits work inside West Dundee?

Inside West Dundee, privies, septic tanks and cesspools are unlawful except where the village code allows them, which is only where no public sewer is available5. A new system with subsurface absorption needs a written permit signed by the village director before construction starts3. The permit is not issued for subsurface soil absorption on a lot under 30,000 square feet3.

The system's type, capacity, location and layout must follow the state private sewage disposal licensing act and code and Illinois EPA recommendations9. The final inspection is requested before any underground work is covered10.

If a village sanitary sewer lies within 300 feet of the property line, connection is mandatory, with a village permit and connection fee6. Once public sewer becomes available, an existing septic tank must be abandoned and filled5.

Kane County runs a private sewage program too, and requires a soil evaluation with every application for a new system11. Call both the village and the Kane County Health Department to confirm who issues the permit for your lot.

Building a home in West Dundee: the steps, in order

  1. Ask Village of West Dundee planning and zoning staff which zoning district the lot is in and what Title 10 allows there1.
  2. Check whether a village sanitary sewer is within 300 feet of the lot; if so, plan to connect to it6.
  3. If no public sewer is available, confirm the lot is at least 30,000 square feet before planning a septic system3, and book the soil evaluation with the Kane County Health Department11.
  4. Apply for the village building permit2.
  5. Schedule inspections through the village, including the septic final inspection before underground work is covered810.

What stays with Kane County (and what to check before you buy)?

The county's rules cover unincorporated land, not village lots. Outside West Dundee village limits, Kane County requires building permits for new construction, remodels, repairs and demolition in unincorporated areas4. See the Kane County page for the county's answers.

Property taxes are set at county scale: Kane County's effective property tax rate is 2.4%12 and its median property tax bill is $7230 a year13. Floodplain development is a separate check: Illinois requires a state permit for construction in regulated floodways14. Ask the village whether the lot lies in a mapped floodplain; we could not confirm this.

Watch-outs

  • The village's Title 10 district tables were not available to us, so RV, tiny home, lot size and setback rules are unconfirmed; ask the Village Hall before relying on any assumption1.
  • A septic permit is not issued for subsurface absorption on a lot under 30,000 square feet3.
  • Mandatory sewer connection applies when public sewer is within 300 feet of the property line6.

Sources

  1. West Dundee, Illinois Code of Ordinances - overview (American Legal Publishing) (Village of West Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of West Dundee - Building Codes (Village of West Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  3. West Dundee Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6 Water and Wastewater (sections 8-6-7-1 to 8-6-7-5) (Village of West Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  4. Building & Zoning Division, quoted and re-checked
  5. West Dundee Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6 Water and Wastewater (sections 8-6-7-1 to 8-6-7-5) (Village of West Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  6. West Dundee Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6 Water and Wastewater (sections 8-6-7-1 to 8-6-7-5) (Village of West Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  7. West Dundee, Illinois Code of Ordinances - overview (American Legal Publishing) (Village of West Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  8. Village of West Dundee, Community & Economic Development (Building Codes) (wdundee.org)
  9. West Dundee Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6 Water and Wastewater (sections 8-6-7-1 to 8-6-7-5) (Village of West Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  10. West Dundee Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6 Water and Wastewater (sections 8-6-7-1 to 8-6-7-5) (Village of West Dundee), quoted and re-checked
  11. Kane County Health Department, Environmental Health (Private Sewage Program) (kanehealth.com)
  12. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  13. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  14. Permit Program (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 Village of West Dundee

Village of West Dundee’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction inside West Dundee village limits that the village building permit process covers

    • Scope of the building-permit requirement by project type was not read in the code; the village lists a building permit as a permit type on its Building Codes page.
    “get a permit for... building permit business registration residential dumpsters schedule an inspection”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside West Dundee village limits; the village's own Title 10 Zoning Regulations apply there.

    • Use and dimensional standards are set district by district in Title 10; district tables were not opened in this research pass.
    “title 9 building regulations title 10 zoning regulations title 11 subdivision and development regulations”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    Private sewage disposal systems on land inside West Dundee village limits where no public sewer is available

    • The village director signs the private sewage disposal permit.
    • Type, capacity, location and layout must follow the Illinois state private sewage disposal licensing act and code and the Illinois EPA recommendations, per the village code.
    “the type, capacities, location and layout of a private sewage disposal system shall comply with all recommendations of the state of illinois private sewage disposal licensing act and code and the state of illinois environmental protection agency.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New private sewage disposal systems with subsurface absorption inside West Dundee village limits where no public sewer is available

    • Permit must be signed by the village director before construction starts.
    • No permit for subsurface soil absorption where the lot is under 30,000 square feet.
    • A permit and inspection fee is paid at filing.
    • When a public sewer becomes available, a direct connection must be made and septic tanks abandoned, per § 8-6-7-1.

    minimum lot area for subsurface soil absorption permit: >= 30000 square feet (permit is not issued below this lot area)

    “before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system with subsurface absorption of the effluent, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the director.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Private sewage disposal systems inside West Dundee village limits

    • Applicant notifies the director or building commissioner when work is ready for final inspection and before any underground infrastructure is covered.
    • A permit does not take effect until installation is complete to the director's or building commissioner's satisfaction.
    “the applicant for the permit shall notify the director or building commissioner when the work is ready for final inspection, and before any underground infrastructure is covered.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Sewage disposal on land inside West Dundee village limits

    • Privies, septic tanks and cesspools are unlawful except as the code allows (private system permitted only where no public sewer is available, under § 8-6-7-2).
    • Once public sewer is available, septic tanks and similar facilities must be abandoned and filled.
    “except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Houses and buildings used for human occupancy inside West Dundee village limits that abut a street, alley or right of way with a village sanitary sewer

    • Mandatory connection applies where the public sewer is within 300 feet of the property line, or within 90 days after official notice.
    • Connection to the public sewer requires a village permit and payment of the connection fee.

    distance from property line to public sewer triggering mandatory connection: <= 300 feet (or within 90 days after date of official notice)

    “provided that said public sewer is within three hundred feet (300') of the property line or within ninety (90) days after date of official notice to do so.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Land divisions and development inside West Dundee village limits

    • Governed by Title 11, Subdivision and Development Regulations; the chapter was not opened.
    “title 9 building regulations title 10 zoning regulations title 11 subdivision and development regulations”
  • Permit processPartial

    Connecting a new wastewater source to the village sewer system

    • Application goes to the village clerk; a written permit is approved by the director; the permit issues only after fees are paid, a street opening permit is secured, and liability insurance certificates are filed.
    • Building permit process not documented in the passage read.
    “no person shall construct a new wastewater source and connect same to the wastewater facilities of the village without first making application to the village clerk for the privilege of making said connection and to have a written permit approved by the director and to pay all fees.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside West Dundee village limits
  • Building code adopted — Buildings inside West Dundee village limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for buildings inside West Dundee village limits
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside West Dundee village limits
  • Minimum dwelling size — Main single-family residential district inside West Dundee village limits (district not yet identified)
15 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 West Dundee publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Kane County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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