Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Kankakee County, Illinois

Unincorporated Kankakee County, Illinois requires building permits for new and temporary buildings, additions, demolitions, renovations, prefabricated structures, electrical and plumbing systems, HVAC, water and sewer hookups, and other listed projects¹. Kankakee County has adopted building regulations for the unincorporated area, and the Building Division enforces them^2,9. Permitted construction is inspected at appropriate stages for compliance with the code, permit and approved plans; the owner must request the inspections, generally at least 24 hours ahead, and a building permit is valid for 12 months with construction required to start within 6 months¹. Permit fees vary with the estimated value of materials and labor; contact a county code official for an estimate⁷. A homeowner may perform all work on the homeowner's own project without county contractor registration, but the permit, plans, code requirements and inspections still apply; owner-performed plumbing also requires a plumbing affidavit⁵.

The Kankakee County Building Division, within the Planning Department, handles permits and adopted building regulations for unincorporated Kankakee County^1,2. Reach the division at 189 E. Court Street in Kankakee or by phone at 815-936-5500⁹. Its online portal accepts permit applications and supporting documents and lets applicants check status⁹. The county's published process calls for parcel and owner information, a project description, plot plan, cost estimate or signed contract, and a contractor list; some projects also need a floodplain survey, recorded deed or construction plans⁹. The review target is 10 working days, but scope and application volume can change the timing⁹.

Kankakee County administers zoning in unincorporated areas, while many incorporated municipalities administer their own zoning; Cabery, Irwin, Reddick and Union Hill are identified as exceptions governed by the county code². Each county district has its own allowed and special uses and bulk requirements¹⁰. For lots created through subdivision, minimum depth, width and area depend on the applicable zoning district and subdivision rules¹¹. Principal-structure setbacks also vary by district, and accessory structures must be at least 10 feet from the principal structure or 5 feet from an interior lot line¹². In the RE rural estate district, for example, the minimum lot is 1 acre with 150 feet of width, buildings are limited to 35 feet or 2½ stories, and lot coverage is capped at 30 percent¹³. Required RE setbacks are at least 50 feet front, 20 feet side and 50 feet rear¹³. Ask the Building Division to identify the parcel's current district and requirements rather than relying on a general county summary⁹.

The Kankakee County Health Department issues private-septic permits and inspects installations, while Illinois regulates private sewage-disposal systems statewide^3,14. A sewage permit is required for a new installation and for any repair or modification, and plan approval typically takes 7 to 10 days, though that is not guaranteed¹⁵. Illinois requires plan approval before a new system is built and advance notice before construction, repair or modification¹⁶. Only about 2% of Kankakee County soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so arrange the site evaluation before fixing the house location or purchase budget⁶. The same Health Department issues permits for private wells where public water is unavailable and inspects their installation; the county's 2023 fee schedule lists $260 for a well permit⁴. Reach Environmental Health at 815-802-9400 or 2390 W Station Street in Kankakee³.

We could not confirm a county rule that plainly allows or prohibits long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping or a site-built tiny home on private land. Ask the Building Division what the parcel's zoning district permits before buying or moving a unit there, because unincorporated Kankakee County has district-specific uses and bulk requirements^2,9,10. We also could not confirm a countywide minimum dwelling floor area. Illinois campground rules do not answer whether an owner may occupy one RV on private land¹⁷. A manufactured home still needs an Illinois-licensed installer, and state siting requirements apply¹⁸.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is unincorporated and identify its zoning district; municipal zoning often differs from county zoning².
2. Verify district uses, lot dimensions and setbacks with the Building Division before fixing the site plan^9,11,12.
3. Arrange septic evaluation and permitting, and obtain a county Health Department well permit if public water is unavailable^3,4.
4. Create a portal account and submit the building application with the required parcel, project, site-plan, cost and contractor information⁹.
5. Confirm the fee estimate with a code official because fees depend on project value⁷.
6. If acting as owner-builder, submit the same permit documents and any required plumbing affidavit; the exemption is from contractor registration, not permitting⁵.
7. For an agricultural-purpose project on property principally used for agriculture, include form AG-001-17 to request the county's agricultural exemption benefits⁸.
8. Resolve driveway spacing and floodplain approvals, then coordinate required construction inspections with county staff^1,10,19.

Confirm jurisdiction and zoning before making an offer: Kankakee County regulates unincorporated parcels, while many municipalities use their own rules². A land split creating parcels under 5 acres typically requires a subdivision plat; the minor-subdivision path is limited to no more than 5 lots and cannot involve new roads or extensions of municipal facilities¹⁹. A split into parcels over 5 acres does not require a subdivision plat, but each parcel still must meet zoning, road-frontage and driveway-spacing rules to qualify for a building permit, and a variance may be needed if it does not¹⁹. A qualifying owner may use the county's separate farmstead process to divide a farmstead from an agricultural parcel if all application criteria are met²⁰. Test soils before assuming a conventional septic field will work; only about 2% rate free of severe limits⁶. Floodplain development can require county, state or federal review, so bring mapped-floodplain questions to the Building Division before siting improvements^9,10.