Bolthole Index

Kankakee County, Illinois

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

The Village of Bradley, Illinois has its own zoning code, and its Community Development Department oversees the village's building and zoning functions12. New houses in the village's single-family districts must connect to public sewer and water3, so septic is rarely the question; where a septic system or private well is involved, the Kankakee County Health Department issues the permits45.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes. The village has its own zoning code (Chapter 60) with several residence districts1
Who handles building and zoning
The village Community Development Department, not Kankakee County2
Minimum lot (R-1)
8,500 sq ft and 60 ft wide, with public sewer and water6
Minimum lot (R-3)
6,000 sq ft and 50 ft wide7
Sewer and water
New single-family homes in R-1 must be served by public sewer and water3
Septic and wells
Kankakee County Health Department45
Floodplain
Village floodplain rules apply to new buildings in the floodplain8

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Bradley Community Development Department

Building, planning and zoning, and code enforcement inside Bradley village limits

815-936-5100

111 N. Michigan Ave, Bradley, IL 60915

Online permits →

Septic permits

Kankakee County Health Department, Environmental Health / Septic Program

Septic system permits and installation inspections for Kankakee County addresses, including addresses inside villages

(815) 802-9400

2390 W Station St, Kankakee,Illinois 60901

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Bradley means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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

Yes. The Village of Bradley zones land inside its limits through Chapter 60 of the village code, which sets several residence districts1. The rules differ by district, so check which district a parcel sits in before you plan a house.

In the R-1 single-family district, a house needs a lot of at least 8,500 square feet and at least 60 feet wide at the building line6, with a 30-foot rear yard9. Buildings and paving may cover no more than 40 percent of the lot10.

The R-3 district is denser: lots of at least 6,000 square feet and 50 feet wide7, a 25-foot front yard11, and up to 50 percent lot coverage12. The NR-1 district goes the other way, with lots of at least 20,000 square feet and 100 feet wide13.

Height in both R-1 and R-3 tops out at 35 feet or 2½ stories, whichever is lower1415.

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

Inside Bradley, the village's Community Development Department oversees building, planning and zoning, and code enforcement2. Kankakee County's Building Division serves unincorporated land, so a parcel inside village limits does not go to the county planning counter. Illinois itself does not issue private building permits; any permit requirement is left to the local government16.

We could not confirm the village's permit list, fee schedule or inspection steps. The village website links an online payment portal for building permits, and the Community Development Department is the office to call for what a given project needs2.

How do septic permits and wells work for a Bradley address?

Septic permits come from the Kankakee County Health Department, not from the village4. The county requires a sewage permit for a new installation and for any repair or modification17.

In practice, a new single-family home in the R-1 or NR-1 district has to be served by public sanitary sewer and water3, so a septic system mostly matters for a parcel the village district rules do not require to connect. We did not find a distance rule for how close a sewer main must be, so ask Community Development before assuming either way2.

Private wells are permitted by the same health department, in areas where public water is not available5.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Bradley?

We could not confirm a village zoning rule on living in an RV or a tiny home. Do not read that silence as permission. The village's floodplain rules do reach RVs that stay on a site in the floodplain more than 180 days a year8.

Before parking an RV on a lot or placing a tiny home, ask the Community Development Department whether the district allows it2.

Building a home in Bradley: the steps, in order

  1. Find the parcel's zoning district and read its lot, setback and coverage rules in Chapter 60 of the village code1.
  2. Check whether the parcel is in the floodplain. Buildings valued over $1,000 or 70 square feet there need protection to one foot above the base flood level8.
  3. Call the Community Development Department about building permits, plan review and inspections2.
  4. Confirm sewer and water service for the lot3; if a septic system or well is involved, apply through the Kankakee County Health Department4.
  5. If you are creating new lots, the village's subdivision ordinance applies; we only confirmed its floodplain-related requirement18.

What stays with Kankakee County, and what to check before you buy in Bradley

Septic permits and well permits for a Bradley address come from the Kankakee County Health Department45. The county's own zoning and building rules cover only unincorporated land, so for land outside the village see the Kankakee County page.

For budgeting, Kankakee County's effective property tax rate is 2.2 percent19 and the median property tax bill is $4,125 a year20. Those are county figures, not Bradley-specific ones.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Bradley's building permit list, fees, inspection steps or any rule on RVs and tiny homes; ask the Community Development Department before you buy2.
  • Zoning rules change by district, and lot minimums in R-1, R-3 and NR-1 differ widely, so confirm the parcel's district first6713.
  • Floodplain parcels carry extra protection requirements, including a one-foot margin above the base flood level8.

Sources

  1. Bradley Code Sec. 60-123 R-3 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of Bradley Community Development Department (bradleyil.org)
  3. Bradley Code Sec. 60-121 R-1 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  4. Septic Program, quoted and re-checked
  5. Well Program - Kankakee County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  6. Bradley Code Sec. 60-121 R-1 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  7. Bradley Code Sec. 60-123 R-3 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  8. Bradley Code Sec. 16-115 Protecting buildings (floodplain) (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  9. Bradley Code Sec. 60-121 R-1 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  10. Bradley Code Sec. 60-121 R-1 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  11. Bradley Code Sec. 60-123 R-3 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  12. Bradley Code Sec. 60-123 R-3 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  13. Bradley Code Sec. 60-116 NR-1 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  14. Bradley Code Sec. 60-121 R-1 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  15. Bradley Code Sec. 60-123 R-3 single-family residence district (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  16. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Private Sewage Disposal Administrative Procedures and Application, quoted and re-checked
  18. Bradley Code Sec. 16-116 Subdivision and other development requirements (Village of Bradley), quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 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 Bradley

Village of Bradley’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Bradley village limits

    • Zoning is Chapter 60 of the village code, with R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, NR-1 residence districts and others.
    “The R-3 single-family residence district is established to provide areas of higher density than the R-1 single-family residence district”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 single-family residence district inside Bradley village

    • Dwelling must be served by public sanitary sewer and water facilities.
    • Lot width at building line at least 60 feet, including cul-de-sac lots.

    minimum lot area: >= 8500 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 60 ft

    “shall be located on a lot having an area of not less than 8,500 square feet and a width at the established building line of not less than 60 feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — NR-1 single-family residence district inside Bradley village
      “shall be located on a lot having an area of not less than 20,000 square feet and a width at the established building line of not less than 100 feet.”
    • Specified — R-3 single-family residence district inside Bradley village
      “Every single-family detached dwelling hereinafter erected shall be located on a lot having an area of not less than 6,000 square feet, and a width at the established building line of not less than 50 feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 single-family residence district inside Bradley village

    • Side yards: two totaling at least 13 ft, one at least 8 ft, none under 5 ft; side yard adjoining a street at least 30 ft, with a reduction for narrow pre-existing corner lots.

    front yard: >= 30 ft · rear yard: >= 30 ft

    “Rear yard. A rear yard of not less than 30 feet in depth.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 single-family residence district inside Bradley village

    • Remainder of lot must be suitably landscaped.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent

    “No more than 40 percent of the lot area may be occupied by buildings and structures including accessory buildings or covered by walks, driveways or patios.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 single-family residence district inside Bradley village

    maximum building height: <= 35 ft or 2.5 stories, whichever is lower

    “No building shall exceed a height of 35 feet or 2½ stories, whichever is lower.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    New single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 district inside Bradley village (NR-1 has the same wording)

    • Stated as a district lot-size condition; no distance rule found.
    • Other districts not checked for this wording.
    “Every single-family detached dwelling hereinafter erected shall be served by public sanitary sewer and water facilities”
  • Subdividing landLimited

    New subdivisions and planned developments inside Bradley village; only the floodplain-related requirement was verified

    • Subdivision ordinance itself not opened.
    “New subdivisions, manufactured home parks, annexation agreements, planned unit developments, and additions to manufactured home parks and subdivisions shall meet the damage prevention and building protections standards of sections 16-114 and 16-115.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Buildings and development in the floodplain inside Bradley village

    • Applies to new buildings valued over $1,000 or 70 sq ft, substantial improvements, manufactured homes on new sites, and RVs on site over 180 days per year.
    • Protection by fill, elevation or crawlspace to the flood protection elevation (base flood plus one foot).

    freeboard: 1 ft

    “Construction or placement of a new building or alteration or addition to an existing building valued at more than $1,000.00 or 70 square feet.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Bradley village
  • Owner-builder exemption — Bradley village
  • Building code adopted — Bradley village
  • Inspections — Bradley village
  • Certificate of occupancy — Bradley village
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • 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
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • 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 Bradley publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Kankakee County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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