Bolthole Index

Lake County, Illinois

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Highwood, Illinois

Highwood, Illinois (Lake County) sets its own zoning under Title 11 of the city code and routes building permit requests through the Building Official's office at City Hall12. The city has adopted the International Building Code with local amendments3. Septic permits and new water wells inside city limits come from the Lake County Health Department, not the city45.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the city's own Title 11 zoning applies inside Highwood limits1
Building permits
Requests go through the Building Official's office at City Hall2
Building code
International Building Code 2012 with city amendments3
Minimum lot, R-1
2 acres (87,120 square feet), single-family6
Minimum lot, R-2
7,260 square feet, single-family7
Septic permits
Lake County Health Department, where no public sewer serves the property4
Water wells
Lake County Water Well Program permits all new wells, city or not5
RV and tiny-home living
Not confirmed; a dwelling must fit the zoning district1

Who to call

Building permits

City of Highwood Building Official's Office

Building permit requests, code enforcement and zoning-related matters inside Highwood city limits

847-432-1924

17 Highwood Avenue, Highwood, Illinois 60040

Septic permits

Lake County Health Department — Onsite Wastewater Treatment System

Septic system review, permits and construction inspections for properties without public sewer, inside or outside city limits

847-377-8020

[email protected]

500 West Winchester Road, Libertyville, IL 60048

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

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

Yes. Highwood applies its own zoning regulations (Title 11 of the city code) to land inside city limits, and no building or premises may be used for any purpose the district does not permit1. The city lists eight districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-3A, R-4, B-1, B-2 and B-38. Lake County's separate county zoning covers only unincorporated land, not Highwood9.

Dimensions depend on the district. In R-1 (single-family), the minimum lot area is 87,120 square feet, or 2 acres, with a minimum lot width of 125 feet6. In R-2 (single-family), the minimum lot is 7,260 square feet, at least 50 feet wide and 125 feet deep7. The front yard is at least 50 feet in R-1 and 30 feet in R-2, or the recorded subdivision building line1011. Buildings in both districts top out at 2.5 stories and 35 feet1213. Side and rear yard minimums we could not confirm, so ask the Building Official's office before drawing plans.

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

Highwood issues its own building permits; Lake County's building department does not. Inside Highwood, requests for the issuance of permits are handled through the Building Official's office at City Hall2. The city has adopted the International Building Code, 2012 edition, with its own amendments, as its building and construction code3.

The city's permit page lists applications for building, electrical and plumbing permits, a certificate of occupancy and a property transfer inspection. Applications go in electronically, and the office states that physical copies are not accepted at City Hall2. We could not confirm which small projects, if any, are exempt from a building permit, or the fee schedule. Ask the Building Official's office at 847-432-1924 before you start work2.

How do septic permits work inside Highwood?

Septic permits for Highwood addresses come from the Lake County Health Department, not the city. The department regulates treatment and dispersal of sewage from septic systems on properties not served by a public sewer system14. Its onsite wastewater program applies in incorporated and unincorporated Lake County wherever public sewers do not exist4.

The process runs through licensed professionals: a licensed soil classifier evaluates the site, a licensed designer or engineer designs the system, plans go to the Health Department, and a licensed septic contractor applies for the construction permit, which is valid for 120 days4. No part of a system can be backfilled until county staff have inspected and approved it15. Whether a particular Highwood lot is served by public sewer, and whether a new home there must connect, we could not confirm; ask the Building Official's office.

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

We could not confirm Highwood's rules on long-term RV living, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. The city's zoning allows only the uses each district permits, so an RV or tiny home used as a dwelling would have to fit the district1. Call the Building Official's office at 847-432-1924 and get the answer for your specific parcel and district in writing before you buy or park anything2.

Lake County's own rules on tents and camping apply to unincorporated land and should not be read as Highwood's rules16.

Building a home in Highwood: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district of the parcel with the Building Official's office and check the lot size, width and yard rules for that district8.
  2. Ask the Building Official's office whether public sewer and water serve the lot2.
  3. If no public sewer serves the lot, start the Lake County Health Department septic process: soil evaluation, designed system, plan review, then the construction permit4.
  4. If you plan a private well, apply to the Lake County Water Well Program, which permits all new wells and inspects each one after completion5.
  5. Submit your building permit application electronically to the Building Official's office2.
  6. Build to the city's adopted code and request inspections3.
  7. Request the certificate of occupancy before moving in2.

What stays with Lake County, and what to check before you buy in Highwood?

Inside Highwood, the city decides zoning and building permits12. Lake County's Health Department handles septic permits and new water wells at any address in the county, city or not45. For land outside city limits, see the Lake County page, because the county's unincorporated rules differ from Highwood's.

Cost context is county-level. Lake County's effective property tax rate is 2.7%, and the median property tax bill is $8,743 a year1718. The typical home value is about $400,96419. Floodplain and watershed development permits can apply on top of a building permit; ask the Building Official's office whether a lot is affected20.

Watch-outs

  • Highwood's side and rear yard minimums, lot coverage, permit fees and any owner-builder or small-project exemptions are unconfirmed; ask the Building Official's office at 847-432-19242.
  • The city accepts building permit applications by email only; physical copies are not accepted at City Hall2.
  • Do not assume Lake County's unincorporated rules apply inside Highwood; the county's zoning regulations apply only to unincorporated land9.
  • Illinois statewide, a new septic system needs plan approval from the state health department or the local authority before construction begins, which in Lake County is the Health Department214.

Sources

  1. 11-4-1: Districts established; 11-4-2: Zoning map (Highwood City Code) (Highwood), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Highwood Building Official's Office (cityofhighwood.com)
  3. 10-1-1 Adoption of codes; 10-1-4-1 Building code amendments (Highwood City Code, Title 10 Ch. 1) (Highwood), quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  5. Environmental Health Permit Applications and Forms, quoted and re-checked
  6. Article A. R-1 Residential District (2 Acres, Single-Family) (Highwood City Code, Title 11 Ch. 5) (Highwood), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article B. R-2 Residential District (7,260 Square Feet, Single-Family) (Highwood City Code, Title 11 Ch. 5) (Highwood), quoted and re-checked
  8. 11-4-1: Districts established; 11-4-2: Zoning map (Highwood City Code) (Highwood), quoted and re-checked
  9. Unified Development Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  10. Article A. R-1 Residential District (2 Acres, Single-Family) (Highwood City Code, Title 11 Ch. 5) (Highwood), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article B. R-2 Residential District (7,260 Square Feet, Single-Family) (Highwood City Code, Title 11 Ch. 5) (Highwood), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article A. R-1 Residential District (2 Acres, Single-Family) (Highwood City Code, Title 11 Ch. 5) (Highwood), quoted and re-checked
  13. Article B. R-2 Residential District (7,260 Square Feet, Single-Family) (Highwood City Code, Title 11 Ch. 5) (Highwood), quoted and re-checked
  14. Lake County Health Department — Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (lakecountyil.gov)
  15. Septic System Construction Inspection, quoted and re-checked
  16. § 151.113 Accessory Uses, quoted and re-checked
  17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  20. Permits & Approvals, quoted and re-checked
  21. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.190 Installation Approval (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 Highwood

Highwood’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    New construction and alterations inside Highwood city limits

    • The adopted base is the International Building Code, 2012 edition, with city amendments set out in 10-1-4-1 (building code amendments).
    • Other 2012-edition International Codes (fire, mechanical, fuel gas, property maintenance) are adopted in the same section 10-1-1; the 10-1-4 amendment list also covers energy, residential, electrical and plumbing amendments (10-1-4-6 to 10-1-4-9).
    • Search results describe the building code amendments as Ord. 16-O-55 (12-6-2016) and a plumbing-code swap to the Illinois plumbing code; those statements were not verified on the opened page and are not relied on here.

    base building code edition: International Building Code 2012 (city amendments in 10-1-4-1 apply)

    “the following listed codes are hereby adopted as the building and construction codes for the city for the control of buildings and structures as herein provided”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Highwood city limits. The city's own zoning title (Title 11, Zoning Regulations) applies; it does not govern unincorporated Lake County land.

    • Use is permitted only as the district allows; nonconforming uses are governed by chapter 9 of Title 11.
    • Title 11 is cited as adopted by Ord. 2003-O-15 (3-18-2003); the overview page states the code is current through Ord. 26-O-05, passed 7-21-2026.
    • Quoted sentence is the zoning-map section; it is the city's general use restriction.
    “no buildings shall be erected or altered, nor shall any building or premises be used for any purpose other than is permitted in the district in which such building or premises is located”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning district list for land inside Highwood city limits

    • Districts listed: R-1, R-2, R-3, R-3A, R-4, B-1, B-2, B-3.
    • Boundaries are shown on the zoning map on file with the city clerk; the map itself was not opened.
    “r-3 residential district (duplex dwelling) r-3a residential district (restricted multiple dwelling) r-4 residential district (multiple-family dwelling) business districts collectively the b-1 retail business district, b-2 service and retail business district, and b-3 low intensity business district”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 residential district (2 acres, single-family) inside Highwood city limits

    • Section 11-5A-2 applies to all permitted uses in the R-1 district.
    • Title 11 was adopted by Ord. 2003-O-15 (3-18-2003) per the section text.

    minimum lot area: >= 87120 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 125 feet

    “minimum lot area required for all permitted uses is eighty seven thousand one hundred twenty (87,120) square feet (2 acres).”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 residential district (2 acres, single-family) inside Highwood city limits; front yard only

    • Rear and side yard minimums in 11-5A-4 were not captured and must be confirmed before relying on this claim as a complete setback rule.
    • The front yard is the greater of 50 feet from the lot line or the building line set by a recorded subdivision plot.

    minimum front yard: >= 50 feet (or not less than the building line established by a subdivision plot of record)

    “a front yard of not less than fifty feet (50') from the lot line or not less than the building line established by a subdivision plot of record.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 residential district (2 acres, single-family) inside Highwood city limits

    • Limit applies to all buildings in the R-1 district.

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories

    “no building shall exceed two and one-half (2 1 / 2) stories nor shall it exceed thirty five feet (35') in height.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Highwood or Lake County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for new residential construction inside Highwood city limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Highwood city limits
  • Inspections — Construction inspections inside Highwood city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new dwelling inside Highwood city limits
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Highwood city limits
18 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • 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
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Highwood publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lake County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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