Bolthole Index

Cook County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Hillside, Illinois

The Village of Hillside, Illinois (Cook County) issues its own building permits through its Building Services Department, and permits are required for building alterations, land improvements and new construction1. Hillside also has its own zoning ordinance, which prohibits living in a recreational vehicle in any district23. Septic and well approvals are not a village matter: the Cook County Department of Public Health reviews private sewage systems in Hillside4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the Village of Hillside for alterations, land improvements and new construction1
Zoning
Village zoning ordinance with residence districts R-1 to R-425
RV living
Prohibited in every district3
Septic
Cook County Department of Public Health reviews private sewage systems4
R-3 minimum lot
6,200 sq ft for a single-family home, 50 ft wide6
Floodplain
Development in mapped floodplain is regulated by the village7

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Hillside Building Services Department

Building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside Hillside village limits

708-449-6450

permits@hillside-il.org

Septic permits

Cook County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health

Review and approval of private sewage disposal systems and well/septic evaluations in Cook County

708-836-8600

7556 Jackson Boulevard, Forest Park, IL 60130

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 17, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Hillside, Illinois?

Yes. The Village of Hillside's Building Services Department states that permits are required for all building alterations, land improvements and new construction on residential and commercial property1. Additions, alterations and new construction projects need a permit, including small improvements such as decks, fences, patios, pools, sidewalks and stoops1.

A certificate of occupancy is required for new construction, substantial alteration, a complete remodel, or a rebuild after a structure fire of any habitable space1. Illinois itself does not issue building permits for privately funded homes, so the village is the office to ask8. Cook County's Department of Building and Zoning handles unincorporated land, not village addresses9.

Who handles building permits in Hillside, and how do you reach them?

The Village of Hillside Building Services Department issues permits and enforces the village codes1. Call 708-449-6450 or email permits@hillside-il.org with questions about whether a project needs a permit1.

We could not confirm the specific building code edition the village enforces, the permit fee schedule or the inspection stages, so ask the department before you budget a project.

Does Hillside have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Hillside has its own zoning ordinance, Appendix A of the village code, which divides the village into districts with specified permitted uses2. Residence districts run from R-1 to R-4, alongside manufacturing districts5. Variations go to the zoning board of appeals, and special uses need a hearing and village board action2.

In the R-3 district a single-family or two-family lot needs at least 6,200 square feet and 50 feet of width, and the zoning board of appeals may vary lot size or width by up to 25 percent6. R-3 requires a 25-foot front yard, 10-foot side yards (25 feet when the side yard adjoins a street) and a 20-foot rear yard10. Accessory buildings in residential districts together may cover no more than 10 percent of the lot11. We did not confirm the standards for the first two residence districts, so check a specific lot with the village.

Recreational vehicles may not be occupied for dwelling purposes in any district in Hillside3.

Can you live in an RV on your land in Hillside?

No. Hillside's zoning ordinance says recreational vehicles may not be permanently affixed to the ground or occupied for dwelling purposes in any district3. A resident may store one RV they own in a residential district, up to 28 feet long, 8 feet wide and 11 feet high3. Parking in a front or side yard on a paved surface for loading and unloading is limited to 36 hours, which the police chief or shift commander may extend by up to 48 additional hours3.

We could not confirm village rules on tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask Building Services.

How do septic permits work in Hillside?

Septic approval is not issued by the village. The Cook County Department of Public Health reviews and approves private sewage disposal systems throughout Cook County, and Hillside is not one of the four incorporated places with their own septic ordinances412. The department requires approval before home construction involving wells and septic moves forward13.

We could not confirm whether a given Hillside lot is on the village sewer, so ask Building Services before you plan any septic system. Well and septic evaluations are typically needed when buying or selling a home that has one14.

Building a home in Hillside: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district for the lot and its lot size, setbacks and allowed uses with the village, since Appendix A sets them2.
  2. Check whether the lot lies in the 100-year or 500-year floodplain; new buildings valued over $1,000 or 70 square feet in those areas need flood protection by fill or elevation7.
  3. Call Building Services at 708-449-6450 to confirm the permit documents and building code1.
  4. If the lot is not on sewer, get Cook County Department of Public Health approval first13.
  5. Apply for the building permit through the village's online permitting1.
  6. Obtain a certificate of occupancy once inspections are complete1.

What stays with Cook County, and what to check before you buy

Hillside's zoning and building permits are the village's job, while septic and well approvals sit with the county health department24. Cook County's own building and zoning rules apply only to unincorporated land; read the Cook County page for land outside village limits9.

Dividing a lot that already has a structure is allowed only if each resulting lot meets its district's minimum area and width15. Property taxes are set at the county level: Cook County's effective rate is about 2%16.

Watch-outs

  • Hillside's building code edition, permit fees and inspection stages were not confirmed; ask the Building Services Department at 708-449-64501.
  • Floodplain rules cover manufactured homes and travel trailers on site over 180 days in the mapped floodplain7.
  • Cook County's Department of Building and Zoning does not handle permits for properties inside villages such as Hillside9.

Sources

  1. Village of Hillside Building Services Department (hillside-il.org)
  2. Hillside Zoning 11.7 Special uses (Village of Hillside), quoted and re-checked
  3. Hillside Zoning 3.12 Recreational vehicles (Village of Hillside), quoted and re-checked
  4. Septic, quoted and re-checked
  5. Hillside Zoning 11.7 Special uses (Village of Hillside), quoted and re-checked
  6. Hillside Zoning 5.5 R-3 multiple-family residence district (Village of Hillside), quoted and re-checked
  7. Hillside Code Sec. 38-39 Floodplain permitting requirements (Village of Hillside), quoted and re-checked
  8. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Building and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  10. Hillside Zoning 5.5 R-3 multiple-family residence district (Village of Hillside), quoted and re-checked
  11. Hillside Zoning 3.10 Accessory buildings/structures and uses (Village of Hillside), quoted and re-checked
  12. Cook County Department of Public Health - Environmental Health (cookcountypublichealth.org)
  13. Septic, quoted and re-checked
  14. Septic - Cook County Department of Public Health, quoted and re-checked
  15. Hillside Zoning 3.9 Lot division (Village of Hillside), quoted and re-checked
  16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 17, 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 Hillside

Village of Hillside’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Hillside village limits

    • Zoning ordinance is Appendix A of the village code; variations decided by zoning board of appeals; special uses require ZBA hearing and village board action.
    “the formulation and enactment of a comprehensive ordinance is based on the division of the entire village into districts in each of which are permitted specified uses that are mutually compatible.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Hillside village (R-1 to R-4 residence districts, M-1 and others) published in Appendix A on Municode

    • Full district list and use schedule (section 4.8) not opened in this run.
    “the formulation and enactment of a comprehensive ordinance is based on the division of the entire village into districts in each of which are permitted specified uses that are mutually compatible.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-3 district, single-family detached and two-family dwellings, inside Hillside village (R-4 is also 6,200 sq ft)

    • Lot width of 50 feet required for single-family and two-family dwellings in R-3.
    • ZBA may vary lot size/width by up to 25 percent.
    • R-1 and R-2 districts not reviewed.

    minimum lot area: >= 6200 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 50 ft

    “5.5 (4)(a) single-family detached and two-family dwellings: 6,200 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-3 district, single-family detached and two-family dwellings, inside Hillside village

    • Side yard adjoining a street at least 25 feet.
    • Side yard requirements apply provided buildable width is not reduced to less than 25 feet.
    • R-1 and R-2 districts not reviewed.

    front yard: >= 25 ft · each side yard: >= 10 ft (25 ft if adjoining a street) · rear yard: >= 20 ft

    “a front yard is required and shall be not less than 25 feet in depth.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Accessory structures in residential districts inside Hillside village; principal building coverage for R-1 to R-3 not reviewed

    • Garage serving single-family unit no more than 14 ft high or 24 ft by 24 ft.

    accessory structures max lot coverage: <= 10 percent

    “3.10 (1)(d) in residential districts, the accessory structures, including accessory buildings, taken together shall cover no more than ten percent of the lot.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-4 multiple-family residence district inside Hillside village (R-3 height is 'as in the R-1 district', not opened)

    • Except as otherwise allowed on planned developments.

    maximum building height: <= 45 ft (planned developments)

    “5.6 (8) building height. building height shall not exceed 45 feet except as otherwise allowed in section 11.11 [11.10] on planned developments.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Occupying a recreational vehicle for dwelling purposes in any district inside Hillside village

    • One RV owned by the occupant (max 28 ft long, 8 ft wide, 11 ft high) may be stored in a residential district.
    • Parking in front or side yard on paved surface for loading/unloading limited to 36 hours, extendable up to 48 additional hours by police chief or shift commander.

    loading/unloading parking limit: <= 36 hours (extension up to 48 additional hours by police authorization)

    “recreational vehicles shall neither be permanently affixed to the ground nor occupied for dwelling purposes in any district.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of lots containing a structure or use inside Hillside village

    • Each resulting lot must meet the minimum lot area and width of its district.
    “3.9. - lot division. no lot containing a structure or use shall hereafter be divided in order to secure one or more additional lots for transfer of ownership and establishment of a principal use thereon, unless each lot, including also the lot containing the structure or use, resulting from such division, shall have the minimum lot area and lot width as required in this ordinance for the district in which the lot is located.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in the 100-year and 500-year floodplain inside Hillside village

    • Applies to new buildings valued over $1,000 or 70 sq ft, substantial improvements, substantial damage, repetitive loss, manufactured homes and travel trailers on site over 180 days.
    • Protection by fill or elevation above flood protection elevation.
    “(3) protecting buildings. a. all buildings located within a 100-year floodplain also known as a sfha, and all buildings located outside the 100-year floodplain but within the 500-year floodplain, shall be protected from flood damage below the flood protection elevation.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Hillside village
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder rules inside Hillside village
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Hillside village
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Hillside village
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Hillside village
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • 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
  • 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 Hillside publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cook County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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