Merrionette Park, IL Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

The Village of Merrionette Park, Illinois, in Cook County, runs its own zoning code (Chapter 159), so Cook County's unincorporated-area zoning does not apply inside village limits¹. Village Hall posts application forms for building, driveway, electrical, fence, garage and plumbing permits². Septic systems are approved by the Cook County Department of Public Health, not the village³.

At a glance

Zoning: Village of Merrionette Park zoning code (Chapter 159)¹
Building permit: Village Hall posts a building permit application; we could not confirm which projects require one²
Minimum home size (A and B districts): 1,250 sq ft of ground area, not counting garage or accessory buildings⁴
Minimum lot (A and B districts): 7,250 sq ft and 50 ft wide⁵
Septic: Cook County Department of Public Health approves private sewage systems³
RV living: Trailer camps appear only in B-2 districts; single-lot RV living not confirmed⁶
Flood zone: Flood-plain development rules apply to new buildings in the 100-year flood plain⁷

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Merrionette Park Village Hall

Village permit application forms (building, deck, driveway, electrical, fence, garage, plumbing) and zoning questions inside Merrionette Park

708-396-3183

11720 S Kedzie Merrionette Park, IL 60803

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

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Does Merrionette Park have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size, setbacks and home size?

Yes. The Village of Merrionette Park, Illinois zones its own land under Chapter 159 of the village code¹. Cook County's zoning ordinance covers only unincorporated areas and excludes villages that have their own zoning ordinances⁸.

In the village's A and B districts, a building needs a lot of at least 7,250 square feet and 50 feet wide⁵. A single-family dwelling must have at least 1,250 square feet of ground area, not counting a garage or accessory buildings⁴. Buildings, including accessory buildings, may cover no more than 35 percent of the lot⁹, and may not exceed 30 feet or 2½ stories¹⁰. Side yards must be at least 3 feet on one side and 11 feet on the other¹¹.

We read only the A and B district rules; other districts, if any, were not reviewed¹². Ask Village Hall which district a specific address falls in².

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

Village Hall is the office to call, not Cook County. Cook County's Department of Building and Zoning handles unincorporated areas only and sends questions about properties in incorporated municipalities to the local building and zoning authority¹³.

The village publishes a building permit application, a deck and open porch permit application, and PDF forms for driveway, electrical, fence, garage and plumbing permits². We could not confirm the village's permit fees, inspection steps or building code from the sections of the village code we read, so ask Village Hall at 708-396-3183 which permits your project needs².

Illinois does not issue building permits for privately funded construction; any permit requirement is set by the local government¹⁴.

How do septic permits work in Merrionette Park?

Septic approval is separate from the village's building permits. The Cook County Department of Public Health reviews and approves private sewage disposal systems throughout Cook County, and Merrionette Park is not one of the four municipalities with their own septic ordinances³. New construction served by a septic field needs that approval before moving forward¹⁵.

We could not confirm whether a given Merrionette Park address connects to public sewer, or what the village requires for water and sewer connections. Ask Village Hall, and call Cook County Department of Public Health at 708-836-8600 for any property that is not on sewer¹⁶. Buying a home with a well or septic system typically calls for an evaluation¹⁶.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Merrionette Park?

The village zoning code mentions automobile trailer camps only in B-2 districts, governed by state statute and the village's trailer ordinance⁶. We could not confirm whether living in an RV on an ordinary residential lot is allowed, so call Village Hall before parking one for overnight stays². The Cook County rule that bars living in a parked RV applies to unincorporated Cook County, not inside the village¹⁷.

A tiny home faces a hard number: in the A and B districts a dwelling needs at least 1,250 square feet of ground area, so a typical tiny house falls far short⁴. We found no village rule written specifically for tiny homes.

Building a home in Merrionette Park: the steps, in order

Confirm the zoning district and lot rules with Village Hall at 708-396-3183². In the A and B districts the lot minimums are 7,250 square feet and 50 feet wide⁵.
Check the flood map. New buildings in the 100-year flood plain must be protected from flood damage below the flood protection elevation⁷.
If the lot is not on sewer, get Cook County Department of Public Health approval for the septic system³.
Apply for the village building permit and any separate permits for driveway, electrical, plumbing or garage work².
Ask Village Hall about inspections and the certificate of occupancy; we could not confirm the village's process.

What to check before you buy land in Merrionette Park

Check the flood plain first: the village requires development permits for new buildings, substantial alterations and manufactured home installation in the 100-year flood plain, and for travel trailers kept on site more than 180 days⁷.

Check lot size and coverage next. A lot under 7,250 square feet or 50 feet wide cannot take a new building in the A and B districts⁵, and buildings may cover at most 35 percent of it⁹.

The numbers below are Cook County-wide, not village-specific. Cook County's effective property tax rate is about 2 percent¹⁸, and the median property tax bill is about $6,053 per year¹⁹. For land outside village limits, see the Cook County page.

Watch-outs

We could not confirm whether the village requires a building permit for every project, its fee schedule, or its inspection process; ask Village Hall at 708-396-3183².
Cook County's building, zoning and RV rules apply to unincorporated land only, not inside Merrionette Park¹³.
Only the A and B zoning districts were reviewed, so rules for any other district are unconfirmed¹².
Septic and well work inside the village still go through the Cook County Department of Public Health, not the village³.

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Merrionette Park publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Cook County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Merrionette Park, Illinois