Bolthole Index

Kankakee County, Illinois

Zoning, building permits and septic in the Village of Bourbonnais, Illinois

The Village of Bourbonnais, Illinois requires a building permit for construction inside village limits, and the village deleted the standard residential exemption list, so even small projects need one1. The village sets its own zoning under Chapter 36 of its code2. Septic permits inside the village are unconfirmed; Kankakee County's Health Department issues septic permits in the county3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside the village; no IRC permit exemptions apply1
Who issues building permits
Village of Bourbonnais Building Department4
Zoning
Village zoning, Chapter 36 of the village code (R-1, R-2 and other districts)2
R-1 lot and setbacks
10,000 sq ft and 75 ft wide; 25 ft front, 8 ft per side, 30 ft rear56
Building code
Adopted and locally amended; the amendments control7
Outbuildings
Detached accessory structures up to 200 sq ft unless the zoning chapter allows more; none may be used for housing8
Septic
Kankakee County Health Department issues septic permits; village-specific rules unconfirmed3
Floodplain
Village floodplain rules; protection elevation is base flood plus one foot9

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Bourbonnais Building Department / Code Enforcement

Building permits and oversight of construction inside the village

815-937-3575

255 Mooney Dr, Bourbonnais, IL 60914

Zoning

Bourbonnais Planning Commission / Zoning Board of Appeals

Rezoning, special use permits, planned unit developments, variances and subdivision applications

815-937-3570

700 Main St. NW, Bourbonnais, IL

Septic permits

Kankakee County Health Department, Environmental Health / Septic Program

Septic system permits, installation inspections and dye tests in Kankakee County

815-802-9400

2390 W Station St, Kankakee, IL 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 Bourbonnais means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Bourbonnais, Illinois?

Yes. Inside the Village of Bourbonnais, building permits are required for construction, and the village deleted the International Residential Code's "work exempt from permit" section, so no IRC exemption applies1. Bourbonnais adopted the 2018 International Residential Code and other model codes, then amended them locally; the village's amendments control even where the base code says otherwise7.

The Village of Bourbonnais Building Department oversees all construction and development activity inside the village4. Kankakee County's building division serves only unincorporated land, so a Bourbonnais address does not go to the county counter. For land outside village limits, see the Kankakee County page.

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

The Village of Bourbonnais Building Department is at 255 Mooney Dr, Bourbonnais, IL 60914, and the phone number is 815-937-35754. The department lists its own plumbing, electrical and HVAC inspectors, and the Kankakee County Health Department as the village's health inspector4.

We could not confirm the village's permit fee schedule or its application process, so ask the Building Department what your project will cost and what plans it wants before you submit anything.

Does Bourbonnais have zoning, and what does it mean for lots, setbacks and outbuildings?

Yes. Bourbonnais zoning is Chapter 36 of the village code, with R-1, R-2 and other districts, and it covers all land inside village limits2. Rezoning, special use permits, variances and subdivisions go through the Planning Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals10.

In the R-1 One-Family Residence District, the minimum lot is 10,000 square feet and 75 feet wide at the front yard line5. Required setbacks are 25 feet in front, 8 feet per side and 30 feet in the rear6. Buildings may cover no more than 35% of an R-1 lot11, and height is capped at the lesser of 3.5 stories or 40 feet12.

Detached accessory structures are capped at 200 square feet unless the zoning chapter says otherwise, and none may be designed or used for housing8. A backyard cabin, tiny home or garage apartment is therefore not an option on an ordinary village lot without a zoning change. Other districts have their own numbers, so ask the village which district your parcel is in.

How do septic permits work inside Bourbonnais?

We could not confirm how septic systems are handled inside Bourbonnais village limits; the village code sections we reviewed do not address septic permits. Many village lots are served by public sewer, so ask the Building Department at 815-937-3575 whether your address must connect4.

Where a septic system is allowed, Kankakee County's Health Department issues septic system permits and inspects installations3. The county's rule is that a sewage permit is required for a new installation or any repair or modification to an existing system13. Call the Kankakee County Health Department's Environmental Health office at 815-802-940014.

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

We could not confirm any village rule on RV living, camping or tiny homes. What the village code does say is that no accessory structure may be designed or used for housing8, which rules out living in a shed, garage or outbuilding. Floodplain rules also reach recreational vehicles kept on a site over 180 days a year9.

Before parking an RV as a residence or placing a tiny home, ask the Building Department at 815-937-35754 and the Planning Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals at 815-937-357010.

Building a home in Bourbonnais: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your parcel's zoning district with the village; R-1 sets lot size, setbacks, coverage and height2.
  2. Check floodplain status: buildings in the floodplain must be protected below the flood protection elevation, which is base flood plus one foot9.
  3. Ask the Building Department what plans and fees apply, then apply for a building permit4.
  4. Ask whether the lot has public sewer, or get a septic permit from the Kankakee County Health Department14.
  5. If a variance or special use is needed, apply to the Planning Commission/Zoning Board of Appeals, which meets monthly10.
  6. Ask the Building Department when inspections are required; we could not confirm village inspection steps.

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

Septic and well permits are Kankakee County health matters rather than village matters; the Kankakee County Health Department issues septic system permits3 and well permits for private wells where public water is not available15. The county's own building and zoning rules cover only unincorporated land, so use the Kankakee County page for acreage outside village limits.

For budgeting, Kankakee County's effective property tax rate is 2.2% and the median property tax bill is $4,125 a year1617. These are county-level figures, not Bourbonnais-specific.

Watch-outs

  • Village rules for septic, inspections, certificates of occupancy, permit fees and owner-builder work were not confirmed; ask the Building Department at 815-937-3575 before you buy4.
  • Accessory buildings are capped at 200 square feet unless the zoning chapter says otherwise, and none may be used as housing8.
  • Village rules apply only inside village limits; land just outside falls under Kankakee County's building and zoning offices18.

Sources

  1. Bourbonnais Code Sec. 7-49 Amendments to building codes (Village of Bourbonnais), quoted and re-checked
  2. Bourbonnais Code Sec. 36-10-1 Residence districts (Village of Bourbonnais), quoted and re-checked
  3. Septic Program, quoted and re-checked
  4. Village of Bourbonnais Building Department / Code Enforcement (villageofbourbonnais.com)
  5. Bourbonnais Code Sec. 36-10-1 Residence districts (Village of Bourbonnais), quoted and re-checked
  6. Bourbonnais Code Sec. 36-10-1 Residence districts (Village of Bourbonnais), quoted and re-checked
  7. Bourbonnais Code Sec. 7-49 Amendments to building codes (Village of Bourbonnais), quoted and re-checked
  8. Bourbonnais Code Sec. 36-7-3 Accessory structures (Village of Bourbonnais), quoted and re-checked
  9. Bourbonnais Code Sec. 12-197 Protecting buildings (Village of Bourbonnais), quoted and re-checked
  10. Bourbonnais Planning Commission / Zoning Board of Appeals (villageofbourbonnais.com)
  11. Bourbonnais Code Sec. 36-10-1 Residence districts (Village of Bourbonnais), quoted and re-checked
  12. Bourbonnais Code Sec. 36-10-1 Residence districts (Village of Bourbonnais), quoted and re-checked
  13. Private Sewage Disposal Administrative Procedures and Application, quoted and re-checked
  14. Kankakee County Health Department, Environmental Health / Septic Program (kankakeehealth.org)
  15. Application for Permit to Construct, Modify or Abandon a Water Well, quoted and re-checked
  16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  17. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Kankakee County Developers Handbook, quoted and re-checked

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 Bourbonnais

Village of Bourbonnais’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction inside Bourbonnais village

    • The village deleted the IRC 'work exempt from permit' section R105.2, so no IRC permit exemptions apply.
    “International Residential Code 2018 Edition, section R105.2 concerning "work exempt from permit," delete entire section.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside Bourbonnais village

    • Adopted codes (section 7-46) are amended locally.
    • The amendments supersede the adopted codes.
    • IRC 2018 chapters and appendices are deleted in part.
    “The amendments below shall control construction within the village even if no specific section of the codes adopted is designated below.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    All land inside Bourbonnais village limits

    • Zoning is in Chapter 36 of the village code, with R-1, R-2 and other districts.
    “The R-1 district encompasses the predominant areas of single-family housing in the village.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 One-Family Residence District inside Bourbonnais village

    • Lots below the minimum may still be used if they have at least 75 percent of the required area and width.

    minimum lot area R-1: >= 10000 sq ft · minimum lot width at front yard line R-1: >= 75 feet

    “minimum lot area (square feet) 10,000 minimum lot width at front yard line (feet) 75”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 One-Family Residence District inside Bourbonnais village

    • Accessory structures need 5 ft from side and rear lot lines.
    • Corner and reverse corner lots have separate rules.

    front yard setback: >= 25 feet · side yard setback per side: >= 8 feet · rear yard setback: >= 30 feet

    “minimum front yard setback (feet) 25 minimum side yard setback (feet) — per side yard 8 minimum rear yard setback (feet) 30”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 One-Family Residence District inside Bourbonnais village

    maximum lot coverage R-1: <= 35 percent

    “maximum "lot coverage" 35% maximum building height lesser of 3.5 stories or 40'”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 One-Family Residence District inside Bourbonnais village

    • Residential accessory structures are limited to 14 ft.

    maximum building height R-1: lesser of 3.5 stories or 40 feet

    “maximum "lot coverage" 35% maximum building height lesser of 3.5 stories or 40'”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Detached accessory structures inside Bourbonnais village

    • Accessory structures may not be used for housing.
    • Detached accessory structures are capped at 200 sq ft unless the chapter says otherwise.
    • Attached or internal ADUs are not addressed in the supplied sections.

    max detached accessory structure area: <= 200 sq ft (unless otherwise permitted by chapter 36)

    “no accessory structures may be designed or used for housing.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    New subdivisions inside Bourbonnais village

    • Floodplain rules apply: subdivision proposals must include base flood elevation data and an engineer's statement.
    “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 12-196 and 12-197.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Residential driveways inside Bourbonnais village

    • Width limits depend on the garage size, from 12 ft (one-car) to 32 ft (three-car).
    • The driveway must be at least 10 ft wide at the front property line.

    driveway width at front property line: 10 to 26 feet (32 ft for a three-car garage)

    “driveway width at the front property line shall be a minimum of ten feet and a maximum of 26 feet”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Buildings in the floodplain inside Bourbonnais village

    • Applies to new buildings, additions or alterations over $1,000 or 70 sq ft, substantial improvements, manufactured home installation, and RVs on site over 180 days per year.
    • Protection is by fill, elevation or crawlspace methods. The flood protection elevation is base flood plus one foot.

    freeboard above base flood: >= 1 foot

    “all buildings located in the 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 Bourbonnais or Kankakee County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Bourbonnais village
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Bourbonnais village
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new homes inside Bourbonnais village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Bourbonnais village
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Bourbonnais village
10 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Bourbonnais publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Kankakee County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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