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

Highland Park’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Highland Park city limits; the city adopts and administers its own zoning code (Chapter 150)

  “the table below specifies the general minimum and maximum requirements of area, bulk, yards, and density for the low density residential zoning districts.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family lots in Highland Park city low density residential districts R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R5A, R6, R7 (in that order)

  • Footnote (a): LFOZ Overlay Zone subdivisions must comply with Sec. 150.703.1 (R4 column)
  • Footnote (b): SLOZ Overlay Zone lots must comply with Sec. 150.703.2 (R6 column)
  • Requirements may be modified as permitted elsewhere in the Chapter

  R1 min area single-family: >= 130680 sq ft · R2: >= 80000 sq ft · R3: >= 40000 sq ft · R4: >= 20000 sq ft (footnote (a)) · R5: >= 12000 sq ft · R5A: >= 10000 sq ft · R6: >= 7260 sq ft (footnote (b)) · R7: >= 7000 sq ft

  “minimum area for single-family residence 130,680 sq. ft. 80,000 sq. ft. 40,000 sq. ft. 20,000 sq. ft.(a) 12,000 sq. ft. 10,000 sq. ft. 7,260 sq. ft.(b) 7,000 sq. ft.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Front yards in Highland Park city districts R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R5A, R6, R7 (in that order); side and rear yards vary by district in the same table

  • Side yards: total of all side yards a minimum percentage of lot width (30% in R3, 25% in R5-R7 columns) with minimum single side yards from 15 ft down to 6 ft; R1 50 ft and R2 25 ft
  • Rear yard: whichever is less of a fixed distance or 20% of lot depth (R1 50 ft)
  • No air conditioning units installed after June 29, 2004 in required front or rear yard

  R1 front yard: >= 50 ft · R2 front yard: >= 50 ft · R3-R5 front yard: >= 40 ft · R5A-R7 front yard: >= 25 ft

  “minimum front yard 50 ft. 50 ft. 40 ft. 40 ft. 40 ft. 25 ft. 25 ft. 25 ft.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Highland Park city RM1, RM1A, RM2, RO (33.3%) and HC (70.0%) districts; R1-R7 use floor area ratio per Sec. 150.703.3, not opened

  • Requirements may be modified as permitted elsewhere in the Chapter
  • HC district master site plan may modify bulk regulations

  RM1/RM1A/RM2/RO max lot coverage: <= 33.3 % · HC max lot coverage: <= 70 %

  “maximum lot coverage % 33.3 33.3 33.3 33.3 70.0”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal structures in Highland Park city districts R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R5A, R6, R7 (in that order); accessory structures 18 ft in all

  • Requirements may be modified as permitted elsewhere in the Chapter

  R1-R3 principal max height: <= 35 ft · R4-R5 principal max height: <= 32 ft · R5A-R7 principal max height: <= 30 ft · accessory max height: <= 18 ft

  “maximum height of principal structure 35 ft. 35 ft. 35 ft. 32 ft. 32 ft. 30 ft. 30 ft. 30 ft.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Highland Park city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Highland Park city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Highland Park city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Highland Park city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Highland Park city

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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