Bolthole Index

Lake County, Illinois

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Long Grove, Illinois

Village of Long Grove is a village in Lake County, Illinois. Village of Long Grove adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Village of Long Grove’s rules apply, not the county’s. 7 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 16, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Lake County page.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Long Grove

Village of Long Grove’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Long Grove village limits; the village adopts its own Title 5 Zoning Regulations with R1, R2, R3 residential districts

    “three zoning districts are provided for residential development. the residential districts (r1, r2, and r3 districts)”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Long Grove village residential districts R1, R2, R3 (other districts such as B1, B2 and Conservancy are referenced but were not opened)

    • Only residential districts were reviewed
    “three zoning districts are provided for residential development. the residential districts (r1, r2, and r3 districts)”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential districts inside Long Grove village: R1 3 acres, R2 2 acres, R3 1 acre

    • Legal nonconforming lots governed by 5-10-5

    R1 minimum lot area: >= 3 acres · R2 minimum lot area: >= 2 acres · R3 minimum lot area: >= 1 acres

    “minimum lot area 2 3 acres 2 acres 1 acre”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential districts R1, R2, R3 inside Long Grove village: maximum impervious surface coverage 40%

    • Lots under 0.5 acre: first 400 sq ft of deck/patio excluded, total may not exceed 45% without variation
    • Maximum gross floor area also limited by lot-area formula (note 6), principal building capped at 13,000 sq ft

    maximum impervious surface coverage: <= 40 percent (45% for lots under 0.5 acre counting excluded decks/patios)

    “maximum impervious surface coverage 7 40% 40% 40%”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Residential districts R1, R2, R3 inside Long Grove village: 35 feet maximum

    • Accessory structures maximum 15 feet unless permitted under 5-9-1

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet (accessory structures 15 feet)

    “maximum building height (feet) 1 35 35 35”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Guesthouses as accessory use to a principal dwelling inside Long Grove village

    • One guesthouse per principal dwelling unit
    • Lot must be three acres or larger
    • Must meet principal building setbacks
    • May not be owned by anyone other than owner of principal dwelling

    maximum guesthouse livable area: <= 850 square feet

    “a guesthouse shall be a permitted accessory use, provided that it contains no more than 850 square feet of livable area and complies with all the setback requirements of a principal building as set forth in the applicable zoning classification.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agriculture in residential districts inside Long Grove village

    • Other agricultural uses require a special use permit
    • Commercial agriculture requires minimum ten contiguous acres
    • Buildings must respect district setbacks
    “the growing of crops shall be permitted as of right in the residential districts. any other agricultural use shall require a special use permit pursuant to section 5-3-6 of this chapter.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits inside Long Grove village
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Long Grove village
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside Long Grove village
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Long Grove village
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Long Grove village
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Village of Long Grove publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lake County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Off-grid gear

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

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