Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Round Lake Beach, Illinois

At a glance

Building permit

Required for construction inside the village; village building department issues it¹

Zoning

Village zoning applies to all land inside village limits; special uses need village board permission²

Septic permit

Lake County Health Department, where public sewers do not exist³

Building code

Village enforces the International Building Code and local ordinances⁵

Inspections

Required; schedule with 48 business hours notice⁶

Working without a permit

$250 fee¹

RV, tiny home, minimum lot size

Set by village zoning district; not confirmed, ask the village planner²

Who to call

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

Do you need a building permit in Round Lake Beach, Illinois?

Yes. The Village of Round Lake Beach requires a building permit for construction projects inside village limits¹. The village building department enforces the International Building Code and local ordinances⁵, and every permit carries one or more inspections⁶.

The village can deny an application that is incomplete, has drawings that do not conform, or involves a property with open invoices, liens or code violations¹. Starting work without a permit costs a $250 fee¹. A permit is good for 90 days, with one automatic 90-day extension for $10¹.

Illinois itself does not issue building permits for privately funded construction; any permit requirement comes from the local government⁷.

Who issues building permits in Round Lake Beach, and how do you reach them?

The Village of Round Lake Beach building department issues building permits inside the village, not Lake County⁸. Reach the village hall at 847-546-2351, at 1937 N Municipal Way, Round Lake Beach, IL 60073⁸.

Applications are on the village's building permits page. Residential reviews typically take about 7-10 business days⁸, and over-the-counter permits generally take 24-48 hours when the information is complete⁹. Simple jobs can go through the village's online portal (BSA Online)⁹.

Contractors must register with the village¹, and the registration fee is $50 for most trades¹⁰. A driveway permit is listed at $80¹¹.

Does Round Lake Beach have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. Round Lake Beach zoning policies regulate the use and development of all land and buildings within the village². All land is placed in districts for particular permitted uses, such as residential, parks and recreation, business, commercial and industrial¹². Uses listed as special uses are allowed only after the village board gives permission². The village also has overlay districts for Lake and Orchard Lane².

The village publishes a village and zoning map plus overlay district maps¹². For a vacant lot, the village's new single-family dwelling packet says to meet with planning and zoning to confirm the approved use of the lot¹.

We could not confirm the village's rules on RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size, setbacks or minimum home size. Ask the village planner at 847-546-2351 before you buy¹³.

How do septic permits work in Round Lake Beach?

The Lake County Health Department, not the village, handles septic systems in Lake County, and its program covers properties not served by a public sewer system¹⁴. Where public sewers do not exist, a soil evaluation by a licensed soil classifier and a design by a licensed designer or engineer come first, then plans go to the Health Department, and a licensed septic contractor applies for the construction permit, which is valid for 120 days³. No part of the system can be backfilled until Health Department staff inspect and approve it¹⁵.

We could not confirm whether any Round Lake Beach lot is allowed a septic system or which areas are on public sewer. Call the Health Department's Central Permit Facility at 847-377-8020¹⁶, and ask the village at 847-546-2351 whether the address is on a public sewer⁸.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Round Lake Beach?

We could not confirm whether Round Lake Beach allows living in an RV or a tiny home. The village's zoning code, not Lake County's, controls the question inside village limits². The Lake County rule that bars using a tent as living quarters applies only to unincorporated land¹⁷, so it does not answer the question for a village lot.

Ask the village planner at 847-546-2351 for the zoning district of your parcel and whether RV occupancy, tiny homes or manufactured homes are allowed there¹³. Get the answer in writing before you buy.

Building a home in Round Lake Beach: the steps, in order

1. Meet with village planning and zoning to confirm the approved use of the lot¹.
2. If the lot has no public sewer, start the Lake County Health Department soil evaluation and septic design³. Any new private well also needs a Lake County Water Well Program permit¹⁸.
3. Register your contractor with the village; the fee is $50 for most trades¹⁰.
4. Fill out the residential permit application and submit it; residential reviews take about 7-10 business days⁹.
5. Pay after approval, then start work; the permit lasts 90 days¹.
6. Schedule each inspection with at least 48 business hours of notice⁶.

What stays with Lake County, and what to check before you buy in Round Lake Beach

Septic permits and new private wells in Round Lake Beach go through Lake County, not the village³¹⁸. Lake County's own building permit and zoning rules cover only unincorporated land, so see the Lake County page for land outside village limits¹⁹.

Check the floodplain with the village before you buy: Lake County requires a Watershed Development Permit for major and minor development, and we could not confirm who issues it inside the village²⁰.

County-level numbers: Lake County's effective property tax rate is 2.7%²¹, and USDA rates 0% of its soils as not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so lots without sewer should expect a site evaluation and often an engineered system²².

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm the village's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size, setbacks or lot coverage; ask the village planner at 847-546-2351 before you buy¹³.
• A permit can be denied when the property has open invoices, liens or code violations, or the contractor is not in good standing with the village¹.
• Illinois law lets owner-occupants do their own plumbing on a single-family home, but a village may still require a plumbing permit²³; we could not confirm Round Lake Beach's owner-builder rules.

Sources

1. Building Permits - Village of Round Lake Beach (Village of Round Lake Beach), quoted and re-checked
2. Zoning and Land Use - Village of Round Lake Beach (Village of Round Lake Beach), quoted and re-checked
3. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
4. Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
5. Building Permits - Village of Round Lake Beach (Village of Round Lake Beach), quoted and re-checked
6. Building Permits - Village of Round Lake Beach (Village of Round Lake Beach), quoted and re-checked
7. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Village of Round Lake Beach Building Department (roundlakebeachil.gov)
9. Building Permits - Village of Round Lake Beach (Village of Round Lake Beach), quoted and re-checked
10. Building Permits - Village of Round Lake Beach (Village of Round Lake Beach), quoted and re-checked
11. Building Permits - Village of Round Lake Beach (Village of Round Lake Beach), quoted and re-checked
12. Zoning and Land Use - Village of Round Lake Beach (Village of Round Lake Beach), quoted and re-checked
13. Village of Round Lake Beach Planning & Zoning (village planner) (roundlakebeachil.gov)
14. Onsite Wastewater Treatment System, quoted and re-checked
15. Septic System Construction Inspection, quoted and re-checked
16. Lake County Health Department — Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (lakecountyil.gov)
17. § 151.113 Accessory Uses, quoted and re-checked
18. Environmental Health Permit Applications and Forms, quoted and re-checked
19. Unified Development Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
20. Permits & Approvals, quoted and re-checked
21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
22. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
23. 225 ILCS 320/18 — Local regulation; Department standards (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.