Volo, IL Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

The Village of Volo, Illinois has its own zoning ordinance, so zoning approval for land inside village limits comes from the village¹. Building permit applications also go to Volo Village Hall². Septic systems on properties without public sewer are regulated by the Lake County Health Department, not the village³.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes, the village has its own zoning ordinance¹
Building permits: Apply at Volo Village Hall; ask whether your project needs one²⁴
Septic: Lake County Health Department, for properties without public sewer³
Largest minimum lot: 5 acres in the RC district⁵
Smallest minimum lot: 18,000 sq ft in the R2 district⁶
Accessory dwellings: Senior citizen accessory dwellings only, on a temporary permit⁷
Wells: State permit from IDPH or an approved local health department⁸

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Volo Building Department

Building permit applications inside Volo village limits

(847)740-6982

building@villageofvolo.com

500 S. Fish Lake Rd., Volo, IL 60073

Septic permits

Lake County Health Department, Onsite Wastewater Treatment System

Septic system review, approval and construction inspections for Lake County properties without public sewer

847-377-8020

healthehs@lakecountyil.gov

500 West Winchester Road Libertyville, IL 60048

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

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Does Volo, Illinois have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size?

Yes. The Village of Volo, in Lake County, Illinois, adopted its own zoning ordinance in 2000 and revised it in 2021¹. The ordinance sets districts including RC, RE, RL, R2, MU-1, MU-2, B1/PUD, B2, B3, LX, OR, OS and a CO overlay⁹. The district decides what you can build, so look up the district for a parcel before you make an offer.

Minimum lot sizes for single-family homes differ sharply by district:

In the RC Rural Countryside district, every principal use needs a lot of at least 5 acres, with a street yard of at least 40 feet⁵.
In the RE Rural Estate district, a single-family home needs at least 43,500 square feet, including 30,000 square feet of soil suitable for an individual septic system¹⁰.
In the RL Low Density district, the minimum is 30,000 square feet¹¹.
In the R2 Medium Density district, the minimum is 18,000 square feet⁶.

For accessory dwellings, the ordinance allows accessory senior citizen dwellings inside single-family detached homes only as a temporary use, on a permit that lasts two years and can be renewed⁷. We could not confirm Volo's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, manufactured homes or setbacks; ask Village Hall before you plan around any of them.

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

Building permit applications inside the Village of Volo go to Village Hall at 500 S. Fish Lake Rd., or by email to the building department². The village's permit page lists the required documents: an application, a description of work with plans, a contractor proposal, an HOA approval letter, a plat of survey for outdoor projects, and trade licenses where they apply².

The village states a review time of 5-10 business days⁴. The village also tells applicants to call or email Village Hall to learn whether a permit is required for a given project before starting work⁴. We could not confirm the building code the village has adopted, inspection steps or permit fees, so ask the Building Department for the adopted codes and the fee schedule.

Who is the Volo building department and how do you reach it?

The Village of Volo Building Department takes permit applications at Village Hall, 500 S. Fish Lake Rd., Volo, IL 60073, Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4 PM⁴. The office can be reached at (847)740-6982 or building@villageofvolo.com⁴. Volo's permits are the village's own, so the Lake County permit counter that serves unincorporated land is not the right office for an address inside village limits.

How do septic permits work in Volo?

Septic permits are not a village function. The Lake County Health Department regulates treatment and dispersal of sewage from septic systems on properties not served by a public sewer system, and the county health department is the septic authority for Lake County¹². Illinois requires plan approval from the state health department or the local authority before a new private sewage disposal system is built¹³.

If a lot in Volo is on public sewer, no septic system is involved; if it is not, the septic permit comes first. In the RE district the village ordinance requires 30,000 square feet of soil suitable for an individual septic system¹⁰. Lake County's soils make that a real constraint: USDA rates 0% of soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁴. We could not confirm septic fees or inspection steps; the Health Department at 847-377-8020 can answer for a specific address³.

Building a home in Volo: the steps, in order

Find the zoning district of the parcel and read its lot rules in the village zoning ordinance¹.
Ask Village Hall whether the project needs a building permit, and get the adopted building codes and fee schedule⁴.
If the lot has no public sewer, contact the Lake County Health Department about septic plan approval before any construction begins³¹³.
If the lot needs a private well, get a permit from the Illinois Department of Public Health or an approved local health department before work starts⁸.
If you are dividing land, obtain all rezoning, variation and special use approvals before submitting a final plat of subdivision¹⁵.
Submit the permit package: application, plans, contractor proposal, HOA letter, plat of survey and trade licenses as they apply².

What stays with Lake County, and what should you check before you buy?

Septic systems and wells run through health authorities rather than the village: Lake County Health Department for septic³, and the Illinois Department of Public Health or an approved local health department for well permits⁸. For land outside Volo's limits, the county's rules apply instead; see the Lake County page.

County-level numbers give context: Lake County's effective property tax rate is 2.7%¹⁶, and the median property tax bill is $8,743 a year¹⁷. Farmland in the county averages $15,913 per acre¹⁸.

Watch-outs

Volo's building code adoption, inspections, occupancy certificates, permit fees, flood rules and short-term rental rules were not confirmed; ask the Village of Volo Building Department before you buy⁴.
Volo's RV, tiny home and manufactured home rules are unconfirmed, so do not assume you can live on the land in an RV while you build; ask Village Hall⁴.
Whether a given Volo address is on public sewer decides whether a septic permit is needed; confirm with the Lake County Health Department³.

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 Volo publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lake County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Volo, Illinois