Bolthole Index

Peoria County, Illinois

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

The Village of Bellevue, Illinois adopts its own zoning chapter and requires a village building permit to erect a new building or structure12. Living in an RV is not allowed in the R-1 residential district3. Septic permits in Peoria County come from the Peoria City/County Health Department4; we could not confirm whether anything differs inside village limits.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: the village adopts its own zoning chapter with R-1, C-3, I-1 and other districts1
Building permit
Required to erect a new building or structure; agricultural buildings and routine repairs are exempt2
Building code
Village has adopted the 2024 International Residential Code, with village amendments5
Septic
County health department issues septic permits countywide; village-specific rules unconfirmed64
RV living
Not allowed in R-1; guest RVs limited to 30 days3
Minimum home size
800 sq ft in R-17
Second dwelling on lot
Accessory buildings in R-1 cannot be used as a dwelling8

Who to call

Septic permits

Peoria City/County Health Department, Environmental Health Division

Reviews onsite wastewater treatment system (septic) plans, issues permits, and inspects installation and repair in Peoria County

309-679-6161

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

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Does Bellevue, Illinois have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. The Village of Bellevue adopts a zoning chapter, Chapter 42 of its code, with R-1, C-3, I-1 and other districts, and it applies to land inside the village1. Peoria County's own Planning and Zoning office serves only unincorporated properties, so it is not the office for a lot in Bellevue9.

In the R-1 General Residential District, every dwelling must have at least 800 square feet7. That floor matters for tiny homes: we found no tiny-home provision, so a dwelling under 800 square feet would not meet the R-1 rule7. Lots need a minimum width of 50 feet, and buildings may cover no more than 20 percent of a lot10. We found no minimum lot area. Only one dwelling is permitted per R-1 lot, and an accessory building cannot be used as a dwelling8.

Setbacks in R-1 include a front setback of at least 25 feet (the alignment of existing buildings can adjust it) and a rear setback of at least 5 feet; accessory buildings must sit at least 60 feet back from the front lot line11. Other districts were not reviewed, so ask the village which district a specific lot is in.

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

Yes. Bellevue's code requires a building permit to erect a new building or structure inside the village2. Routine maintenance or repair, agricultural buildings and service connections to a municipal utility do not need one, and storage buildings over 140 square feet do2. The village exempts one-story detached accessory structures of 80 square feet or less2. An agricultural dwelling is not exempt for water supply and sewage facilities12.

The village has adopted the 2024 International Residential Code, subject to village amendments5. The permit comes from the village, not Peoria County, whose permit office serves unincorporated land9. Contact Bellevue village hall for the application. We could not confirm the village's permit fees, its general inspection schedule or whether it has an owner-builder provision, so ask the village before you plan a budget.

A home on a lot also needs a driveway. A permit from the village clerk is needed for a driveway crossing a public sidewalk or parkway, and the approach is inspected before the occupancy permit13.

How do septic permits work inside Bellevue?

Peoria County septic permits come from the Peoria City/County Health Department, and a permit is required before construction or repair of an onsite wastewater system begins414. The permit is valid for 12 months and becomes void if construction has not started in that time4.

Whether a Bellevue lot may use a septic system at all is a separate question. The county health authority may refuse an onsite permit where a sanitary sewer is available15. We could not confirm Bellevue's sewer or water connection rules or its private-well rules, so ask the village hall whether sewer reaches the lot before you plan a septic system.

Illinois requires a permit for a new water well from the Illinois Department of Public Health or an approved local health department16.

Can you live in an RV in Bellevue, Illinois?

In the R-1 district, no person may live in an RV3. A guest-owned RV may stay no more than 30 days and must meet county health department water and sewage rules; an owner's RV may be stored temporarily, but no person may live in it3. RVs go only in side or rear yards, not the front yard, and a separate chapter restricts parking and storage of RVs on residential property3.

Living in an RV while you build on an R-1 lot in Bellevue is not an option under the village code3. Rules for other districts were not reviewed, and we found no village camping provision. Ask the village before parking an RV on any lot you plan to buy.

Building a home in Bellevue: the steps, in order

  1. Ask Bellevue village hall which zoning district the lot is in, and confirm the lot meets that district's width, coverage and setback rules1.
  2. Confirm whether public sewer and water reach the lot; if the lot may use septic, apply to the Peoria City/County Health Department first4.
  3. Apply for the village building permit for the new structure2.
  4. Build to the 2024 International Residential Code as the village has amended it5.
  5. Get the driveway permit from the village clerk if the drive crosses a public sidewalk or parkway, and have the approach inspected before the occupancy permit13.

What stays with Peoria County, and what to check before you buy in Bellevue

Outside village limits the rules change. Unincorporated Peoria County has its own building permit office; see the Peoria County page for land outside Bellevue. Septic permits and well permits are handled by the health department countywide617. The county also requires a floodplain development permit before any development in a Special Flood Hazard Area in the unincorporated county18; we could not confirm a village floodplain rule.

County-level numbers: Peoria County's effective property tax rate is 2.2 percent19 and the typical home value is $167,27320. The nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 8 miles from the county center21.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Bellevue's building permit fees, general inspection schedule, floodplain rules or well rules; ask village hall before you buy2.
  • We could not confirm whether the village or the county health department reviews septic systems inside village limits, so call the Peoria City/County Health Department before assuming a lot can use septic414.
  • Bellevue's RV rule reviewed here covers the R-1 residential district only; other districts may differ3.
  • Searches for Bellevue, Illinois often return Bellevue in other states; confirm the page names Peoria County, Illinois1.

Sources

  1. Bellevue Code Sec. 42-87 R-1 General Residential District (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  2. Bellevue Code Sec. 8-51 Building permit required (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  3. Bellevue Code Sec. 42-87 R-1 General Residential District (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Wastewater, quoted and re-checked
  5. Bellevue Code Sec. 8-23 Adopted by reference (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  6. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems, quoted and re-checked
  7. Bellevue Code Sec. 42-87 R-1 General Residential District (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  8. Bellevue Code Sec. 42-87 R-1 General Residential District (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  9. Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  10. Bellevue Code Sec. 42-87 R-1 General Residential District (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  11. Bellevue Code Sec. 42-87 R-1 General Residential District (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  12. Bellevue Code Sec. 8-51 Building permit required (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  13. Bellevue Code Sec. 32-104 Driveways generally (Village of Bellevue), quoted and re-checked
  14. Peoria City/County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (pcchd.org)
  15. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  16. 77 Ill. Admin. Code 920.130, Water Well Permit Requirements (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Application for Permit to Construct or Modify a Water Well, quoted and re-checked
  18. Build Responsibly, quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  21. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data

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 Bellevue

Village of Bellevue’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erecting new buildings or structures inside Bellevue village

    • No permit for routine maintenance or repair, agricultural buildings, or service connections to a municipal utility
    • Storage buildings over 140 sq ft need a permit
    • Sec. 8-29 exempts one-story detached accessory structures of 80 sq ft or less
    “(3) to erect a new building or structure or part thereof.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Bellevue village

    • Subject to village amendments in Secs. 8-24 and 8-29
    • Codes do not apply to interior non-structural work on existing buildings or to structures under 140 sq ft (Sec. 8-23(b))
    • IFGC, IMC and IPMC are the 2006 editions; IBC, IEBC and IRC are 2024; NEC is the most recent edition

    International Residential Code edition: 2024

    “the village has adopted the following construction-related codes as though fully set forth in this chapter, subject to amendments and modifications provided in this article:”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Bellevue village; the village adopts a zoning chapter (Chapter 42) with R-1, C-3, I-1 and other districts

    “the r-1 general residential district is designed to protect and preserve quiet, low-density residential areas that are presently developed or will be developed with dwellings.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Dwellings in the R-1 General Residential District inside Bellevue village

    • The text says every dwelling constructed in the village
    • Other districts not reviewed

    minimum dwelling area: >= 800 sq ft

    “every dwelling constructed in the village shall have an area of not less than 800 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots in the R-1 General Residential District inside Bellevue village

    • Only a minimum lot width is stated; no minimum lot area was seen
    • Zero lot line waivers may apply by special use permit

    minimum lot width: >= 50 ft

    “every lot shall have a minimum width of 50 feet; not more than 20 percent of the area of any lot shall be occupied by buildings.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Buildings in the R-1 General Residential District inside Bellevue village

    • Front setback may follow the alignment of existing buildings if 40 percent or more of the frontage is improved, but need not exceed 50 feet
    • Side setback is 10 percent of lot frontage and never less than 5 feet
    • Accessory buildings must be at least 60 feet from the front lot line

    front setback from right-of-way: >= 25 ft (alignment rule) · rear setback: >= 5 ft · accessory building from front lot line: >= 60 ft

    “(j) no building shall be constructed less than five feet from a rear property line.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Lots in the R-1 General Residential District inside Bellevue village

    maximum building coverage: <= 20 percent of lot area

    “not more than 20 percent of the area of any lot shall be occupied by buildings.”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    Recreational vehicles on lots in the R-1 General Residential District inside Bellevue village

    • Guest-owned RV may stay no more than 30 days and must comply with county health department water supply and sewage rules
    • Owner's RV may be stored temporarily but no person may live in it
    • RV must be placed only in side or rear yards, not the front yard
    • Chapter 38 separately restricts parking and storage of RVs on residential property

    guest RV stay: <= 30 days

    “no persons may live in a recreational vehicle so stored.”
  • Accessory dwellingsProhibited

    Accessory buildings in the R-1 General Residential District inside Bellevue village

    • No more than one dwelling is permitted on any lot in R-1
    • Zero lot line multiple dwellings need a special use permit (Sec. 42-90)
    “no accessory building shall be used as a dwelling.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agricultural buildings, structures and land inside Bellevue village (building permit)

    • Water supply and sewage facilities for an agricultural dwelling are not exempt
    “(2) buildings, structures or land used or to be used for agriculture shall be exempt; however, in the interest of public health, the water supply and sewage facilities in connection with an agriculture dwelling use shall not be exempt.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Parcels improved with a residential structure inside Bellevue village

    • A permit from the village clerk is needed for a driveway crossing a public sidewalk or parkway
    • Driveway approaches must be inspected before the occupancy permit
    “Every parcel of real estate that is improved with a residential structure shall have a driveway, which shall be constructed at the expense of the owner.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Bellevue village
  • Inspections — General building inspections inside Bellevue village
  • Building height — Building height limits inside Bellevue village
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Bellevue village
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Bellevue village
10 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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

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