Skokie, IL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- R1 district
- 40% front yard / 50% total lot
- R2 district
- 55% front yard / 50% total lot
- R3 district
- 55% front yard / 65% total lot
- R4 detached residences
- 50% front yard / 50% total lot
- Permit requirement
- Required before any impermeable surface work
- Section
- Skokie Village Code § 118-122(c)
Summary
Skokie zoning caps the impermeable, or hard, surface on a residential lot rather than just building footprint: R1 lots may cover 40% of the front yard and 50% of total lot area, R2 lots 55%/50%, R3 lots 55%/65%, and R4 detached homes 50%/50%, with a Village permit required before any impermeable surface is built, installed, or replaced.
(c)Impermeable surfaces on lots with certain uses shall have a maximum area as indicated in the following chart:
Zone Use Required front yard Total lot area R1 all 40% 50% R2 all 55% 50% R3 all 55% 65% R4 detached residences 50% 50% 2-unit multifamily, and townhouse residences 55% 65% multifamily residences with 3 or more units 35% a b all other uses b b
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 205 | Zoning: Supplement 89).
Full Breakdown
Section 118-122 of the Skokie zoning ordinance, adopted by Ord. No. 19-4-C-4451 on April 15, 2019, regulates impermeable surface coverage separately from the building-coverage limits found in each district's own bulk section. Coverage under this section is defined as the combination of all buildings and impermeable surfaces on the lot, so driveways, patios, and walkways count toward the cap along with the house itself. The chart in subsection (c) sets two limits per district: a front-yard percentage and a total-lot-area percentage. R1 Single-Family lots are held to 40% impermeable surface in the front yard and 50% of the total lot; R2 lots may reach 55% in the front yard but stay at 50% overall; R3 lots may hit 55%/65%; and in the R4 district detached residences are capped at 50%/50% while 2-unit multifamily and townhouse residences may reach 55%/65%.
Multifamily buildings with 3 or more units are limited to 35% impermeable coverage in the front yard, with a footnoted exception letting a circular driveway push that figure to 50%, and carry no separate total-lot cap. Subsection (b) requires a Village permit before any impermeable surface is constructed, installed, or replaced in any district, and subsection (d) lets a permeable paver or permeable pavement installation count at only half its area toward the cap if it stores the runoff from a 10-minute, 100-year storm within its base.
Subsection (e) adds that residential permits involving excavation may require a grading plan, and no grade in the Village may be disturbed without a grading permit issued by the Director of Engineering.
Violations & Fines
Installing or replacing a driveway, patio, or other impermeable surface without the Sec. 118-122(b) permit, or building beyond the district's front-yard or total-lot percentage cap, is a zoning violation enforceable by the Village's Community Development and Engineering Departments, which can require removal or replacement of the excess surface and withhold occupancy or building permits until the lot is brought back into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much of my Skokie yard can be paved?
Do I need a permit to pour a new driveway in Skokie?
Do permeable pavers count against Skokie's lot coverage limit?
What is the impermeable surface limit for a multifamily building in Skokie?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Skokie
Compare Skokie to another location·View the Illinois building setbacks & zoning overview
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