Skokie, IL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Front yard minimum
- 25 feet (R1 district)
- Side yards, lot under 85 ft
- 2 yards, minimum 6 feet each
- Side yards, lot 85 ft or wider
- 20% of lot width combined, min 9 feet
- Rear yard
- 30 feet or 20% of lot depth, whichever is less
- Corner lot rear yard
- 5-foot minimum
- Section
- Skokie Village Code § 118-124(5)-(7)
Summary
In Skokie's R1 Single-Family district, homes must sit back at least 25 feet from the front lot line, keep 2 side yards of at least 6 feet each (or combined side yards of 20% of lot width with a 9-foot minimum on wider lots), and maintain a rear yard of at least 30 feet or 20% of lot depth, whichever is less.
(5)Front yard. The minimum front yard shall be 25 feet in depth.(6)Side yards.a.Detached residences with a lot width less than 85 feet: 2 side yards, neither of which is less than 6 feet in width.b.Detached residences with a lot width equal to or greater than 85 feet shall have combined side yards equal to 20 percent of the lot width, and neither yard shall be less than 9 feet in width. ... (7)Rear yard.a.The minimum rear yard shall be 30 feet in depth, or 20 percent of the depth of the lot, whichever is less.b.The minimum rear yard for a corner lot shall be 5 feet.
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 118-124 sets the bulk requirements for Skokie's R1 Single-Family zoning district, most recently amended for lot-width-based standards by Ord. No. 13-10-C-4010 on October 7, 2013 and Ord. No. 19-4-C-4451 on April 15, 2019. Subsection (5) fixes the minimum front yard at 25 feet in depth for every R1 lot, subject to the block-average adjustment in the neighboring Sec. 118-123 for blocks where most homes already sit at a different setback. Subsection (6) splits side-yard rules by lot width: a detached residence on a lot narrower than 85 feet needs 2 side yards, neither smaller than 6 feet, while a detached residence on a lot 85 feet wide or greater must provide combined side yards equal to 20 percent of the lot width, with neither individual side yard under 9 feet.
Nonresidential permitted and special uses in the R1 district need 2 side yards of at least 15 feet each, and a side yard abutting a street cannot be less than 17 feet except for a narrow, pre-existing corner-lot exception that preserves a 20-foot buildable width. Subsection (7) sets the rear yard at a minimum of 30 feet in depth or 20 percent of the lot depth, whichever produces the smaller number, but cuts the rear yard for a corner lot down to just 5 feet.
6 floor area ratio caps to control how much of an R1 lot a house can occupy in the Village of Skokie, Cook County, Illinois.
Violations & Fines
Building or expanding a home into the required front, side, or rear yard in the R1 district without a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals is a zoning violation; the Village's Community Development Department can deny a building permit, issue a stop-work order, or require removal of the encroaching structure until the yard is brought into compliance with Sec. 118-124.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back from the street must a house sit in Skokie's R1 district?
What are the side yard rules for a Skokie R1 home?
How big must a rear yard be in Skokie's R1 district?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Skokie
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Setback Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle setback rules.