Where can I run a contractor’s yard or outdoor storage in Lake County, IL?
See which Lake County towns list a contractor’s yard or outdoor storage by right or by special use, the zoning districts and written conditions, and the questions to ask before you buy or lease a site.
A contractor’s yard or outdoor storage yard is allowed by right in at least one zoning district in 11 of the 55 cities and villages with land in Lake County, and in 18 more it is listed only as a special use. In 25 towns the code does not name one, in 1 (Volo) the code contradicts itself, and on unincorporated land the County lists contractor’s storage yards in its industrial districts.
Where a contractor’s yard is allowed in Lake County
Each of the 55 cities and villages with land in Lake County writes its own zoning code. Tap a town to open its districts in the Zoning Lookup. White space is unincorporated land, zoned by Lake County.
11 towns allow a contractor’s yard or outdoor storage by right
The listed uses need no special use hearing in the listed districts. The conditions are the ones the code writes into the use list, plus district rules that bear on a yard; ask the town which permits, site plan review and fencing rules apply to your plan.
| Town | District | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Antioch | M-1 Light Manufacturing DistrictListed as “Outdoor Storage, Contained Material” M-2 Manufacturing DistrictListed as “Outdoor Storage, Contained Material” Other storage listings are a special use in M-1 and M-2 Unclear in B-1 and B-2: listed as “Construction/Contractor Storage Yard”, but the district rule keeps business activity inside completely enclosed buildings; ask the Village which governs | M-1: Contained material by right; uncontained raw materials are a special use. Outdoor storage must be screened by an 8-foot solid fence (Sec. 10-8-3). M-2: Contained material by right; uncontained raw materials are a special use. |
| Arlington Heights (partly in Lake County) | M-2 Limited Heavy Manufacturing DistrictListed as “Construction Yard” | District rule: business, production, servicing and processing take place inside enclosed buildings unless otherwise specified; the yard is listed by right. Ask the Village how it applies the rule to a yard. Minimum district size 4 acres. |
| Beach Park | CS Commercial Service DistrictListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” and “Landscape contractor's storage yard” and “Machinery storage yard” LI Limited Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” and “Landscape contractor's storage yard” and “Machinery storage yard” In the corridor overlay districts (GB/Wads-N, GB/Wads-R, Sheridan-N, and Sheridan-R), a use with outdoor storage is a conditional use | No written condition in the use list |
| Fox Lake | M-1 Limited Manufacturing DistrictListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” M-2 General Manufacturing DistrictListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” Special use in B-2 and B-3 | No written condition in the use list |
| Gurnee | I-1 Restricted Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor Storage Yard” I-2 General Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor Storage Yard” I-3 Intensive Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor Storage Yard” Other storage listings are a special use in I-2 and I-3 Special use in C-3 | I-1: District description: work may be indoors or outdoors. |
| Hainesville | B-1 Commercial/Business DistrictListed as “Outdoor storage” ORD Office, Research, and Development DistrictListed as “Outdoor storage” | B-1: Permitted with standards; ask the Village for them. Listed separately from accessory outdoor storage. ORD: Permitted with standards; ask the Village for them. District description: only parking, loading and limited outdoor storage of materials and equipment may be outside. |
| Island Lake | I Light Manufacturing DistrictListed as “Machinery storage yard” Other storage listings are a special use in I Special use in B-1, B-2, B-3, and ORI | No written condition in the use list |
| Lake Bluff | S Service DistrictListed as “Contracting equipment yards” | Service District, made for material and equipment yards: buildings plus outdoor loading and storage may cover no more than 50% of the lot, stored materials may not exceed 12 feet, storage areas need an opaque fence at least 8 feet high. |
| Round Lake | I-1 Limited Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor office with shop/warehouse/yard” I-2 General Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor office with shop/warehouse/yard” Special use in C-3 | No written condition in the use list |
| Winthrop Harbor | B-5 General Storage DistrictListed as “The outdoor storage of large goods and materials, including but not limited to boats, recreational vehicles, motor vehicles, building materials, large mechanical equipment and construction equipment and materials.” | Outdoor storage of large goods and materials (boats, RVs, motor vehicles, building materials, large mechanical equipment, construction equipment and materials) by right. B-5 is a General Storage District (indoor and outdoor storage, mini-warehouses, contractors' offices; sales and service subordinate to storage). Its contractors' office listing requires that office's material storage to be enclosed. |
| Zion | L-M Light Manufacturing DistrictListed as “Contractor's storage yards provided they are screened from view in accordance with Article VI, Section 102-152(7)” G-3 General Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor's storage yards provided they are screened from view in accordance with Article VI, Section 102-152(7)” | L-M, G-3: Screened from view under Article VI, Sec. 102-152(7). |
18 towns list it only as a special use
Here the code lists a contractor’s yard or outdoor storage as a special use (some codes say conditional use): a public hearing and a board vote. In Lake Villa, North Chicago and Wheeling, truck or bus parking is by right, but a yard for equipment and materials is a special use, so they are counted here. Round Lake Park is counted here too: its by-right listing covers only a business holding an Illinois EPA permit.
| Town | District | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Grove | I Industrial DistrictListed as “Outside storage (at least 150 feet from a residential district boundary, enclosed by a solid wall or fence at least six feet high and no lower than the stored material)” | At least 150 ft from a residential district boundary; enclosed by a solid wall or fence at least 6 ft high and no lower than the stored material. |
| Deerfield | C-2 Outlying Commercial DistrictListed as “Open Sales or Storage Areas, provided that each such area is located at least 150 feet from a residential district and is adequately screened” I-2 Limited Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractors’ Offices and Shops which include outside storage of materials and equipment when located not less than five hundred (500) feet from a residential district” | C-2: Each area at least 150 ft from a residential district and adequately screened. Listed as open sales or storage. I-2: Contractor's office and shop with outside storage of materials and equipment, at least 500 ft from a residential district. |
| Green Oaks | LI Limited Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” and “Machinery storage yard” II Intensive Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” and “Machinery storage yard” CB Community Business DistrictListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” GI General Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” and “Machinery storage yard” | GI: District rule: permitted principal uses are indoor unless the code notes otherwise; the yard is a special use. |
| Hawthorn Woods | AB Agricultural Business DistrictListed as “Landscape contracting business and equipment yard” | AB district: 5 contiguous acres minimum (3 for historic property). |
| Highland Park | B3 Highway Commercial DistrictListed as “Open Storage Yards” I Light Industrial DistrictListed as “Open Storage Yards” | No written condition in the use list |
| Lake Villa | LI Limited IndustrialListed as “Contractor's equipment storage, yard” and “Landscape contractor's storage yard” and “Machinery storage yard” LI-2 Limited Industrial 2Listed as “Contractor's equipment storage, yard” and “Landscape contractor's storage yard” and “Machinery storage yard” Truck or bus parking is by right in LI and LI-2 (listed as “Bus maintenance shop and bus parking lot” and “Truck parking”); see truck parking below | No written condition in the use list |
| Lake Zurich | I Industrial DistrictListed as “General building contractors (15) with outdoor storage” and “Heavy construction contractors (16) with outdoor storage” and “Special trade contractors (17) with outdoor storage” | Special use in I with outdoor storage; the same contractors without outdoor storage are permitted in I. |
| Lakemoor (partly in Lake County) | I-1 Industrial DistrictListed as “Construction yard” | No written condition in the use list |
| Lindenhurst | PBC Planned Business Center DistrictListed as “Outdoor storage” BK Business Park DistrictListed as “Outdoor storage” | PBC, BK: Special use in PBC and BK; in CB it is accessory only. Ask the Village whether the PBC and BK listings allow outdoor storage as a use of its own. |
| North Chicago | M1 Limited Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractors Shop/Yard” listings for 8 trades, such as “Contractors Shop/Yard - General” and “Contractors Shop/Yard - Landscaping” M2 General Industrial DistrictListed as “Bulk Material Storage Yard” and “Contractors Shop/Yard” listings for 11 trades, such as “Contractors Shop/Yard - General” and “Contractors Shop/Yard - Landscaping” M3 Intensive Industrial DistrictListed as “Bulk Material Storage Yard” and “Contractors Shop/Yard” listings for 11 trades, such as “Contractors Shop/Yard - General” and “Contractors Shop/Yard - Landscaping” Truck or bus parking is by right in M2 and M3 (listed as “Truck Storage”); see truck parking below | M1, M2, M3: Outdoor storage yards need a 6-ft solid fence (Sec. 4.12). My database has only the City’s M1, M2, M3 and OR districts; ask the City about the others. |
| Round Lake Beach | I-2 General Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor storage yard, including organized storage of unconfined bulk materials” | Includes organized storage of unconfined bulk materials. |
| Round Lake Park | I-1 Limited Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor Offices and Equipment Storage Yard” and “Outdoor storage” I-2 General Industrial DistrictListed as “Outdoor storage of uncontained bulk materials” By right in I-1 only for a business holding an Illinois EPA permit, processed materials only, in concrete bins inside landscaped berms 10 to 14 feet high; otherwise a special use | I-1: District rule: operations enclosed; outdoor storage is a special use unless the business holds an Illinois EPA permit. I-2: Uncontained bulk materials outdoors: special use. |
| Third Lake | LI Light Industrial DistrictListed as “Outdoor Storage (principal use)” | Special use in LI; accessory outdoor storage is permitted in LI. |
| Vernon Hills | B-1 General Business DistrictListed as “Landscape, construction and architectural offices and yard (screened storage; no retail sales)” | Office and yard; screened storage; no retail sales. |
| Wadsworth | LI Light industrialListed as “Contractor's storage yard” and “Storage yard, finished materials” and “Storage yard, finished product” and “Storage yard, raw materials” LI-1 Light industrialListed as “Contractor's storage yard” and “Storage yard, finished product” LI-2 Light industrialListed as “Contractor's storage yard” and “Storage yard, finished materials” and “Storage yard, finished product” and “Storage yard, raw materials” | No written condition in the use list |
| Wauconda | GB General Business ZoneListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” LI Limited Industrial ZoneListed as “Contractor's equipment storage yard” and “Machinery storage yard” and “Wholesaling and storage of goods, not completely enclosed” | LI: Goods storage not completely enclosed; special use. |
| Waukegan | I Light Industrial DistrictListed as “Contractor Yard” | No written condition in the use list |
| Wheeling (partly in Lake County) | I-1 Light Industrial and Office DistrictListed as “Wholesale and distribution facility, outdoor” I-2 Limited Industrial DistrictListed as “Outdoor storage (principal)” and “Wholesale and distribution facility, outdoor” I-3 General Industrial DistrictListed as “Outdoor storage (principal)” and “Wholesale and distribution facility, outdoor” I-4 Heavy Industrial DistrictListed as “Outdoor storage (principal)” and “Wholesale and distribution facility, outdoor” Truck or bus parking is by right in I-1, I-2, I-3, and I-4 (listed as “Heavy motor vehicle parking lot, small” and “Heavy motor vehicle parking lot, large”); see truck parking below Unclear in MXI: listed as “Wholesale and distribution facility, outdoor”, but the mixed-use districts say outdoor storage shall not be permitted; ask the Village which governs | I-1, I-2, I-3, I-4: Defined by outdoor storage; special use. I-2, I-3, I-4: Outdoor storage as a principal use: special use. |
The code does not name a contractor’s yard or outdoor storage as a use of its own (25):
Unclear (1):
- Volo: the LI district lists “Contractors, architects and engineers offices, shops and yards”, but its district rule keeps industrial work inside an enclosed building and prohibits outdoor storage. Ask the Village which governs.
Unincorporated Lake County. The County’s code lists “Contractor’s equipment sales or storage (outdoor)” and “Landscape contractor’s storage yard” as permitted in its LI and II districts and as special uses in GC, with use standards in Sec. 151.112(CC) and (FF) that are not in my database. Ask the County for them before you rely on the listing. Lake County Planning, Building & Development: (847) 377-2600.
What approval means for a yard
A special use goes to a public hearing, usually before the plan commission or zoning board. The commission makes a recommendation, and the village board or city council votes. The steps and names vary by town; the Lake County Commercial Zoning Guide explains how they work across the county.
In 18 of the 29 towns in the by-right and special-use tables, the yard listing itself has no written conditions. Conditions can also come with the special use approval, on top of the town’s general standards, fencing and landscaping rules. These conditions come from the use listings and district rules:
| Condition in the code | Towns |
|---|---|
| Solid fence, wall or screening8 ft in Antioch’s M-1 and Lake Bluff’s S, 6 ft in North Chicago and Buffalo Grove | 8 · Antioch (M-1), Buffalo Grove (I), Deerfield (C-2), Lake Bluff (S), North Chicago (M1, M2, and M3), Round Lake Park (I-1), Vernon Hills (B-1), Zion (L-M and G-3) |
| Distance from residential districts150 ft from a residential district in Buffalo Grove and Deerfield’s C-2, 500 ft in Deerfield’s I-2 | 2 · Buffalo Grove (I), Deerfield (C-2 and I-2) |
| Height of stored material12 ft in Lake Bluff; in Buffalo Grove the fence must be no lower than the material | 2 · Buffalo Grove (I), Lake Bluff (S) |
| Share of the lotBuildings plus outdoor storage at most 50% of the lot | 1 · Lake Bluff (S) |
| What may be storedContained or uncontained material, processed material, no commercial vehicles | 3 · Antioch (M-1 and M-2), Island Lake (ORI), Round Lake Park (I-1 and I-2) |
| Use standards in another section of the codeThe County’s listings cite them too | 3 · Hainesville (B-1 and ORD), Round Lake Park (I-1), Zion (L-M and G-3) |
| Part of a planned developmentRound Lake’s downtown | 1 · Round Lake (C-3) |
Truck, trailer and bus parking
Some codes list parking for trucks, trailers or buses as a use of its own, separate from a contractor’s yard. It is by right in 4 towns:
- Beach Park: CS and LI, listed as “Bus maintenance shop and bus parking lot” and “Truck parking”
- Lake Villa: LI and LI-2, listed as “Bus maintenance shop and bus parking lot” and “Truck parking”
- North Chicago: M2 and M3, listed as “Truck Storage”
- Wheeling (partly in Lake County): I-1, I-2, I-3, and I-4, listed as “Heavy motor vehicle parking lot, small” and “Heavy motor vehicle parking lot, large”
The County lists “Bus parking” and “Truck/trailer parking” as permitted in its LI and II districts. In 6 more towns a vehicle storage or parking listing is a special use only:
- Antioch: “Recreational Vehicle/Bus Storage”
- Green Oaks: “Bus maintenance shop and bus parking lot”
- Gurnee: “Vehicle Operation Facility - With Outdoor Storage”
- Highland Park: “Taxicab Storage”
- Lakemoor: “Motor freight and cartage storage yard”
- Zion: “Commercial vehicle and commercial equipment parking facility”
What to look for in a yard
Questions to ask the town and your engineer before you make an offer or sign a lease. They are not engineering or legal advice.
Is the yard allowed on its own, or only with a building?
A yard listed as a use in its own right is different from outdoor storage that goes with a business in a building. The second is often capped as a share of the lot: Libertyville allows it by right on up to 15% of the lot in its I-1, I-2 and I-3 districts. Ask the town which one your plan is.
Is the existing yard approved?
If a yard is already there, ask the town whether it was approved by special use, is allowed by right, or continues as a legal nonconforming use, and get the ordinance or letter that says so. A nonconforming yard can carry limits on expansion, changes of use and rebuilding after damage.
What fence or screening does the town require?
Ask before you price the site. Antioch requires an 8-foot solid fence in M-1, Lake Bluff an opaque fence at least 8 feet high in S, North Chicago a 6-foot solid fence for storage yards, and Buffalo Grove a solid wall or fence at least 6 feet high and no lower than the stored material.
How far is the yard from a residential district?
Some codes keep yards away from residential districts: 150 feet in Buffalo Grove’s I district and Deerfield’s C-2, and 500 feet for a contractor’s shop with outside storage in Deerfield’s I-2. Ask how the town measures it.
What will you store, and how high?
Some codes sort by material: Antioch allows contained material by right in its M-1 and M-2 districts and uncontained raw material only by special use, and Lake Bluff caps stored material at 12 feet in its S district. Tell the town what you will store and how you will stack it.
What surface and drainage will the town require?
The yard listings in my database do not specify a required surface, so ask the town what surface it requires for the yard and for parking, and whether changing the surface brings stormwater or site plan review.
Common questions
Which Lake County towns allow a contractor's yard by right?
Antioch, Arlington Heights (partly in Lake County), Beach Park, Fox Lake, Gurnee, Hainesville, Island Lake, Lake Bluff, Round Lake, Winthrop Harbor, and Zion. In each, a contractor's yard, storage yard or outdoor storage is allowed by right in at least one zoning district, with no special use hearing; the table on this page lists the districts and the conditions written into the listing. Ask the town which permits, site plan review and fencing rules apply to your plan.
Do I need a special use permit for a contractor's yard?
In 18 towns, yes: the code lists a contractor's yard or outdoor storage only as a special use. In 4 of the 11 by-right towns (Fox Lake, Gurnee, Island Lake, and Round Lake) a storage listing is also a special use in another district, and in Antioch's M-1 and M-2 districts uncontained raw material is a special use while contained material is by right. The required approval depends on the district and what you plan to store. A special use means a public hearing and a vote of the village board or city council.
Is a contractor's office or shop different from a yard?
Yes. 36 towns list contractors' offices or shops whose wording names no yard or outdoor storage, and in some of them the code says storage stays inside. This page counts only listings that name a yard or outdoor storage. In 13 of the towns where the code does not name a yard, a contractor's office or shop is listed; ask the town whether your equipment and materials can sit outside.
Can I park trucks and trailers on the lot?
Truck, trailer or bus parking is listed by right in 4 towns (Beach Park, Lake Villa, North Chicago, and Wheeling) and in the County's LI and II districts; the section on truck parking lists the districts. Parking that goes with another use is often treated separately, as an accessory use.
Can I store materials outside my building?
Often only as an accessory use, with limits. In 14 towns the use list names outdoor storage that goes with another use, often capped or screened. Libertyville, for example, allows it by right on up to 15 percent of the lot in its I-1, I-2 and I-3 districts, and more by special use. Ask the town how much of the lot you can use and how it must be screened.
How long does a special use take?
It varies by town. The schedule depends on the town's application deadlines, the public notice before the hearing, and how often its plan commission and board meet. Ask the town for its calendar before you set a closing or lease date, and make the purchase or lease contingent on the approval.
What if the town's code does not name a contractor's yard?
That is the case in 25 towns. Ask the town's zoning office how it treats a use its code does not name: whether it can be treated as similar to a listed use, or needs a code amendment. An existing yard may also continue as a legal nonconforming use. Ask before you spend money on a site.
Looking for a yard? Tell me what you need.
Tell me which towns you’re considering, the yard and building size you need, what you will store, and whether you want to buy or lease. I’ll check the zoning, find the sites that fit, and tell you what approvals to expect before you sign.
Own land where a contractor’s yard is allowed by right?
Only 11 Lake County towns list a contractor’s yard or outdoor storage as a use allowed by right. Tell me about the property and I’ll tell you what its zoning means for its value.
Jason Bitton is a commercial real estate broker with RE/MAX Commercial in Libertyville, IL — #1 RE/MAX Commercial Broker in Illinois (2022, 2024, 2025) — serving Lake County, the North Shore, the O’Hare corridor, and the Chicago suburbs.