Bolthole Index

Coles County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Mattoon, Illinois

Mattoon, Illinois has a city building-permit process and adopted building codes; start with Community Development and Code Enforcement for a home project.12 Mattoon sets district-specific zoning, rather than following the no-county-zoning rule for land outside municipal jurisdictions in Coles County.34 Private septic construction needs a city permit, and Coles County Health Department also reviews private sewage plans.56

At a glance

Building permits
City plan review and building-permit process; confirm the scope of your work1
Zoning
City districts and district-specific controls3
Septic permits
City Superintendent’s written permit; coordinate county health review56
Lot size
RS: 8,400 square feet and 70-foot width; RI: 7,500 square feet and 50-foot width78
Occupancy
Certificate required for newly erected or altered buildings before use9
Owner-builder
State plumbing exemption is conditional; no general local permit exemption established1011

Who to call

Building permits

Mattoon Community Development and Code Enforcement

Building-permit plan review, zoning questions and municipal application forms

217-234-7367

[email protected]

208 North 19th Street Mattoon, Illinois 61938

Roads & driveways

Mattoon Public Works Department

Water, sewer, drainage and public right-of-way coordination; ask who signs the city private-sewage permit

217-235-5460

208 North 19th Street, Mattoon, Illinois 61938

Health department

Coles County Health Department, Environmental Health

Environmental Health programs for sewage systems and water wells

(217) 348-0530

[email protected]

753 Windsor Road, Charleston, IL 61920

Septic permits

Coles County Health Department Sewage Program

Private sewage plan approval, site and final inspections, soil-evaluation guidance, and complaints

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Mattoon means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Mattoon, IL?

Mattoon’s Building Inspections Office reviews plans for issuance of a building permit, including plans for homes, duplexes and detached garages.1 Mattoon has adopted the 2024 International Building Code with local revisions, while dwellings are separately governed by the adopted residential code.2 For a home or duplex, the city requests a plot plan showing building size and location, adjacent streets, off-street parking and drive entrances.1 Ask Code Enforcement which building, plumbing and mechanical applications your project needs and which inspections to schedule; we could not confirm the complete list of work requiring a building permit.

Who issues building permits and handles zoning in Mattoon?

Mattoon Community Development and Code Enforcement is the city contact for building-permit plan submissions and planning or zoning assistance.1 Call 217-234-7367 or email [email protected]; the office is at City Hall, 208 North 19th Street, Mattoon, Illinois 61938.1 If someone other than the owner applies for the building permit, Mattoon requires certification from the owner.1 Keep sewer questions with Public Works and private sewage review with the county health department as well as the city Superintendent’s municipal septic-permit process.12613

Does Mattoon have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Mattoon has residential, commercial, industrial and corridor-development zoning districts with district-specific controls.3 In Mattoon’s RS Suburban District, a single-family dwelling requires a lot of at least 8,400 square feet and a width of at least 70 feet.7 In the RI Single-Family Residence District, the corresponding minimums are 7,500 square feet and 50 feet.8 Those figures describe lot dimensions, not minimum house floor area.78 Ask Mattoon Planning and Zoning for the parcel’s district, setbacks and allowed uses before choosing a house footprint.1 Mattoon lists rezoning petitions at $300, variances at $200 and special-use petitions at $300; these are zoning petition fees, not building-permit fees.14

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Mattoon?

Before constructing a private sewage disposal system in Mattoon, the owner must obtain a written permit signed by the city Superintendent, using a city form with required plans and specifications; the municipal permit and inspection fee is $90.5 Coles County Health Department’s sewage program also approves private sewage plans and conducts site and final inspections, so ask both offices to confirm the review sequence before construction.613 The county sewage program identifies a soil evaluation as the first step for a new system.6 Mattoon prohibits sewage-disposal facilities except through the pathways provided in its sewer chapter.15 When public sewer becomes available, Mattoon requires connection within 60 days and cleaning and filling the private system.16

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Mattoon?

We could not confirm whether Mattoon allows private-lot RV living, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy; ask Mattoon Planning and Zoning about the proposed use and address before buying. Mattoon’s zoning districts have different controls, so a residential district designation alone does not settle an unconventional housing proposal.3 Mattoon also requires an occupancy certificate before a newly erected or altered building is occupied or used, with the certificate application made alongside the building-permit application.9 For an owner doing plumbing, Illinois provides a conditional exemption for qualifying owner occupants, but requires code compliance and inspections and restricts who may assist.10 Illinois does not erase local plumbing-permit requirements for qualifying owners.11

Building a home in Mattoon: what should you check first?

Start with Mattoon Planning and Zoning to confirm the parcel’s district and fit the proposed home to the applicable lot controls.13 Next, prepare the home plot plan for city building-permit review, including parking and drive entrances.1 Coordinate public water, sewer and drainage questions with Mattoon Public Works; if private sewage is proposed, arrange the city septic permit and county health plan review before construction.1256 New private wells require permits through Illinois public-health authorities, but we could not confirm Mattoon’s own potable-well restriction; ask the city and county health department before planning a well.1718 Finish the city occupancy-certificate process before using a newly erected or altered building.9 For land outside Mattoon’s jurisdiction, read the Coles County guide: the county’s absence of zoning applies outside the listed municipal zoning jurisdictions.4

Watch-outs

  • Mattoon’s lot-area minimums differ between RS and RI; confirm the district before relying on a listing’s lot dimensions.78
  • A Mattoon private septic approval does not guarantee permanent independence from public sewer: connection is required when sewer becomes available.16
  • We could not confirm private-lot RV living, tiny-home occupancy, minimum dwelling floor area or agricultural exemptions in Mattoon; ask Community Development and Code Enforcement before committing to the project.1

Sources

  1. Mattoon Community Development and Code Enforcement (mattoon.illinois.gov)
  2. § 150.01 Adoption of International Building Code (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 159: Zoning (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  4. Coles County Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  5. § 50.026 Written Permit to Be Obtained (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  6. Coles County Health Department Sewage Program (colesco.illinois.gov)
  7. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  8. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  9. § 159.67 Occupancy and Compliance Permits (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  10. HB5913 Enrolled — Illinois Plumbing License Law amendment (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. 225 ILCS 320/18 — Local regulation; Department standards (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Mattoon Public Works Department (mattoon.illinois.gov)
  13. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  14. Community Development and Code Enforcement (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  15. § 50.005 Privies, Septic Tanks and Other Facilities (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  16. § 50.032 Connecting Building Sewer to Public Sewer (Mattoon), quoted and re-checked
  17. Private Water & Closed Loop Wells, quoted and re-checked
  18. Coles County Health Department, Environmental Health (colesco.illinois.gov)

Written October 12, 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 Mattoon

Mattoon’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings and structures inside Mattoon city limits; one- and two-family dwellings are separately governed by the adopted residential code.

    • The 2024 International Building Code and supplements are adopted; the code is on file with the City Clerk; local revisions in §150.02 apply.

    edition: 2024 International Building Code

    “The International Building Code, 2024 edition, and all supplements thereto and hereafter, as published by the International Code Council, be and is hereby adopted as the Building Code of the city”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Any land or building occupied or used inside Mattoon city limits after erection or alteration.

    • Existing occupancy may continue except as necessary for safety of life or property.
    • Application is coincident with the building-permit application.
    • Certificate is issued within ten days after lawful erection or alteration is completed.

    issuance deadline: 10 days (after lawful erection or alteration has been completed)

    “No land shall be occupied or used and no building hereafter erected or altered shall be occupied or used in whole or in part for any purpose whatsoever until a certificate shall have been issued by the Building/Code Official stating that the building and use comply with all the building and health laws and chapters and with the provisions of this chapter.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts and district regulations inside Mattoon city limits.

    • The code identifies RS, RI, R1C, R2, R3, commercial, industrial, and corridor-development districts; district-specific controls apply.
    “159.22 RS Suburban District 159.23 RI Single-Family Residence District 159.24 R1C Single-Family Residence Compact Home District 159.25 R2 Two-Family Residence District 159.26 R3 Multiple-Family Residence District”
  • Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

    Private sewage disposal systems inside Mattoon city limits; the City Superintendent administers the municipal permit and inspection provisions.

    • Other state or health requirements may also apply; the Mattoon code separately requires compliance with state regulations in §50.028.
    “Before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Superintendent.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction of a private sewage disposal system inside Mattoon city limits.

    • Written permit must be signed by the Superintendent.
    • Application must use a City form and include plans, specifications, and other information deemed necessary.
    • Permit and inspection fee is $90.

    permit and inspection fee: 90 USD

    “Before commencement of construction of a private sewage disposal system, the owner shall first obtain a written permit signed by the Superintendent. The application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the city which the applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications and other information as deemed necessary by the Superintendent. A permit and inspection fee of $90 shall be paid to the city at the time the application is filed.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Construction of privies, septic tanks, cesspools, or other sewage-disposal facilities inside Mattoon city limits, except as provided in Chapter 50.

    • The chapter contains exceptions and a private-wastewater permitting pathway.
    “Except as provided in this chapter, it shall be unlawful to construct any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended to be used for the disposal of sewage.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Buildings inside Mattoon city limits when a public sewer becomes available.

    • Connection must occur within 60 days.
    • Private sewage disposal system must be cleaned of sludge and filled with clean bank run gravel or dirt.
    • Separate sewer-connection permit and fees apply.

    connection deadline: 60 days (when a public sewer becomes available)

    “When a public sewer becomes available, the building sewer shall be connected to said sewer within 60 days and the private sewage disposal system shall be cleaned of sludge and filled with clean bank run gravel or dirt.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Short-term rentals inside Mattoon city limits.

    • A special-use permit is required before advertising or promoting an STR.
    • Tier II STRs must be at least 1,200 feet from another Tier II STR lot.
    • Occupancy is limited to no more than two adults per bedroom and two additional adults per dwelling.
    • Noise, disclosure, parking, trash, burn-ban, accessibility, and manager-response requirements apply.

    Tier II separation: >= 1200 feet · occupancy: two adults per bedroom plus two additional adults per dwelling

    “The property manager and STR property owner of a STR may not advertise or promote, or allow another to advertise or promote, the dwelling as a short-term rental if they have not obtained a special use permit for a short-term rental.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Municipal sewer connection, private sewage disposal, and zoning petitions inside Mattoon city limits.

    • Fees differ by permit or petition type.
    • The City website lists rezoning at $300, variance at $200, and special use at $300.
    • The sewer code lists residential connection at $70, multifamily at $35 per unit, commercial at $90, and industrial at $150.
    • Private sewage disposal permit and inspection fee is $90.

    rezoning petition: 300 USD · variance petition: 200 USD · special-use petition: 300 USD · residential sewer connection: 70 USD

    “Rezoning ($300) – For changing the zoning classification of a property. Variance ($200) – For requesting an exception to zoning regulations. Special Use ($300) – For obtaining permission to use a property in a way not typically allowed under its current zoning classification.”

Rules another office applies inside Mattoon

Mattoon does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    RI Single-Family Residence District inside Mattoon city limits.

    • No single-family dwelling may be erected on a lot below the stated area or width.

    minimum lot area: >= 7500 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 50 feet

    “No single-family dwelling shall be erected on any lot having an area of less than 7,500 square feet or a width of less than 50 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — RS Suburban District inside Mattoon city limits.
      “No single-family dwelling shall be erected on any lot having an area of less than 8,400 square feet or a width less than 70 feet.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Mattoon or Coles County directly.

  • Building permit — Building construction inside Mattoon city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Mattoon city limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Mattoon city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwelling districts inside Mattoon city limits.
  • Living in an RV — RV or trailer occupancy on land inside Mattoon city limits.
5 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access

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

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