Bolthole Index

DeKalb County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic in Village of Kingston, Illinois

Village of Kingston, Illinois uses its own residential building code, with local amendments, for homes inside village limits.1 Kingston prohibits living or sleeping in parked recreational vehicles.2 Private septic systems go through the DeKalb County Health Department, but Kingston’s sewer-connection and sanitation rules determine whether a private system is allowed.345

At a glance

Home construction
Village residential code with local amendments1
Zoning
District-specific building dimensions and lot coverage67
RV living
Living, sleeping and housekeeping in parked or stored RVs prohibited2
Septic permits
County Health Department; only where private sewage disposal is allowed35
Sewer connection
Required for covered buildings when public sewer is within 300 feet of the property line4
Private wells
Health Department permit required; published permit/inspection/sample fee $3108

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Kingston Building Inspector — B & F Construction

Village building inspection; contact for building permit requirements and application instructions

Zoning

Village of Kingston Office

Starting contact for village zoning and utility questions

Septic permits

DeKalb County Health Department, Environmental Health Division

Private sewage-disposal and well permits

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Village of Kingston, IL?

Kingston has adopted the 2021 International Residential Code with local amendments for detached single-family and two-family dwellings and qualifying townhouses.1 Kingston also adopts the International Building Code for construction governed by that code.9 Ask the village building inspector for the building permit application, required plans, current fees and inspection schedule before starting a house or alteration.10 Kingston’s residential-code amendments remove the ordinary permit exemption for sidewalks and driveways, so include access work in that conversation.11

Who handles building inspections and zoning in Village of Kingston?

Kingston lists B & F Construction as the village building inspector; use the building contact below to ask about your project’s building permit and inspections.10 For zoning and utility questions, start with the Village of Kingston office at the village contact below.12 Keep sewage approval separate: private sewage-disposal systems serving Kingston property are administered through the DeKalb County Health Department, subject to village restrictions on private sanitation.35 For a parcel outside village limits, consult the DeKalb County guide: the county zoning ordinance governs unincorporated DeKalb County.13

What does Village of Kingston zoning mean for your home design?

Kingston’s dimensional requirements depend on the zoning district: R-1 lots have a maximum impervious surface of 40 percent, and R-1 principal buildings have a maximum height of 35 feet or 2.5 stories.67 Ask the village office to confirm the parcel’s district, lot requirements and setbacks before commissioning plans.12 Kingston’s R-3 multifamily dwelling units have a minimum size of 1,000 square feet; that rule does not establish a minimum size for a detached single-family home.14

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Village of Kingston?

Kingston requires covered occupied buildings to connect to public sanitary sewer when the sewer is within 300 feet of the property line, with connection at the owner’s expense.4 Kingston prohibits privies, septic tanks, cesspools and similar sewage facilities except as otherwise provided in its utilities chapter.5 Establish sewer availability and private-system eligibility with the village before paying for a septic design.45 Where septic is allowed, installation, repair or modification requires a Health Department permit and licensed installation contractors; the published contractor-installed permit fee is $415.15 Kingston’s water and wastewater department also must inspect or cause inspection of operating septic systems.16

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Village of Kingston?

A parked or stored recreational vehicle in Kingston cannot be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping, and cannot serve as an accessory structure.2 Parking an RV on an improved surface does not make RV occupancy lawful under Kingston’s rule.2 Recreational tents are limited to the same lot as a dwelling and must stay out of required front and side yards; other tent uses require applicable temporary-use approval.17 We could not confirm a Kingston tiny-home occupancy rule or an affirmative accessory-dwelling rule; ask the village office about the proposed dwelling type and use.12

What steps should you take before building a home in Village of Kingston?

First, ask the village office to confirm the parcel’s zoning district, proposed residential use and sewer availability.12 Kingston’s district-specific dimensions and sewer-connection requirements should inform the site plan.674 Next, ask the village building inspector for building permit instructions and the inspection sequence.10 If a private sewage system is allowed, arrange the Health Department septic permit; a private well also requires a Health Department permit, with a published well permit/inspection/sample fee of $310.158 Before moving into unfinished construction, ask the building official whether a temporary certificate of occupancy is available: Kingston allows one only when the relevant portion can be occupied safely, with its validity period set by the official.18

Watch-outs

  • Kingston’s RV prohibition covers sleeping as well as permanent living, so a parked RV is not a lawful construction-period bedroom.2
  • We could not confirm a village owner-builder or agricultural building-permit exemption; ask Kingston’s building inspector before relying on either.10
  • A county septic permit does not override Kingston’s restrictions on private sewage facilities or required sewer connections.1554

Sources

  1. Sec. 22-201. International Residential Code (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  2. Sec. 86-192. Recreational vehicles (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  3. Well & Septic - DeKalb County Health Department (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  4. Sec. 78-76. Deposit of objectionable wastes; installation of toilet facilities (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sec. 78-76. Deposit of objectionable wastes; installation of toilet facilities (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sec. 86-157. Lot, yard and building requirements (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  7. Sec. 86-157. Lot, yard and building requirements (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  8. Well & Septic - DeKalb County Health Department (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  9. Sec. 22-131. International Building Code (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  10. Village of Kingston Building Inspector — B & F Construction (villageofkingston.org)
  11. Sec. 22-202. Amendments to the International Residential Code (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  12. Village of Kingston Office (villageofkingston.org)
  13. Community Development, quoted and re-checked
  14. library.municode.com (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  15. Well & Septic - DeKalb County Health Department (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  16. library.municode.com (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  17. Sec. 86-192. Recreational vehicles (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked
  18. Sec. 22-91. Plan review and building permit fees (Village of Kingston), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 Kingston

Village of Kingston’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building construction inside Kingston village governed by the adopted building code.

    • 2021 edition; appendix Chapter F, H105, and H106; specific revisions are in Sec. 22-132.

    edition: 2021

    “be and is hereby adopted as the building code of the Village of Kingston, DeKalb County, Illinois”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Adopted (with conditions) — Detached one- and two-family dwellings and qualifying townhouses inside Kingston village.
      “be and is hereby adopted as the residential code of Village of Kingston”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Occupancy and permitted uses of buildings or lots inside Kingston village when the village building or zoning code requires a certificate of occupancy.

    • Sec. 22-202 authorizes a temporary certificate of occupancy before completion of all permitted work when the portion is safely occupiable; the building official sets the validity period and may require escrow.
    “The building official is authorized to issue a temporary certificate of occupancy before the completion of the entire work covered by the permit”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Living, sleeping, or housekeeping in parked or stored recreational vehicles inside Kingston village.

    • Recreational vehicles also may not be accessory structures; parking/storage must be on an improved surface; residential-district RVs may not exceed 13 feet 6 inches in height or 40 feet in length.

    maximum residential-district RV height: <= 13.5 feet (boat mast excluded) · maximum residential-district RV length: <= 40 feet

    “At no time shall a parked or stored recreational vehicle within the village be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping purposes.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping and tents on lots inside Kingston village.

    • Recreational tents are allowed only on the same lot as a dwelling and not within the required front or side yard; other tent uses are temporary uses requiring the applicable temporary-use approval; RV living is prohibited.
    “Recreational tents shall be located on the same lot as a dwelling, and shall not be allowed within the required front or side yard.”
  • Who permits septicCounty

    Private sewage-disposal systems serving property inside Kingston village are administered through the DeKalb County Health Department, subject to county and state rules.

    • The county page states its sewage-disposal program enforces local and state laws and ordinances; Kingston code separately prohibits private sewage facilities except as otherwise provided.
    “The program ensures proper installation and repair of all privately owned sewage disposal systems.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Local — Kingston village water and wastewater department has responsibility to inspect or cause inspection of septic systems operating within the village.
      “shall inspect or cause the inspection of any septic systems operating within the village.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New or modified septic systems inside Kingston village, to the extent septic use is otherwise allowed.

    • DeKalb County Health Department states a permit is required for septic installation, repair, or modification; installations must be done by Illinois Department of Public Health licensed septic installation contractors.

    contractor-installed septic permit: 415 USD (DeKalb County fee page; homeowner-installed septic permit listed at $615)

    “Q) Do I need a permit to install or repair my septic system? A) Yes.”
  • Septic inspectionLimited

    Septic systems operating inside Kingston village and county real-estate inspection requests.

    • Kingston requires its department to inspect or cause inspection of septic systems; DeKalb County separately publishes a $180 septic inspection fee for real-estate inspection services.

    septic inspection fee: 180 USD (DeKalb County published fee)

    “shall inspect or cause the inspection of any septic systems operating within the village.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Privies, septic tanks, cesspools, and other sewage-disposal facilities inside Kingston village.

    • The prohibition is subject to exceptions elsewhere in Chapter 78; public-sewer connection is required when the 300-foot or official-notice condition applies; county and state septic rules govern any otherwise permitted private system.
    “Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool”
  • Well permitRequired

    Private wells serving property inside Kingston village, administered through the DeKalb County Health Department under Illinois well rules.

    • IDPH states IDPH and local health departments review plans, issue permits, and inspect wells; DeKalb County identifies the health department as the permitting office and publishes fees.

    water well permit/inspection/sample: 310 USD (DeKalb County published fee; $100 of the well permit fee is state statute)

    “Q) Do I need a permit to drill a well? A) Yes. By law a permit must obtained from the health department.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Buildings used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes inside Kingston village where a public sanitary sewer is within 300 feet of the property line or after official notice.

    • Connection is at the owner's expense; the owner must connect within 90 days after official notice if the sewer is not already within the stated rule; a permit, written approval, fees, street-opening permit, inspection notice, and sufficient downstream reserve capacity are required.

    public sewer distance: <= 300 feet from property line (or within 90 days after official notice)

    “provided that the public sewer is within 300 feet of the property line of such property”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    New or altered driveways inside Kingston village.

    • Driveways are accessory structures subject to applicable code requirements, including inspection, permit, and fee provisions; the residential-code amendment deletes the ordinary permit exemption for sidewalks and driveways.
    “driveways, sidewalks detached storage sheds, fences and other similar structures are accessory structures”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Kingston

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

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Multifamily dwelling units in Kingston village R-3 district.

    • The code table states a minimum size of 1,000 square feet for a multifamily dwelling unit; no single-family minimum dwelling size was located in the opened table.

    minimum multifamily dwelling-unit size: >= 1000 square feet

    “The minimum size for a multifamily dwelling unit shall be 1,000 square feet.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 residential lots in Kingston village.

    • Maximum impervious surface is 40 percent.

    maximum impervious surface: <= 40 percent

    “Maximum impervious surface 40% 40% 40% N/A”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Principal buildings in Kingston village R-1 district.

    • Maximum height is 35 feet or 2.5 stories.

    maximum building height: 35 ft. or 2.5 stories

    “Maximum building height 35 ft. or 2.5 stories”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from Kingston building-code permits or inspections.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Kingston village.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Kingston village.
  • Agricultural exemption — Agricultural construction exemption from Kingston building permits.
  • Short-term rentals — Short-term rental use inside Kingston village.

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

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