Bolthole Index

DeKalb County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Village of Malta, Illinois

Village of Malta, Illinois handles building permits and zoning inside village limits; submit construction plans to the village Building & Zoning Department.12 Private septic systems and wells go through DeKalb County Health Department.34 Malta prohibits using an RV or accessory structure as a dwelling, so neither is a substitute for an approved home while you build.56

At a glance

Building permits
Village application, plans and site plan required1
Zoning
Village zoning districts and permitted-use table apply7
Septic permits
DeKalb County Health Department; licensed installer required38
RV living
RV use as a dwelling prohibited; permitted travel-trailer park exception5
Accessory dwellings
Accessory structures may not be used as dwellings6
Private wells
Health Department permit required; listed fee $3104

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Malta Building & Zoning Department

Village building applications, zoning questions and inspection scheduling

815-825-2330 ext. 2

[email protected]

Septic permits

DeKalb County Health Department, Environmental Health Division

Private septic-system and well permits, records and evaluations

815-748-2153

[email protected]

2550 North Annie Glidden Road DeKalb, IL 60115

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 Malta 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 Malta, IL?

Malta publishes a building-permit application covering new structures, additions, alterations and other listed improvements, with plans and a site plan submitted for review.19 Malta’s new-construction fee is $700 plus $0.25 per square foot/unit, with plan review charged at 15% of the permit fee and a $200 minimum.9 A building application is therefore only part of the construction budget: new residential water service also has connection, meter, setup and review charges.10 Ask the village Building & Zoning Department to identify the application and fee categories for your exact project before submitting plans.2

Who handles building permits and zoning in Village of Malta?

The Village of Malta Building & Zoning Department accepts applications by email and answers building and zoning questions by telephone or appointment.2 Use the village office for work inside Malta village limits, rather than treating the county’s unincorporated-area building rules as Malta’s requirements.111 Private septic-system approval remains with DeKalb County Health Department, even when the building application goes to the village.3 For land outside village limits, use the DeKalb County guide for the county’s building and zoning requirements.11

Does Village of Malta have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

Malta has village zoning and a district-specific permitted-use table, so a parcel’s district matters when deciding what home or other use to propose.7 Malta prohibits using a travel trailer or other recreational vehicle as a dwelling; the section excludes vehicles parked in a permitted travel-trailer park.5 Malta also prohibits using any accessory structure as a dwelling throughout the village zoning jurisdiction.6 A plan to sleep in an RV or convert a backyard shed into a home therefore runs into explicit village restrictions.56 We could not confirm separate tiny-home occupancy rules, minimum dwelling size or district-specific lot sizes and setbacks; ask the village Building & Zoning Department to review the parcel and proposed dwelling.2

How do septic permits and water connections work in Village of Malta?

DeKalb County Health Department administers private sewage-disposal systems inside Malta, and a septic permit is required for installation, repair or modification.38 The listed contractor-installed septic permit costs $415; the page also lists a $615 homeowner-installed category while stating that installations, repairs and modifications require a licensed septic-system installation contractor.8 Ask Environmental Health to explain that distinction before planning to install a system yourself.8 For new residential construction seeking village water service, submit the water connection application with the building application; sewer construction plans require Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District approval before the building permit is granted.10 A private well instead requires a Health Department permit, with a listed permit/inspection/sample fee of $310.4

Building a home in Village of Malta: what comes first?

  1. Ask the village Building & Zoning Department to review the proposed use and parcel zoning before finalizing the home design.72
  2. Coordinate village water and district sewer approval if connecting to those systems, or discuss private septic and well permits with DeKalb County Health Department.1084
  3. Submit the village building application with plans and a complete site plan showing existing and proposed structures.1
  4. Obtain written approval before changing approved plans, and schedule required inspections before proceeding beyond an inspection stage.112

Malta’s building permit is void if work does not begin within 6 months and expires after 1 year unless properly extended.1

What should you check before buying a lot in Village of Malta?

For an existing Malta property with a private well or septic system, ask DeKalb County Health Department for installation records; the department says those records can be released to the homeowner.13 For a new home connecting to village water, published charges include $1,200 for the connection, $350 for the meter/radio-read equipment, $200 for account setup/installation and $200 for plan review.10 New sewer-main connections have a $600-per-population-equivalent connection fee, rather than a single flat fee for every home.10 We could not confirm Malta’s agricultural-building exemption, floodplain-development requirements or certificate-of-occupancy requirement; ask the village Building & Zoning Department about those issues before committing to a site or construction schedule.2

Watch-outs

  • Malta’s RV parking allowance does not authorize RV dwelling use; the village expressly prohibits dwelling use outside the permitted travel-trailer park exception.5
  • Malta building inspections require 24-hour notice, and work may not proceed beyond required inspection stages without approval.12
  • We could not confirm a general owner-builder exemption inside Malta; ask the village Building & Zoning Department which trades and inspections your project requires.2

Sources

  1. Village of Malta Building Permit Application (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of Malta Building & Zoning Department (villageofmaltail.com)
  3. Well & Septic Services (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  4. Well & Septic Services (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 70, Section 70-467, Recreational vehicles (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 70, Section 70-383, Accessory use restriction (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 70, Section 70-350, Permitted uses by district (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  8. Well & Septic Services (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  9. Village of Malta Building Permit Application (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  10. Village of Malta Application for Water Service Connection Residential (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 53 - Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  12. Village of Malta Building Permit Application (Village of Malta), quoted and re-checked
  13. DeKalb County Health Department, Environmental Health Division (health.dekalbcounty.org)

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 Malta

Village of Malta’s own rules

  • InspectionsRequired

    Work performed under a Malta building permit.

    • Twenty-four-hour notice is required.
    • Reinspection fees may apply.
    • Work may not proceed beyond required inspection stages without approval.
    • The village building department schedules inspections by telephone or appointment.
    “See back of permit card. 24-hour notice required. Reinspection fees may apply. Work shall not proceed beyond required inspection stages without approval.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Malta village limits.

    • Malta's code contains Chapter 70, Zoning, and identifies zoning districts including R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C, I-1, and I-2.
    “In the following list of uses an X means that the principal use, together with accessory uses incidental to and on the same zoning lot as the principal use, are permitted in the zoning district subject to the general provisions of this chapter.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Malta village.

    • The permitted-use table identifies R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C, I-1, and I-2 districts.
    “Type Of Business Or Dwelling R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4 C I-1 I-2”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Use of travel trailers or other recreational vehicles as dwellings inside Malta village.

    • The section does not apply to travel trailers or recreational vehicles parked in a permitted travel-trailer park.
    • Subsections (1), (3), and (4) do not apply to vehicles parked on a permitted recreational-vehicle sales lot.
    • No more than two travel trailers or other recreational vehicles may be parked on any lot.
    • Vehicles may not be used as offices or for commercial purposes and may not be parked in a front yard except on a driveway.

    maximum recreational vehicles per lot: <= 2 vehicles (permitted travel-trailer parks and specified sales-lot exceptions)

    “No travel trailer or other recreational vehicle shall be used as a dwelling.”
  • Accessory dwellingsProhibited

    Use of an accessory structure as a dwelling inside Malta village.

    • The prohibition applies throughout the village zoning jurisdiction.
    “Use as dwelling. Use of any accessory structure as a dwelling is strictly prohibited throughout the zoning jurisdiction of this village.”
  • Who permits septicCounty

    Privately owned sewage-disposal systems inside Malta village; the DeKalb County Health Department administers the program within DeKalb County, including Malta village.

    • The health department enforces local and state laws and ordinances pertaining to sewage disposal.
    “The primary goal of the Sewage Disposal Program is to prevent the transmission of disease caused by exposure to sewage. The program ensures proper installation and repair of all privately owned sewage disposal systems. The program enforces local and state laws and ordinances pertaining to sewage disposal.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation, repair, or modification of a septic system inside Malta village.

    • The work must be performed by an Illinois Department of Public Health licensed septic-system installation contractor.
    • The DeKalb County Health Department lists separate contractor-installed and homeowner-installed permit fees.

    contractor-installed septic permit: 415 USD · homeowner-installed septic permit: 615 USD

    “A) Yes. All septic system installations, repairs or modifications in DeKalb County must be done by Illinois Department of Public Health Licensed Septic System Installation Contractors. Call the Environmental Health Division for more information.”
  • Well permitRequired

    Drilling or constructing a private water well inside Malta village.

    • The DeKalb County Health Department administers the well program and lists well construction, modification, and sealing permits.
    • The published fee page states that the well permit includes inspection/sample services and identifies a $100 state-statutory component.

    water well permit/inspection/sample: 310 USD · state statutory well permit component: 100 USD

    “A) Yes. By law a permit must obtained from the health department.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    New residential construction inside Malta village seeking connection to village water and the Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District sewer system.

    • The village water connection application must be submitted with the building permit application.
    • The application requests authority to connect premises to the village water distribution system.
    • A minimum 3/4-inch meter is specified; larger meters incur additional fees.
    • The water application requires Illinois Department of Public Health approval and inspection before backfill.
    • Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District approval is required before residential construction permits may be obtained from IEPA, and the District must approve construction plans before the city grants a building permit.
    • Each new sewer-main connection is subject to a $600-per-population-equivalent connection fee.

    water meter minimum: 3/4 inch (larger meters incur additional fees) · water connection fee: 1200 USD · water meter/radio-read fee: 350 USD · water account setup/installation: 200 USD · water plan review: 200 USD · sewer connection fee: 600 USD per population equivalent

    “TO BE SUBMITTED WITH BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION”
  • Permit feesPublished

    Malta village building-permit applications.

    • Plan-review fees have minimums as stated in the schedule.
    • The application lists fees for new construction, additions, remodels, electrical/mechanical/energy work, garages, demolition, decks, pools, patios, driveways/culverts, roofs, and sheds.

    new construction base fee: 700 USD (plus $0.25 per square foot/unit and plan review at 15% of permit fee, minimum $200) · addition base fee: 350 USD (plus $0.20 per square foot/unit and plan review minimum $50) · remodel base fee: 175 USD (plus $0.15 per square foot/unit and plan review minimum $50) · driveway/culvert permit: 100 USD · shed permit: 100 USD

    “New Construction $700 plus .25 per sq. ft./unit Plan Review 15% of permit fee min. $200.00”
  • Permit processPublished

    Malta village building-permit process.

    • Submit the application with property, applicant, project, use, improvement, plans, and site-plan information.
    • Two sets of plans and a complete site plan are required.
    • The permit is void if work does not begin within six months.
    • The permit expires after one year unless properly extended.
    • No changes to approved plans may be made without written approval.
    • Inspections require 24-hour notice and work may not proceed beyond required inspection stages without approval.
    “Permit is void if work does not begin within 6 months. Permit expires after 1 year unless properly extended.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Malta village limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Malta village limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Malta village residential districts.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in Malta village residential or agricultural districts.
  • Setbacks — Building setbacks in Malta village residential or agricultural districts.
11 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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

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