Bolthole Index

DeKalb County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Village of Shabbona, Illinois

The Village of Shabbona, Illinois requires building permits for new construction, major renovations and expansions; building-permit paperwork goes to B&F Construction.1 Shabbona sets its own zoning and prohibits using an RV as a dwelling.23 In DeKalb County, the Health Department handles private sewage systems, but Shabbona’s sewer-connection requirements and restrictions on private septic come first inside village limits.456

At a glance

Building permits
Required for new construction, major renovations and expansions; submit paperwork to B&F Construction1
Zoning
Village zoning applies inside Shabbona limits2
RV living
Travel trailers and RVs cannot be used as dwellings3
Sewer and septic
Public-sewer connection rules apply; private septic is prohibited except under sewer-article exceptions56
Occupancy approval
Final occupancy permit required before the building can be used7
Lot coverage
R-1 maximum 30%; R-2 maximum 60%, including accessory buildings89

Who to call

Building permits

B & F Construction Codes, Inc. — Shabbona building-permit service

Shabbona building-permit applications, plan review and inspection requests

Zoning

Village of Shabbona Village Office

Starting point for Shabbona zoning and sewer-connection questions

Septic permits

DeKalb County Health Department, Environmental Health Division

Private sewage-disposal systems and private wells in DeKalb County

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 Shabbona means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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

Shabbona requires building permits for new construction, major renovations and expansions, with paperwork and payment directed to B&F Construction rather than payment at the village office.1 Shabbona’s adopted residential code is the 2018 International Residential Code with local amendments.10 Complete the village application and submit the required plans to B&F Construction for review.11 A Shabbona final occupancy permit is required before the building can be used, so include occupancy approval in your construction schedule.7

Who handles building-permit applications in the Village of Shabbona?

Shabbona directs completed building-permit applications and plans to B&F Construction; the village’s permit materials also direct inspection requests to that service.11 Use the village building-permit page to obtain the application, then follow the project-specific checklist rather than submitting only a sketch.11 Shabbona’s shed checklist calls for a site plan or plat, design information, utility or mechanical information and distance to a septic field when applicable.11 Ask B&F Construction which supporting plans your proposed work needs before submitting the application.11

Does the Village of Shabbona have zoning and lot-coverage limits?

Shabbona has village zoning, so identify the parcel’s district with the Village Office before deciding where to place a house or accessory building.2 In Shabbona’s R-1 Single-Family Residence District, maximum lot coverage is 30%, including accessory buildings.8 In the R-2 Multiple-Family Residence District, buildings and structures, including accessory buildings, may cover no more than 60% of the lot.9 Those district-specific limits affect how much of a parcel can hold buildings; ask the Village Office for the applicable lot-size and setback requirements before commissioning plans.289

How do sewer connections and septic approvals work in the Village of Shabbona?

Shabbona requires connection within 90 days after official notice when the public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line under the village sewer provision.5 Shabbona prohibits constructing or maintaining private septic tanks, privies, cesspools and other sewage-disposal facilities except as provided elsewhere in its sewer article.6 Ask the Village Office whether a sewer-article exception applies before planning private sewage disposal.6 If a private system is eligible, contact DeKalb County Health Department Environmental Health; Illinois requires approval of private sewage-system plans before construction begins.412

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

Shabbona prohibits using a travel trailer or other recreational vehicle as a dwelling, so an RV is not an approved housing plan while you build.3 Shabbona’s RV parking provision requires a cement, asphalt or solidly packed gravel surface and compliance with accessory-building yard requirements.3 For a tiny home, ask the Village Office to confirm the proposed use and B&F Construction to confirm building-code requirements.210 Shabbona’s 600-square-foot minimum applies specifically to each unit in an R-1 conversion from a single-family dwelling to a two-family dwelling by special-use permit; that provision does not establish a general tiny-home minimum.13

What are the steps to build a home in the Village of Shabbona?

  1. Ask the Village Office to identify the zoning district and confirm the proposed home’s site layout against that district’s requirements.2
  2. Resolve public-sewer connection requirements with the village before designing a private septic system.56
  3. Submit the village building-permit application and plans to B&F Construction, and arrange inspection requests through that service.11
  4. Obtain plan approvals if the work affects a driveway, sidewalk or road; state or county road work may require the corresponding authority’s approval.14
  5. Obtain Shabbona’s final occupancy permit before using the building.7

For land outside village limits, use the DeKalb County guide: county building-permit and zoning rules apply to unincorporated DeKalb County.1516

Watch-outs

  • Shabbona’s RV parking rules do not authorize using the RV as a dwelling.3
  • Illinois owner-occupant plumbing provisions do not waive local plumbing permits or inspections; ask B&F Construction about the requirements for your Shabbona project.17
  • Shabbona subdivision projects can require village engineering review of roads, sidewalks and utilities as well as building approval.18

Sources

  1. Village of Shabbona construction and permit guidance (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  2. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 30-302, R-1 lot and building requirements (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  3. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 30-202, Travel trailers and recreational vehicles (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  4. Well & Septic (2026 county census)
  5. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 28-120, Use of public sewers required (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  6. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 28-120, Use of public sewers required (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  7. Village of Shabbona construction and permit guidance (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  8. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 30-302, R-1 lot and building requirements (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  9. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 30-329, R-2 lot and building requirements (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  10. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 8-48, Code adopted (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  11. shabbona-il.com (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  12. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.190 Installation Approval (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 30-304, R-1 special uses (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  14. Village of Shabbona construction and permit guidance (Village of Shabbona), quoted and re-checked
  15. dekalbcounty.org (2026 county census)
  16. Community Development (2026 county census)
  17. 225 ILCS 320/18 — Local regulation; Department standards (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Village of Shabbona construction and permit guidance (Village of Shabbona), 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 Shabbona

Village of Shabbona’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New construction, major renovations, expansions, and other covered building work inside Shabbona village limits.

    • The village construction guidance says building permits are required for new construction, major renovations, or expansions.
    • Permit paperwork is submitted to B&F Construction; the village does not accept building-permit payments.
    “Building Permits – Required for new construction, major renovations, or expansions.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    One- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories in Shabbona village.

    • The adopted code is the 2018 International Residential Code with listed appendices; Sec. 8-49 contains amendments.
    “That certain document, three copies of which are on file in the office of the village clerk, being marked and designated as the International Residential Code, 2018 edition, including appendix chapters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, and K, as published by the International Code Council, Inc., is hereby adopted as the code of the village for regulating the design, construction, quality of materials, erection, installation, alteration, repair, location, relocation, replacement, addition to, use or maintenance of one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories in height in the village, and providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor;”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Structures constructed or developed inside Shabbona village limits.

    • The village guidance states final occupancy permits are required before a building can be used.
    “Final occupancy permits are required before the building can be used.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Shabbona village limits; the village maintains an adopted Chapter 30 zoning code.

    “Properties in the R-1 Single-Family Residence District shall conform to the following lot and building requirements:”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residence District, for conversion of a single-family dwelling into a two-family dwelling by special-use permit.

    • Each converted dwelling unit must have at least 600 square feet measured from the outside, including utility rooms but excluding other areas not used for living or sleeping.

    minimum floor area per converted unit: >= 600 square feet (R-1 conversion special use)

    “When divided, each dwelling unit will have a minimum of 600 square feet in floor area measured from the outside, including utility rooms, but excluding all other areas not used for living or sleeping purposes.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residence District.

    • Accessory buildings are included in the maximum.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent (accessory buildings included)

    “Maximum lot coverage: 30 percent. Accessory buildings are included in this 30 percent.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Travel trailers and recreational vehicles used as dwellings inside Shabbona village limits.

    • Not more than one travel trailer or recreational vehicle may be parked on one lot.
    • Parking is allowed only if the area is paved with cement, asphalt, or solidly packed gravel and complies with accessory-building yard requirements.
    • The cited subsections do not apply to RVs parked on a permitted recreational-vehicle sales lot.
    “No travel trailer or other recreational vehicle shall be used as a dwelling.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    Privies, privy vaults, septic tanks, cesspools, and other sewage-disposal facilities inside Shabbona village limits.

    • The prohibition is subject to exceptions provided elsewhere in the sewer article.
    “Except as provided in this article, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Properties and development inside Shabbona village limits when public sanitary sewer is available under Sec. 28-120.

    • Connection is required within 90 days after official notice if the public sewer is within 200 feet (60 meters) of the property line.
    • No development or real estate in the village may be permitted without requiring improvements to connect to the public sanitary sewer system.
    • Private sewage facilities are prohibited except as otherwise provided in the sewer article.

    public sewer distance: <= 200 feet (60 meters from the property line) · connection deadline: 90 days (after official notice)

    “The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes situated within the village and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located any public sanitary (or combined) sewer of the village is hereby required at said owner's expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article, within 90 days after the date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within 200 feet (60 meters) of the property line.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Private subdivision and development projects inside Shabbona village limits.

    • The village guidance identifies infrastructure approvals and village engineering review for subdivisions and related development.
    • Additional floodplain, utility, roadway, sidewalk, stormwater, and state/county approvals may apply depending on the project.
    “Infrastructure Improvements by Private Developers (e.g., Subdivisions, Commercial Plazas) [...] Village Engineering Review – Ensures roads, sidewalks, and utilities meet municipal standards.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Private development inside Shabbona village limits when work affects driveways, sidewalks, or roads.

    • Plan approvals are required when work affects sidewalks, driveways, or roads.
    • State or county road projects may require IDOT or county approvals instead of a village permit.
    “Plan approvals – If work affects sidewalks, driveways, or roads.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit applications inside Shabbona village limits.

    • Complete the village permit application and submit it with plans to B&F Construction at [email protected].
    • The village directs permit payments and paperwork to B&F Construction; inspection requests go to [email protected].
    • A site plan or plat, septic-field distance when applicable, design information, and utility/mechanical information may be required for shed permits.
    “Submit completed permit and with plans detailed below to: [email protected]”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Shabbona village limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Shabbona village limits.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Shabbona village limits.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory-dwelling occupancy inside Shabbona village limits.
  • Septic permit — Private sewage-disposal systems serving land inside Shabbona village limits.
4 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Shabbona publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. DeKalb County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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