Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Murphysboro, Illinois

Murphysboro’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Structures, buildings, walls, and parts thereof built, enlarged, or altered inside Murphysboro city limits.

  • Plans and a statement of materials must first be submitted to the Code Enforcement Division.
  • Examples include new residential and commercial structures, additions, storage buildings or sheds, decks, and fences.

  “Examples of construction that require a building permit include: new structures (residential and commercial), additions, storage buildings/sheds, decks, and fences.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Lots, structures, and uses developed, erected, enlarged, altered, relocated, or reconstructed after the zoning code's effective date inside Murphysboro.

  • Inspection determines whether completed development or construction follows approved plans and applicable zoning requirements.
  • The final certificate of zoning compliance is a precondition to use, occupancy, or operation.

  “The Administrator shall not issue a final certificate of zoning compliance until it has been determined, by inspection, that:”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Lots, structures, and uses developed, erected, enlarged, altered, relocated, or reconstructed after the zoning code's effective date inside Murphysboro.

  • Murphysboro calls this a final certificate of zoning compliance rather than a certificate of occupancy.
  • The certificate is issued only after inspection determines conformity with approved plans and applicable code provisions.

  “No lot or part thereof recorded or developed after the effective date of this Code, and no structure or use, or part thereof, that has been erected, enlarged, altered, relocated, or reconstructed after the effective date of this Code shall be used, occupied or put into operation until a final certificate of zoning compliance has been issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Lots, structures, and uses within Murphysboro's corporate limits.

  • Where this code conflicts with another lawfully adopted and effective ordinance, regulation, deed restriction, or covenant, the more stringent requirement prevails.

  “This Code shall be applicable within the corporate limits of the City.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts established by Murphysboro's zoning code within city limits.

  • The code's district map is revised and published by March 31 of the following year if district or regulatory changes occur during a calendar year.
  • Annexed territory automatically enters R-1 unless lawfully assigned another district.

  “The boundaries of the listed zoning districts are hereby established as shown on the Official Zoning Map of the City.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Use of travel trailers and recreational vehicles as dwellings inside Murphysboro city limits.

  • The section does not apply to travel trailers or recreational vehicles parked in a permitted travel-trailer park conforming to the Mobile Housing Code.
  • Its paragraphs (A), (C), and (D) do not apply to vehicles parked in a permitted recreational-vehicle sales lot.

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

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private wastewater-disposal facilities inside Murphysboro city limits.

  • The city form requires the applicant to comply with Chapter 38 and other pertinent City ordinances or regulations.

  “To notify the City at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to commencement of the work proposed, and again at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the covering of any underground portions of the installation.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Division of land for agricultural purposes within Murphysboro corporate limits.

  • The agricultural division must create lots or parcels of five acres or more.
  • The division must not involve a new street.
  • The exclusion is from the subdivision definition, not a general exemption from all other city requirements.

  minimum agricultural parcel size: >= 5 acres (No new street involved.)

  “provided that a division of land for agricultural purposes into lots or parcels of five (5) acres or more and not involving a new street shall not be deemed a subdivision.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land subdivisions within Murphysboro corporate limits.

  • A subdivision is generally a division into four or more lots or parcels for transfer of ownership or building development, or any division involving a new street.
  • A division for agricultural purposes into lots or parcels of five acres or more without a new street is excluded from the definition.

  agricultural-lot threshold for subdivision-definition exclusion: >= 5 acres (No new street may be involved.)

  “Subdivision means the division of a parcel of land into four (4) or more lots or parcels for the purpose of transfer of ownership or building development, or, if a new street is involved, any division of a parcel of land;”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits issued by Murphysboro for construction covered by the city's building-permit rule.

  • The base fee applies to construction materials not exceeding $1,000 in cost.
  • The stated rate applies after that amount.

  base permit fee: 5 USD (Construction materials not exceeding $1,000 in cost.) · additional permit fee: per 2 USD per thousand dollars (Construction materials thereafter.)

  “A base fee of $5.00 for construction materials not exceeding $1,000.00 in cost; thence a rate of $2.00 per thousand dollars of construction materials thereafter.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Initial zoning-compliance certificates required before development or the issuance of a building permit inside Murphysboro.

  • The Zoning Administrator decides which listed application items apply to the project.
  • A filing fee is required under § 40-9-7.
  • A building permit cannot be issued until the applicant has properly obtained the initial certificate.

  initial certificate duration: 1 year (May be renewed for successive one-year periods upon written request and good-faith effort to complete authorized work.)

  “Every applicant for an Initial Certificate of Zoning Compliance shall submit to the Administrator, in graphic and/or narrative form, all the items of information listed below that are applicable to the particular project. The Administrator shall decide which items are applicable.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Murphysboro city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Murphysboro city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Murphysboro city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Murphysboro city limits.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Murphysboro city limits.

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.