Hampshire, IL Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

The Village of Hampshire, Illinois requires a building permit for new houses and additions, and the village has its own zoning code¹². Permit review runs through SafeBuilt, the village's contracted building department service³. Septic permits in Kane County come from the Kane County Health Department, not the village⁴. Land outside village limits follows Kane County's rules instead.

At a glance

Building permit: Required for new houses and additions inside village limits¹
Who issues building permits: Village of Hampshire, through contracted service SafeBuilt³
Zoning: Village zoning code; variances, special uses and rezoning by application²
Building codes: 2018 International Residential Code with amendments⁵
Septic: Kane County Health Department permit; village sewer rules unconfirmed⁴
Building inspections: Required; types vary by project (pre-pour, rough framing, final)⁶

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Hampshire Building Department (contracted service: SafeBuilt)

Building permit applications, plan review and inspections inside Hampshire village limits

(847) 510-4104

[email protected]

234 S. State Street, Hampshire, IL 60140

Zoning

Village of Hampshire Development Services

Zoning questions, variances, special use permits and rezoning inside Hampshire village limits

(847) 683-2181

234 S. State Street P.O. Box 457 Hampshire, IL 60140-0457

Septic permits

Kane County Health Department, Environmental Health (Private Sewage Program)

Septic (private sewage) permits, soil evaluations and inspections for new and repaired systems in Kane County

630-444-3040

1240 N. Highland Ave., Aurora, IL 60506

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 17, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Hampshire, Illinois?

Yes. Building projects inside Hampshire village limits, including new houses and additions, require a village building permit, and the village asks applicants to obtain the permit and schedule inspections before work is scheduled¹. Paver and brick patios, maintenance or replacement of existing electrical components or plumbing fixtures, and an EV charger that simply plugs into an existing outlet are listed as exceptions¹.

The village's permit packet is a set of guidelines, not an official fee sheet. Fees in Hampshire vary with the number of inspections a project needs, such as electrical, plumbing and mechanical⁷. Concrete driveways must have four inches of compacted stone base and four inches of monolithic concrete⁸.

Who issues building permits in Hampshire, and how do you reach them?

The Village of Hampshire issues building permits through a contracted building department service, SafeBuilt, and the application is filed online through the village website³⁹. Applicants need a plat of survey and project-specific documents, and major projects such as new houses need a more in-depth process than the small-project packet describes⁹.

Village zoning questions go to Development Services at Hampshire Village Hall¹⁰. For a new house, ask the building department which documents to include with the application before you file.

Does Hampshire have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Hampshire has its own zoning for land inside village limits, with variances, special use permits and rezoning handled through the village's land use application packet²¹⁰. The village also regulates subdividing land under its own subdivision chapter¹¹.

We could not confirm Hampshire's rules on RV occupancy, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum lot size, setbacks or minimum home size, because those depend on the district. Ask Development Services which district a parcel is in before you buy. Kane County's zoning ordinance covers only unincorporated land¹², so the county's lot-size and setback standards do not apply inside the village.

How do septic permits work inside Hampshire?

Septic permits in Kane County are issued by the Kane County Health Department, which requires a soil evaluation with every application for a new system⁴¹³. Where public sewer is reachable, the health department says you must connect unless the connection needs more than a 4-inch pipe or creates an undue hardship¹⁴.

We could not confirm whether the village requires connection to its own sewer for new homes, or how its water and sewer chapter applies to wells and septic systems. Call Village Hall and the Kane County Health Department before you assume a septic system is an option on a village lot. Well permits inside the village are also unconfirmed.

How do you build a home in Hampshire? The steps, in order

Confirm the parcel's zoning district with Village of Hampshire Development Services¹⁰.
Ask the village about sewer and water service, and contact the Kane County Health Department about septic if sewer is unavailable¹³.
Gather a plat of survey and your project documents, then file the online building permit application⁹.
Build to the village's adopted codes, which include the 2018 International Residential Code with amendments⁵.
Schedule inspections as the work progresses; inspection types vary by project, such as pre-pour, rough framing and final⁶.

What stays with Kane County, and what should you check before you buy?

Outside Hampshire village limits, Kane County's building permit and zoning rules apply to unincorporated land; see the Kane County page for those answers¹⁵. Septic permits stay with the Kane County Health Department for the whole county⁴.

Hampshire is in Kane County, where the effective property tax rate is 2.4%¹⁶. We could not confirm whether the village requires an owner-builder to follow different steps, or whether it issues certificates of occupancy for new dwellings. Ask the building department about both before closing.

Watch-outs

Rules for unincorporated Kane County do not apply inside Hampshire village limits; confirm whether a parcel is inside the village before you rely on either set of rules¹⁵.
We could not confirm Hampshire's owner-builder rules, certificate of occupancy requirements or RV and tiny-home rules; ask Village of Hampshire Development Services¹⁰.
The village's permit packet states it is guidelines and not an official codebook, so the village building department is the authority on current requirements and fees⁵.

Sources

Written October 17, 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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Hampshire publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Kane County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Village of Hampshire, Illinois