Building permits, zoning and land rules in Madison County, Illinois

Construction in unincorporated Madison County requires a building permit before work starts¹. Submit project plans, wait for review and permit issuance, then arrange inspections at selected milestones¹. Madison County administers the adopted International building, residential, mechanical, property-maintenance, energy and fire codes, National Electrical Code, Illinois Plumbing Code and Illinois Private Sewage Code¹. Ask Building & Zoning for project exceptions, application documents and current building-permit fees.

Municipal building permits are handled locally in Edwardsville¹³, Glen Carbon¹⁴, Wood River¹⁵, Highland¹⁶, Roxana¹⁷; South Roxana requires a village building permit for carports¹⁸. Private-sewage review stays with Madison County Planning & Development⁴.

Madison County Building & Zoning handles building-permit applications, plan review and construction inspections in unincorporated Madison County¹. The office is at 157 N. Main Street, Suite 254, Edwardsville, IL 62025, and its main number is (618) 296-6200¹. Email the building-permit office at jmwalker@madisoncountyil.gov¹. Illinois allows a qualifying owner occupant to do plumbing on a single-family residence, but that narrow rule is not a general exemption from Madison County building permits or other trade requirements^10,11. Ask Building & Zoning what an owner may perform and which permits and inspections still apply.

Madison County zoning assigns permitted and special uses to districts in unincorporated areas; ask Zoning Administration for the parcel’s district and dimensional schedule⁵. Single-family dwellings in Conservation and R-1, R-2 and R-3 require at least 620 square feet per unit³. Accessory structures need 5 feet of separation from other buildings; lot-line setbacks are 5 feet side and 7.5 feet rear in residential districts, or 15 feet side and rear in Conservation and Agricultural districts, plus 25 feet from private roadway easements¹⁹. Qualifying agricultural structures on A Agricultural land receive free permits and must meet primary-structure setbacks²⁰.

Municipal zoning applies inside Granite City²¹, Edwardsville²², Alton²³, Godfrey²⁴, Glen Carbon²⁵, Wood River²⁶, Highland²⁷, Maryville²⁸, South Roxana²⁹, Roxana³⁰. Private-sewage review stays with Madison County Planning & Development⁴.

Private-sewage plans require approval before construction under Illinois rules; Madison County Planning & Development reviews county systems and permits and inspects installations^4,6,7. Private sewage is allowed only where public sewer is unavailable and cannot be extended to the property line, and the site must have acceptable soil conditions⁷. Planning staff review the proposed system before issuing a permit, inspect the installation and conduct a follow-up inspection after completion⁷. Only 9.2% of Madison County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make soil suitability an early purchase contingency¹². Ask the private-sewage office what application materials and system design the site requires; sewage approval and zoning are separate reviews^4,5.

In unincorporated Madison County’s residential and agricultural districts, stored campers and camping trailers must be unoccupied; a maximum of 4 boats, campers and trailers may be kept in the rear or side yard⁹. Parcels of 2 acres or more may keep an additional unit in the front driveway, at least 30 feet from the front property line, and anything stored in a side yard must be at least 20 feet from the side property line⁹. Residential-district recreational equipment must use a paved or graveled all-weather surface; temporary driveway, street or adjacent-right-of-way loading and unloading is limited to 48 consecutive hours per week⁹. Ask Zoning Administration whether any temporary occupancy approval applies; we could not confirm a general temporary-camping or tiny-home occupancy rule.

A tiny home does not bypass building review: covered construction in unincorporated Madison County requires a permit, adopted building codes apply, and Madison County reviews private sewage systems^1,4. A permanent dwelling in the Conservation and R-1 to R-3 districts must also meet the 620-square-foot minimum³.

1. Confirm that the parcel is unincorporated, then ask Zoning Administration for its district, allowed use and dimensional requirements⁵.

1. If the parcel will be divided, ask about plat review before relying on a proposed lot line³¹.

1. Check whether the site is in a floodplain and whether an elevation certificate, grading permit or other approval is required³².

1. Submit the private-sewage proposal to Planning & Development and obtain approval before construction^4,7.

1. Before constructing or deepening a Madison County water well, obtain a Health Department permit; the non-refundable fee is $100⁸. Notify the Health Department at least 48 hours before covered work begins and arrange inspection access⁸.

1. Submit project plans and the building-permit application, then wait for issuance before starting¹.

1. Coordinate building inspections at selected milestones¹. Ask Building & Zoning what final occupancy approval applies because we could not confirm a certificate-of-occupancy requirement.

Start with jurisdiction and zoning because county rules apply to unincorporated land⁵. If a seller proposes a split, confirm subdivision review and the applicable minimum lot specifications before treating it as buildable³¹. Check sewage feasibility early because only 9.2% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, and Madison County reviews and approves private systems^4,12. Construction or deepening of a private well requires a Health Department permit⁸. For floodplain parcels, new structures face elevation-document requirements, larger land development needs a grading permit, and floodway development needs state and federal approval³². County driveway-access requirements could not be confirmed, so identify the road authority before closing.