Bolthole Index

Madison County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Wood River, Illinois

Wood River, Illinois requires building permits for new residential structures and substantial improvements, with the city administrator deciding whether a project needs approval.1 Wood River also has its own zoning code and map.2 In Madison County, the county department handles private-sewage installations, but Wood River’s sewer-connection requirements and exceptions must also be resolved before planning septic inside city limits.345

At a glance

Building permits
Required for new structures and substantial improvements; city administrator determines applicability1
Zoning
City zoning code and map; available at the City Clerk’s office2
Residential building fee
$25 plus $2 per $1,000 of estimated project cost6
Sewer and septic
Public sewer connection required when the stated distance and notice conditions apply; private sewage has limited exceptions45
Tiny houses
IRC Appendix AQ adopted; zoning and occupancy permission still need city confirmation7
Occupancy
City occupancy permit required, subject to the code’s exception8
Owner plumbing
Conditional Illinois owner-occupant exemption; local plumbing permits can still apply910

Who to call

Building permits

Wood River Building & Zoning Department

City building permits, zoning questions and occupancy inspections and permits

(618) 251-3100

Septic permits

Madison County Planning & Development — Private Sewage Permits & Inspections

Private sewage permits, installation inspections and installer licensing

(618)296-4663

[email protected]

157 N. Main Street, Suite 254 Edwardsville, IL 62025

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Wood River, IL?

Wood River requires residential building permits for new structures and substantial improvements; the Planning and Zoning Administrator makes the final determination for a particular project.1 The city’s listed work also includes decks, covered patios, swimming pools, carports, fences and storage sheds, so a small accessory project should not be assumed exempt.1

Wood River has adopted the 2021 International Building Code and the 2021 International Residential Code, with local amendments.7 The residential building-permit fee is $25 plus $2 for each $1,000 of estimated total project cost, and starting work without a required building permit adds $50.6

Who issues building permits in Wood River?

Contact the Wood River Building & Zoning Department at (618) 251-3100 for building permits, zoning regulations and construction standards.11 The same city department handles occupancy inspections and occupancy permits.11 Wood River requires an occupancy permit before a dwelling unit is occupied, subject to the exception in its occupancy chapter.8

An occupancy inspection is normally required before the city issues that occupancy permit; the administrator may accept an outside inspection deemed sufficient.12 Ask the city department which construction inspections and documents your project needs, rather than treating the occupancy inspection as the entire construction-inspection schedule.1113

Does Wood River have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Wood River adopts its own zoning code and zoning map, available at the City Clerk’s office.2 Request the parcel’s district and the applicable dimensional requirements from the Wood River Building & Zoning Department before choosing a house footprint or placing a shed.112 We could not confirm Wood River’s district-specific minimum lot sizes, setbacks, lot coverage, building heights or minimum dwelling sizes; ask the city department for the applicable district schedule.

For land outside city limits, use the Madison County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area building-permit and zoning answers.1415 Wood River’s city zoning code is the starting point for a parcel inside the city.2

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Wood River?

Wood River requires connection to public sewer within 90 days after official notice when the public sewer is within 300 feet of the property line.4 A written building-sewer permit from the Director of Public Services is required, and a connection depends on sufficient downstream reserve capacity.4 The listed single-family tapping fee for a trunk-sewer connection is $1,500.4

Wood River generally prohibits septic tanks and similar disposal facilities except as provided in its sewer chapter.5 Madison County Planning & Development permits and inspects private-sewage installations and allows private sewage only where public sewer is unavailable, cannot be extended to the property line and site soils are acceptable.3 We could not confirm the city’s specific private-sewage exception or municipal inspection process; ask Wood River Building & Zoning and the county private-sewage office to resolve both approvals before buying a septic-dependent lot.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Wood River?

We could not confirm permission for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping, manufactured-home placement or accessory dwelling units inside Wood River; ask the Wood River Building & Zoning Department about the proposed use and parcel before relying on any of those options. Wood River’s adoption of IRC Appendix AQ Tiny Houses addresses construction standards, but does not itself establish zoning or occupancy permission for a tiny home.7

A proposed tiny house therefore needs a city zoning answer as well as a building-code answer, and Wood River’s dwelling occupancy-permit requirement remains a separate consideration.278 Ask the city whether the exact design, foundation and intended occupancy fit the parcel’s district.11

Building a home in Wood River: what are the steps?

  1. Confirm the parcel’s city zoning district and obtain the code and map through the City Clerk or Building & Zoning Department.211
  2. Resolve sewer service with the Director of Public Services; sewer applications use a city form and may require plans and specifications.13
  3. Submit the building-permit application and construction documents required under Wood River’s adopted codes before beginning permit-required work.131
  4. Ask the Building Official about a development permit if the parcel is in a special flood hazard area; required state and federal approvals must precede the city permit.16
  5. Arrange the city occupancy inspection and obtain the applicable occupancy permit before moving into the dwelling.128

What should owner-builders check before buying in Wood River?

Illinois allows qualifying owner occupants to perform plumbing work on their own single-family residence under specified conditions, including code compliance, inspection and limits on who may assist.9 That plumbing exemption does not remove local plumbing-permit requirements or establish a general exemption from Wood River building permits.101 We could not confirm a separate Wood River owner-builder or agricultural building-permit exemption; ask the city administrator about your proposed work.

For floodplain development inside Wood River, the city Building Official requires a development permit unless a stated exemption applies, with scaled site drawings and elevation information.16 We could not confirm city water-well requirements; resolve the intended water supply with Wood River Building & Zoning before treating a parcel as suitable for an off-grid home.

Watch-outs

  • Adopting tiny-house construction standards does not establish permission to occupy a tiny home on a particular Wood River lot.7
  • Wood River’s public-sewer rules can prevent a septic-based plan even where a buyer would prefer private sewage.45
  • We could not confirm residential RV occupancy in Wood River; ask the city Building & Zoning Department before planning to live in an RV during construction.11
  • A Wood River building permit and an occupancy permit address separate stages of a home project.18

Sources

  1. § 150.017 Fees (Wood River), quoted and re-checked
  2. § 155.01 Adoption by reference (Wood River), quoted and re-checked
  3. Madison County Planning & Development — Private Sewage Permits & Inspections (madisoncountyil.gov)
  4. § 51.010 Use of public sewers required (Wood River), quoted and re-checked
  5. § 51.010 Use of public sewers required (Wood River), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 150.017 Fees (Wood River), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 150.015 Building codes (Wood River), quoted and re-checked
  8. § 157.33 Occupancy permits (Wood River), quoted and re-checked
  9. HB5913 Enrolled — Illinois Plumbing License Law amendment (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. 225 ILCS 320/18 — Local regulation; Department standards (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Wood River Building & Zoning Department (woodriver.org)
  12. § 157.32 Inspections (Wood River), quoted and re-checked
  13. § 150.017 Fees (Wood River), quoted and re-checked
  14. Building Permits & Inspections (2026 county census)
  15. Zoning Administration (2026 county census)
  16. § 151.05 Development permit (Wood River), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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 Wood River

Wood River’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Residential construction and substantial improvements inside Wood River city limits.

    • The Planning and Zoning Administrator makes the final determination whether a permit is required.
    • Residential permits are required for new structures and substantial improvements.
    • Permits are also required for decks, covered patios, swimming pools, carports, certain satellite dishes, detached antennas, fences, storage sheds, and demolition exceeding 100 square feet.
    • The code separately lists permit exemptions and emergency-repair timing in the adopted building codes.
    “Permits are required for the construction of any new structure or for any substantial improvement made to an existing structure.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building construction inside Wood River city limits.

    • The 2021 International Building Code is adopted as amended.
    • The 2021 International Residential Code is adopted for one- and two-family dwellings as amended.
    • The code refers accessibility, energy, plumbing, and electrical matters to Illinois or adopted reference codes where stated.
    • Appendix AQ Tiny Houses is adopted as an IRC appendix; this does not itself establish zoning occupancy permission.

    building code edition: 2021 International Building Code (as amended by Wood River) · residential code edition: 2021 International Residential Code (for one- and two-family dwellings, as amended)

    “There is hereby adopted by the City of Wood River the 2021 International Building Code (https://codes.iccsafe.org/ ) as hereinafter amended (hereinafter the “International Building Code”).”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Residential dwellings, accessory structures, and residential premises inside Wood River city limits under the occupancy-permit chapter.

    • The Administrator or designee may inspect as often as reasonably necessary; the provision is discretionary rather than a universal construction-inspection schedule.
    • An occupancy inspection is required before issuance of an occupancy permit unless an outside inspection is accepted as sufficient.
    “The Administrator shall not issue any occupancy permit until an occupancy inspector of the city has inspected the dwelling and the proposed occupancy conforms to the requirements of this chapter.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Occupancy of dwelling units inside Wood River city limits.

    • The requirement is subject to the exception in § 157.34.
    • The Administrator may accept a written inspection by another agency or financial institution if deemed sufficient.
    “Except as provided in § 157.34 it shall be unlawful for any person to occupy, or for any owner or agent to allow another person to occupy any dwelling unit unless the Administrator has issued a valid occupancy permit.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Wood River city limits; the city adopts and incorporates its own zoning code and zoning map.

    • The adopted zoning regulations and map are available in the City Clerk's office.
    “The Wood River Zoning Code, 1996 is hereby adopted by reference which regulations and map are incorporated and made a part of the municipal code to the same extent as though it was set forth in full herein; the same being available in the office of the City Clerk.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private or off-grid sewage disposal inside Wood River city limits where the public sewer is not available under the city's sewer rules.

    • The city code states that septic tanks, cesspools, and similar facilities are unlawful except as provided in the sewer chapter.
    • Any exception remains subject to the city's requirements and any applicable state requirements.
    “Except as hereinafter provided, 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 inside Wood River city limits with a public sanitary or combined sewer within 300 feet of the property line.

    • Connection must occur within 90 days after official notice.
    • The public sewer must be within 300 feet of the property line.
    • A written building-sewer permit from the Director of Public Services is required.
    • Connection is allowed only if downstream sewage facilities have sufficient reserve capacity.
    • Single-family trunk-sewer connections have a $1,500 tapping fee.
    • The city sewer chapter prohibits septic tanks and similar sewage-disposal facilities except as provided in the chapter.

    public sewer distance threshold: <= 300 feet from property line · connection deadline after official notice: 90 days · single-family tapping fee: 1500 USD (for connections to trunk sewers)

    “The owner of all the houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes situated within the city and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is not located or may in the future be located any public sanitary (or combined) sewer of the city, is hereby required at his or her 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 chapter, within 90 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within 300 feet of the property line.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in a special flood hazard area inside Wood River city limits.

    • The requirement does not apply to persons, firms, corporations, or governmental bodies exempted by state law.
    • The application must include scaled site drawings, property-line dimensions, existing and proposed grades, building locations and dimensions, and lowest-floor elevations.
    • The Building Official must inform the applicant of other local, state, and federal permits; required federal and state permits must be obtained before the city permit is issued.
    • Development shown to have been above base flood elevation at the relevant map-identification date is not subject to the chapter.
    “No person, firm, corporation, or governmental body not exempted by state law shall commence any development in the SFHA without first obtaining a development permit from the Building Official.”
  • Permit feesPublished

    City building and related permits inside Wood River city limits.

    • Residential building permits: $25 basic flat fee plus $2 per $1,000 of estimated total project cost.
    • Nonresidential building permits: $100 basic flat fee plus $5 per $1,000 of estimated total project cost.
    • A $50 fee is added for work begun without a required permit.
    • Additional fee schedules apply to fences, demolition, electrical, signs, sprinklers, mechanical permits, and driveway cuts.
    • Projects over 4,000 square feet, high-hazard projects, mixed-use projects, or unique code situations may receive third-party review with a 10% administrative charge.

    residential building permit basic fee: 25 USD (plus $2 per $1,000 of estimated total project cost) · nonresidential building permit basic fee: 100 USD (plus $5 per $1,000 of estimated total project cost) · work without permit fee: 50 USD (in addition to the permit fee)

    “Residential. Basic flat fee of $25 plus a charge of $2 for every $1,000 of estimated total cost of the project.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building and sewer permit applications inside Wood River city limits.

    • Residential and commercial building permits are required for new structures and specified substantial improvements.
    • Construction documents must comply with the adopted building codes and may require complete resubmittals.
    • Sewer permit applications use a city-provided special form and may require plans, specifications, and other information requested by the Director of Public Services.
    • Sewer connections require inspection and supervision by the Director of Public Services or representative.
    “In either case, the owner or his or her agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the city.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Wood River or Madison County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from Wood River building-permit requirements.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Wood River city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Wood River city limits.
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside Wood River city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Residential districts inside Wood River city limits.
12 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Wood River publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Madison County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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