Bolthole Index

Marion County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Centralia, Illinois

Centralia, Illinois requires building permits to be issued before construction begins, and the city administers its own zoning.12 For parcels in Marion County, septic permits come through the Marion County Health Department; Centralia also requires final inspection of private sewerage systems before underground work is covered.34 Start with the city’s Community Development and Planning & Zoning office for building and land-use questions.5

At a glance

Building permits
Apply and obtain the city building permit before construction begins.1
Zoning
Centralia administers city zoning, including special uses and variances.2
Building codes
City-adopted 2024 building and residential codes apply.6
Septic approval
Marion County parcels need county health approval; city private-sewer inspections also apply.34
Septic fee
Marion County lists $75 for a new or replacement septic permit.7
Owner-builder
Illinois allows qualifying owners to do residential plumbing, subject to code and inspection requirements.8
Private wells
Illinois requires approval before private-well construction, modification or sealing.9

Who to call

Building permits

Centralia Community Development and Planning & Zoning

City building-code enforcement and zoning questions; building, demolition, sign and special-use application resources.

(618) 533-7622

101 S Locust Centralia , IL 62801

Septic permits

Marion County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health

Private sewage design review, permits and installation inspections, plus private-water environmental health services

618-548-3878 ext. 215

[email protected]

118 Cross Creek Boulevard, Salem, Illinois 62881

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

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Do you need a building permit in Centralia, IL?

Centralia building permits must be applied for and issued before construction begins.1 Centralia has adopted the 2024 International Building, Existing Building and Residential Codes, along with property-maintenance and mechanical codes.6 The city’s Planning & Zoning and Code Enforcement Department enforces the city codes.5

Before scheduling work, ask Centralia Community Development and Planning & Zoning which building application, drawings and inspections your project needs.5 We could not confirm the complete building-inspection schedule or certificate-of-occupancy requirements; request those details from the city before setting a move-in date.5

Who handles building permits and zoning in Centralia?

Centralia’s Community Development and Planning & Zoning office is the city contact for building-code enforcement and zoning regulations, with building-permit and special-use resources on its department page.5 Call (618) 533-7622 or use the department’s official page to ask about your address and proposed construction.5

For a Marion County parcel using private sewage, the Marion County Health Department reviews system designs, issues septic permits and inspects installation.10 City building and zoning approval therefore does not replace the county’s septic approval, and Centralia’s separate private-sewer inspection must also be coordinated.34

Does Centralia have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

Centralia maintains city zoning, with procedures for zoning-map amendments, special uses and variances affecting designated districts.2 Ask Centralia Community Development and Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel’s district and provide the allowed uses, minimum lot size, setbacks and dwelling-size requirements before buying land for a particular home design.5

We could not confirm Centralia’s residential RV, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling permissions; ask the city about the exact dwelling and intended duration of occupancy.5 Centralia’s reservoir camping rule is limited to specified reservoir zones and exceptions, so that rule does not establish permission to live in an RV on an ordinary private lot.11

How do septic permits work inside Centralia?

For Centralia parcels in Marion County, new or renovated private sewage systems must be permitted through the Marion County Health Department and installed by an Illinois-licensed private sewage contractor or the homeowner.3 Marion County’s published new or replacement septic-permit fee is $75.7 Illinois requires plan approval before construction and at least 48 hours’ notice to the Department or local authority before covered sewage-system work begins.12

Centralia also requires notification to the superintendent for final private-sewerage inspection before underground portions are covered; the city code states inspection occurs within 24 hours of notice.4 Arrange county installation inspections and the city inspection separately.134 Marion County’s soil rating shows only 0.5% rated not limited for conventional drain fields; that countywide screening calls for a site evaluation, not a conclusion that a particular lot cannot support septic.14

What are the steps to building a home in Centralia?

  1. Ask Centralia Community Development and Planning & Zoning for the parcel’s zoning district and whether the proposed use needs a special use or variance.52
  2. Ask the city superintendent about sewer service: a public-sewer connection requires a written permit, while a private-sewer application uses a city form with any requested plans and specifications.1
  3. For a Marion County parcel needing septic, obtain health-department design approval and the septic permit before installation.103
  4. Obtain the Centralia building permit before starting construction, then ask the city for the project’s inspection and occupancy checklist.15
  5. Coordinate county septic inspections and notify the city superintendent before covering private-sewer underground work.134

What should you check before buying land in Centralia?

For land outside Centralia city limits, use the Marion County guide for the county’s answer; Centralia’s zoning applies inside the city.2 Confirm the parcel’s county with the city before choosing a health office, and ask Centralia Community Development and Planning & Zoning about floodplain approval, driveway access and utility availability for the address.5

Illinois requires approval before constructing, modifying or sealing a private water well.9 For Marion County well installation, the published process calls for a $100 application fee payable to IDPH and 48 hours’ notice to county Environmental Health before installation.15 Illinois’s qualifying owner plumbing exemption still requires compliant plumbing and inspections; local plumbing permits may also be required.816 Ask Centralia about any broader owner-builder exemption before planning to perform other trades yourself.5

Watch-outs

  • Centralia’s city private-sewer inspection is an additional step to Marion County septic permitting for a Marion County parcel.43
  • We could not confirm residential RV or tiny-home occupancy permissions in Centralia; ask Community Development and Planning & Zoning before relying on either as temporary housing.5
  • We could not confirm Centralia’s complete occupancy-certificate or floodplain-development requirements; ask the city for the requirements at your address.5

Sources

  1. Centralia Municipal Code, Sec. 6-3 — Building permit fees (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  2. Centralia Municipal Code, Sec. 2-488 — Powers and duties (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  3. Marion County Full Board Meeting Minutes, February 25, 2025, quoted and re-checked
  4. Centralia Municipal Code, Sec. 25-109 — Construction of private sewers and facilities (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  5. Centralia Community Development and Planning & Zoning (cityofcentralia.org)
  6. Centralia Municipal Code, Sec. 6-1 — Technical codes—Adopted (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  7. Permit Fees | Marion County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  8. HB5913 Enrolled — Illinois Plumbing License Law amendment (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. 77 Ill. Admin. Code 920.130, Water Well Permit Requirements (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Private Sewage Program, quoted and re-checked
  11. Centralia Municipal Code, Sec. 20-32 — Picnicking and camping (Centralia), quoted and re-checked
  12. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.190 Installation Approval (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Private Sewage Program, quoted and re-checked
  14. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  15. Private Water Program, quoted and re-checked
  16. 225 ILCS 320/18 — Local regulation; Department standards (Illinois statewide rule), 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 Centralia

Centralia’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction and related regulated work inside Centralia city limits.

    • Centralia adopted the listed codes by reference.
    • The code section also adopts the 2024 International Existing Building, Residential, Property Maintenance, and Mechanical Codes.

    edition: 2024

    “The following are adopted by reference: (1) The International Building Code (IBC), 2024 Edition. (2) The International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2024 Edition. (3) The International Residential Code (IRC), 2024 Edition.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Centralia city limits; Centralia maintains and administers a zoning ordinance.

    • The cited provision concerns zoning map amendments, special uses, and zoning variances affecting designated districts.
    “Review proposed zoning map amendments, applications for special uses or application for zoning variances that affect designated districts.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Private sewerage systems inside Centralia city limits.

    • The superintendent may inspect work at any stage.
    • The applicant must notify the superintendent for final inspection before underground portions are covered.
    • Inspection is stated to occur within 24 hours after notice.

    inspection response time: 24 hours

    “A permit for a private sewerage system shall not become effective until the installation is completed to the satisfaction of the superintendent. He shall be allowed to inspect the work at any state of construction and, in any event, the applicant for the permit shall notify the superintendent when the work is ready for final inspection, and before any underground portions are covered. The inspection shall be made within twenty-four (24) hours of the receipt of notice by the superintendent.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building and sewer-related permits inside Centralia city limits.

    • Building permits must be applied for and issued before construction begins.
    • Private sewer permits use a city form and may require plans, specifications, and other information requested by the superintendent.
    • Public sewer connections require a written permit from the superintendent.
    • This is a partial process record, not a complete application checklist.
    “The application for such permit shall be made on a form furnished by the city, which the applicant shall supplement by any plans, specifications, and other information as are deemed necessary by the superintendent.”

Rules another office applies inside Centralia

Centralia does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Picnicking and camping in Centralia reservoir zones A, B, C, and D.

    • Camping is allowed in portions of zones D and E designated by the city.
    • Camping is also allowed by a custodian of marginal land, the custodian's family, and guests on marginal land leased by the city.
    • The rule is limited to the reservoir zones identified in the section and does not establish a citywide private-land camping rule.
    “Picnicking and camping are prohibited in zones A, B, C, and D except: (1) In such portions of zones D and E designated by the city; (2) By any custodian of marginal land, his family and guests, upon such portions of the marginal land as may have been leased to such custodian or custodians by the city.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Centralia city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspection requirements inside Centralia city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Centralia city limits.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning-district map and district schedule inside Centralia city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Centralia city limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Centralia publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Marion County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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