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

In county-administered areas of Menard County, a building permit is required before a house, manufactured or modular home, portable building, pole barn, garage, carport, shed or container is built, moved or placed on land, subject to limited agricultural exceptions¹. Menard County adopts the International Building Code with county amendments, alongside applicable state plumbing, energy and accessibility codes; where adopted codes conflict, the most stringent requirement applies⁴. New-construction inspections are generally required, must be requested 48 hours ahead and require approved plans on site⁴. Occupancy approval requires completed construction and final well, septic and site-development approvals⁴. Agricultural exemptions require an owner affidavit and site plan for setbacks and floodplain compliance; agricultural land use and structures are separately exempt from the Development Code’s Development Permit, but other applicable requirements remain⁶. Solely agricultural structures must meet district setbacks, and a change to non-agricultural use brings the other zoning provisions into play¹.

The Menard County Zoning Office administers county zoning and subdivision ordinances and publishes the building-permit application⁸. Call (217)632-5123 or email jcrowe@menardcountyil.gov; the office is at 101 East Jefferson, Menard County Courthouse Annex, Petersburg, Illinois 62675⁸. The county application requires consultation about zoning, floodplain, subdivision, road access and applicable well and septic requirements, and the office may require proof of consultation⁹. The published 2024 fee schedule lists a $200 dwelling base fee plus a per-square-foot charge, and $500 for a manufactured home including a tiny home; confirm the total with the Zoning Office^8,10. Inside Athens, the city zoning administrator issues building permits for erection or structural alteration; Greenview controls building-permit issuance for improvements in approved subdivisions^11,12. Private sewage and potable-water services remain with the Sangamon County public health program serving Menard County³.

Menard County zoning covers unincorporated areas and villages without their own ordinances; the county does not administer ordinances inside Athens, Greenview or Petersburg². County districts include agricultural, rural-residential, single-family, multiple-family, business, manufacturing and public lands⁴. Minimum lot size, setbacks and height depend on district and use^1,4. The district summary lists 30 acres for Agriculture, 3 acres for Rural Residential and 7,500 square feet for Single-Family Residential, subject to detailed exceptions^1,4. Single-Family Residential setbacks include 5 feet at the side and 10 feet at the rear; the front standard uses the road centerline, required right-of-way and an additional 30 feet⁴. Ask the Zoning Office to establish the parcel’s district and buildable area before choosing a house site or splitting land, because subdivision and development review may apply^2,8,13.

Sangamon County public health provides private-sewage-disposal services for Menard County through the counties' public-health arrangement³. The local contact is the Menard County Health Department at One Centre Drive, Petersburg, Illinois 62675 and (217)535-3102¹⁴. When a septic permit applies, Menard County will not issue its building permit until the Zoning Office receives a copy of the septic permit⁵. Final inspection of a new installation or repair is required before backfilling, and an initial inspection may be required when circumstances warrant¹⁵. Resolve feasibility early because only about 22.4% of Menard County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹⁶. The countywide soil rating does not decide an individual homesite, so get the required site review before fixing the house location⁵.

In unincorporated Menard County, an RV—including a tiny home classified as an RV—cannot be occupied as a dwelling except in a lawfully established commercial campground or under an approved temporary-use exception¹. County-defined campgrounds are for non-permanent RV or tent placement, and RVs there cannot be permanent abodes⁴. Temporary dwelling use requires Board of Appeals recommendation and County Board approval; recreational use also requires adequate water, sewage disposal and Health Department approval¹. A tiny home built as a dwelling must meet the 400-square-foot minimum habitable floor area⁴. Manufactured homes must meet title, code-compliance, serial-number and state-law requirements; permanent placement requires at least 7,200 square feet, subject to the applicable district minimum⁴. Pre-owned manufactured or mobile homes more than 12 years old cannot be brought into unincorporated Menard County⁴. An owner installing a manufactured home on their own land outside a mobile-home park need not acquire an installer’s license, but waives rights under the Act from not using a licensed installer; county fees, inspections and occupancy approval remain required¹.

1. Confirm jurisdiction: Menard County administers zoning in unincorporated areas and villages without their own ordinances, but not in Athens, Greenview or Petersburg².
2. Ask the Zoning Office to verify the zoning district, use, lot size, setbacks, building height, floodplain status and any subdivision review^1,2,4.
3. Obtain applicable well and septic approvals before the county permit; private-well work requires a permit before construction, deepening, modification or sealing^5,7.
4. For a newly addressed parcel, obtain an entrance permit from the road district or Menard County Highway Department with authority over the entrance⁴.
5. Submit the building-permit application and required fees before construction^1,2.
6. Schedule required inspections 48 hours ahead and keep approved plans on site⁴.
7. Complete required hookups and approvals, then return the Certificate of Completion & Conformance before occupancy^4,9.

Confirm zoning jurisdiction and ask the Menard County Zoning Office about the district, floodplain and any subdivision review before buying or splitting a parcel^2,8,13. Only about 22.4% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for conventional septic drain fields, so resolve the actual homesite with the health authority early^14,16. Verify driveway siting and culvert requirements with the road authority; county-highway questions go to the Highway Department and road-district questions to the appropriate commissioner^5,17. If rental income is part of the plan, Menard County requires short-term rental registration, a guest registry and a local contact within 50 miles who can respond within 60 minutes; occupancy is capped at 10 people and is also subject to bedroom-based limits⁴. For carrying costs, the countywide effective property-tax rate is about 1.6% and the median annual property-tax bill is about $2,936¹⁶.