Bolthole Index

Mercer County, Illinois

Village of Matherville, Illinois: building permits, zoning and septic

The Village of Matherville, Illinois has village zoning, but we could not confirm the village’s building-permit requirement; ask Village Hall before construction.12 Matherville is in Mercer County, where private septic construction or repair requires approval through Mercer County Health Department.34

At a glance

Building permits
Village requirement unconfirmed; ask Village Hall2
Zoning
Village zoning with district-specific rules15
Private septic
Mercer County Health Department; construction and repair require an application34
Septic permit fees
$200 for contractors; $600 for homeowner installation6
Subdivision sewer
Public sewer connection provisions apply when reasonably accessible7
Owner-builder
Conditional plumbing exemption; no blanket building-permit exemption89

Who to call

Zoning

Matherville Village Hall

Starting point for village zoning and questions about building requirements

Septic permits

Mercer County Health Department

Permits to construct or repair onsite wastewater disposal systems in Mercer County

(309) 582-3759

305 NW 7th Street Aledo, Illinois 61231

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

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Do you need a building permit in the Village of Matherville, IL?

We could not confirm the Village of Matherville’s building-permit requirement, fee schedule, inspection sequence or certificate-of-occupancy requirement; request project-specific answers from Village Hall before starting work.21011 Illinois places building-permit administration with the applicable local government.2 Illinois statewide baseline building-code requirements took effect in 2025, so an unanswered local permit question does not mean construction is exempt from building standards.12 Ask Village Hall which code and local amendments apply to the proposed home.13

Does the Village of Matherville have zoning for RVs and tiny homes?

The Village of Matherville has residential, commercial, manufacturing and mobile-home-park zoning districts.1 Matherville’s district list distinguishes general residential from multiple-dwelling residential uses; the existence of a mobile-home-park district does not establish permission for a manufactured home on any residential parcel.5 We could not confirm Matherville’s RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home, accessory-dwelling, minimum lot size or setback rules; ask Village Hall for the parcel’s district and the operative use and dimensional requirements before buying.5 Request a separate answer for temporary occupancy during construction and permanent occupancy.1

How do septic permits work inside the Village of Matherville?

Mercer County Health Department handles private onsite wastewater applications inside the Village of Matherville.3 Construction or repair requires an application, soil report and permit fee; the published fees are $200 for contractors and $600 for homeowner installation, and the permit is valid for 1 year.4 An onsite soils evaluation determines soil suitability and system sizing.14 Surface-discharging systems also require an Illinois EPA NPDES permit.4 Obtain plan approval before construction and notify the applicable health authority at least 48 hours before work begins.15

What are the steps for building a home in the Village of Matherville?

  1. Ask Village Hall to identify the Matherville parcel’s zoning district and confirm that the proposed residential use meets that district’s requirements.5
  2. Request the village’s building-permit, inspection and occupancy requirements before committing to a construction schedule.21011
  3. For a subdivision, resolve sewer access with the village: where public sanitary sewer is reasonably accessible, subdividers must connect or provide for connection and a village-board-approved system accessible to each lot.7
  4. If the project uses private septic, arrange the soils evaluation and submit the application, report and fee to Mercer County Health Department before construction.1415

What should you check before buying in the Village of Matherville?

Keep village land-use approval separate from private sewage approval: Matherville has its own zoning, while Mercer County Health Department handles private septic applications.13 We could not confirm a Matherville private-well permit rule; ask the health department about the proposed water source.3 An Illinois owner-occupant plumbing exemption is conditional and does not remove local plumbing-permit or inspection requirements.89 For land outside village limits, use the Mercer County guide: the county zoning resolution divides land outside incorporated municipalities into districts.16

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm permission to live in an RV or tiny home in Matherville; ask Village Hall about the specific parcel and intended occupancy.1
  • A homeowner septic installation carries a $600 permit fee, rather than the $200 contractor fee.6
  • A composting toilet does not remove Illinois’s requirement to dispose of other domestic wastes through a conventional private sewage disposal system.17

Sources

  1. Title 10 Zoning Regulations (Village of Matherville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. Private Sewage Disposal (Village of Matherville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Wastewater Disposal Permit Application Instructions (Village of Matherville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Title 10 Zoning Regulations (Village of Matherville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Onsite Wastewater Disposal Permit Application Instructions (Village of Matherville), quoted and re-checked
  7. 11-5-4: Sewers (Village of Matherville), quoted and re-checked
  8. HB5913 Enrolled — Illinois Plumbing License Law amendment (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. 225 ILCS 320/18 — Local regulation; Department standards (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Illinois Codes (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Mercer County Health Department (mchdil.com)
  15. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.190 Installation Approval (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. ZONING RESOLUTION, quoted and re-checked
  17. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.130 Human Waste Disposal (Illinois statewide rule), 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 Village of Matherville

Village of Matherville’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Matherville village limits.

    • The village code contains Title 10 Zoning Regulations with residential, commercial, manufacturing, and mobile-home-park districts.
    “TITLE 10 ZONING REGULATIONS Title, Purpose And Definitions 1 Administration And Enforcement 2 Board Of Appeals 3 General Provisions 4 Districts 5 R-1 General Residential District 5A R-2 Multiple Dwelling Residential District 5B C-1 Commercial District 5C M-1 Manufacturing District 5D M-2 Mobile Home Parks District 5E”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Matherville village limits.

    • The code lists R-1, R-2, C-1, M-1, and M-2 districts.
    • District-specific dimensional and use rules require review of the operative district sections.
    “R-1 General Residential District 5A R-2 Multiple Dwelling Residential District 5B C-1 Commercial District 5C M-1 Manufacturing District 5D M-2 Mobile Home Parks District 5E”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Subdivision lots and sanitary-sewer access inside Matherville village limits.

    • The rule applies when a public sanitary sewer is reasonably accessible.
    • The subdivision must provide a sanitary sewer system accessible to each lot.
    • The sewer system must be approved by the village board.
    • The rule does not state a numeric distance threshold.
    “Where a public sanitary sewer is reasonably accessible, the subdividers shall connect or provide for the connection with such sanitary sewer, but in any event shall make provisions in such subdivision for the establishment of a sanitary sewer system accessible to each lot in the subdivision, and such sewer system shall be approved by the village board.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Matherville

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

  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Private onsite wastewater systems located inside Matherville village limits in Mercer County.

    • The Illinois Department of Public Health regulates private sewage systems statewide.
    • Mercer County Health Department provides the onsite wastewater permit application for systems in Mercer County.
    “This is the permit application to construct or repair an onsite wastewater disposal system in Mercer County.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction or repair of an onsite wastewater disposal system inside Matherville village limits.

    • Mercer County Health Department requires an application, soil report, and permit fee.
    • The permit is valid for one year.
    • Surface-discharging systems also require an Illinois EPA NPDES permit.

    contractor permit fee: 200 USD · homeowner installation permit fee: 600 USD · permit validity: 1 year

    “Submit the application, a copy of the soil report, and the permit fee to this office. $200 for contractors, Home owner installation $600. Permit is valid for 1 year. [...] EPA NPDES permit issued by IEPA if surface discharging”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Mercer County onsite wastewater permits applicable inside Matherville village limits.

    • The published fees are $200 for contractors and $600 for homeowner installation.
    • The permit application requires a soil report and permit fee.

    contractor permit fee: 200 USD · homeowner installation permit fee: 600 USD

    “Permit Fee: $200 (Reg. Contractor) $600 (Home Owner)”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Matherville or Mercer County directly.

  • Building permit — Construction and alteration inside Matherville village limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders performing construction inside Matherville village limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Matherville village limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Matherville village limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Matherville village limits.
19 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit process

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 Village of Matherville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Mercer County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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