Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Valmeyer, Illinois

Village of Valmeyer’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, constructing, altering or repairing any structure or building inside Valmeyer village limits

  • Permit is issued by the village code official; the application must be accompanied by the fees in Section 6-1-2(a).
  • If work begins before a permit is obtained, the minimum permit fee is two times the otherwise applicable fee (Section 6-1-2(d)).
  • Electrical work requires a separate work permit under Section 6-1-4.

  building permit fee: 0.3 USD per square foot (subject to minimum fees; residential home with basement minimum 200.00 USD; residential home with crawl space minimum 150.00 USD; commercial and industrial rates are set by a separate schedule)

  “no person shall erect, construct, alter, or repair any structure or building within the village limits of valmeyer, illinois, without having first obtained a permit from the village code official.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Electrical work only, for an owner-occupied single-family home or owner-occupied duplex inside Valmeyer village

  • Homeowner must personally perform the electrical work and the work must be in the home the owner occupies.
  • This is limited to electrical permits; no general owner-builder exemption for building permits was found in Chapter 6.
  • Work must still be inspected by the electrical inspector (Section 6-1-4(c)(3)).

  “the village clerk shall issue work permits to licensed electrical contractors or a homeowner, provided the homeowner personally performs the electrical work and provided the electrical work is to be installed in the home occupied by the owner and that the home is a single-family residence or owner-occupied duplex.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Structures inside Valmeyer village limits

  • Adopts the International Building Code, 2006 edition, with the insertions and changes listed in Section 6-1-2 (for example, Section 101.1 inserts village of valmeyer).
  • Section 6-1-3 also adopts the International Mechanical Code, International Property Maintenance Code and International Residential Code, all 2006 editions, and the Monroe County building guidelines dated January 16, 2007.
  • Section 6-1-4 adopts the Monroe County, Illinois electrical code dated May 1, 2006, and the village contracts with Monroe County for the electrical inspector.

  “being marked and designated as the international building code, 2006 edition, including all appendix chapters, as published by the international code council, is hereby adopted as the building code of the village of valmeyer”

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction inside Valmeyer village limits

  • Inspections are performed by village-contracted building, plumbing and electrical inspectors.
  • Building inspection fee of 650.00 USD for a new home, and 75.00 USD for a garage, accessory building, deck, porch or fence (Section 6-1-2(b)); reinspection fee 75.00 USD each.
  • Electrical wiring must be inspected before it is concealed (Section 6-1-4(d)).
  • The Procedures page is a village process statement; the operative code text is in Chapter 6.

  building inspection fee, new residential home: 650 USD (in addition to the building permit fee)

  “all structures must comply with the village of valmeyer's codes. inspections will be conducted by the building inspector, plumbing inspector and electrical inspector contracted by the village.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Residential or rental property inside Valmeyer village after a change of occupants

  • Section 6-5-6 requires a new occupancy permit when occupants change after an initial occupancy permit.
  • Section 6-1-2(e) says the code official issues an initial occupancy permit after permit and inspection fees are paid and the premises comply with the code.

  “6-5-6 - occupancy permit required. hereinafter, upon change of occupants after the issuance of an initial occupancy permit, no residential or rental property shall be occupied or used until a new occupancy permit shall have been issued by the code official stating that the premises comply with the provisions of this code.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Valmeyer village limits. The village's own Chapter 40 zoning code applies; county zoning does not govern land inside village limits.

  • The village's Chapter 40 is cited in the village FAQ for recreational vehicle, outdoor storage and pool rules.
  • The full Chapter 40 zoning text was not retrieved; dimensional and district rules are unknown (see other claims).

  “this sections shall not apply in areas of the village that are zoned agricultural in nature”

• Subdividing landLimited

  A dwelling inside a subdivision within Valmeyer village

  • Written approval from the developer or homeowners association for the plan and site location must be submitted with the building permit application (procedure sheet step 4).
  • The village subdivision code (listed in the 1994 ordinance index) was not opened; plat approval rules are unknown.

  “if dwelling is to be in a subdivision, written approval must be obtained from the developer or home owner's association for plan and site location.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building, electrical and inspection permit fees for work inside Valmeyer village

  • Fees are in Chapter 6 Schedule A (Section 6-1-2). The schedule carries Ordinance 17-07 (08-15-17).
  • Board minutes from July 2025 reference Ordinance 25-02 revising building permit fees; that ordinance was not opened and may supersede the Chapter 6 figures. Confirm current fees with the village before relying on them.
  • Commercial and industrial fees follow a separate sliding schedule in Section 6-1-2(a).

  building permit fee: 0.3 USD per square foot (subject to minimum fees in Schedule A; may be superseded by Ordinance 25-02 (2025))

  “the application for building permit shall include a permit fee of thirty cents ($0.30) per square foot of structure to be constructed, including without limitation the area of any garage”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  New construction permit process inside Valmeyer village

  • Steps: recorded deed, building permit application, health department septic step if no city services, subdivision approval if applicable, floodplain check, plans reviewed by zoning administrator and contracted building inspector, fees paid, then inspections.
  • The permit forms are listed on the village permits page.

  “complete the building permit application and submit to the zoning administrator along with a copy of the recorded deed to the property.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Valmeyer

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

• Septic permitRequired

  New onsite sewage disposal system on land inside Valmeyer village where city services are not available

  • Applies only if city services are not available (procedure sheet).
  • Permit fee and the operative permit rule were not located; the procedure sheet is the only source found.

  “contact bi-county health department (618-939-3871) to apply for permit to install a sewage disposal system. the health department is located at 901 illinois ave., waterloo, il 62298. (only if city services are not available).”

Still unanswered

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

• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential district inside Valmeyer village (main district)
• Minimum lot size — Single-family residential district inside Valmeyer village (main district)
• Setbacks — Front, side and rear yard setbacks inside Valmeyer village (main residential district)
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Valmeyer village (main residential district)
• Building height — Maximum building height inside Valmeyer village (main residential district)

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.