Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Jacksonville, Illinois

Jacksonville’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Building permits inside Jacksonville city; IRC R105.2 exemption threshold amended

  • City amends IRC Section R105.2: exempt-work size threshold changed from 200 sq. ft. to 150 sq. ft. and items 2, 3 and 10 deleted
  • Permit application process and fees not located

  exempt building size threshold: 150 sq ft (IRC R105.2 as amended)

  “Under Building: 1. Delete 200 sq. ft. and insert 150 sq. ft. Delete 2, 3, and 10.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Buildings and structures inside Jacksonville city limits

  • Adopts IBC, IPMC, IMC, IRC, IEBC, IFGC 2021 and IECC 2024 with listed city amendments
  • Plumbing: Illinois Plumbing Code replaces the International Plumbing Code

  “be and hereby are adopted as the building codes of the City of Jacksonville, for the control of buildings, and structures as herein provided”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Camping in the Lake Jacksonville reservoir area only; general private-land camping rules not located

  • Prohibited in Zones A-E except portions of Zone E designated by the city or marginal land leased to custodians
  • Camping fees set by park board and city council

  “Picnicking and camping are prohibited in Zones A, B, C, D and E, as defined in this chapter, except:”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny houses inside Jacksonville city

  • City adopts IRC Appendix AQ; zoning limits not located

  “Appendix AQ "Tiny Houses" is added as part of this code”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes used as dwellings inside Jacksonville city

  • City adopts IRC Appendix AE; floodplain rules apply to manufactured homes on new sites; zoning limits not located

  “Appendix AE "Manufactured Housing used as dwellings" is added as part of this code”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Buildings in the floodplain inside Jacksonville city

  • Applies to new buildings valued over $1,000 or 70 sq ft, substantial improvements, manufactured homes on new sites, and RVs on site over 180 days per year
  • Flood protection elevation is base flood plus one foot of freeboard

  freeboard: 1 ft

  “all buildings located in the floodplain shall be protected from flood damage below the flood protection elevation.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Jacksonville city
• Inspections — Inspections inside Jacksonville city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Jacksonville city
• Local zoning — Zoning inside Jacksonville city
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Jacksonville city

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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