Bolthole Index

Putnam County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic in the Village of Granville, Illinois

The Village of Granville, Illinois requires a building permit from the village Zoning Inspector before excavation, construction, moving or alteration of a building, including accessory buildings.1 Granville also regulates land use through village zoning.2 In Putnam County, private sewage permits and inspections go through the Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Department; ask the village and health department to confirm any additional requirements inside village limits.3

At a glance

Building permits
Required before building work; village Zoning Inspector issues them1
Zoning
Village zoning controls permitted land uses by district2
Residential lot size
R-1 minimum: 7,500 square feet per family, with a qualifying older-lot exception4
Septic permits
Putnam County health-district program; confirm village requirements before applying3
Occupancy certificate
Required for specified building and land-use changes; apply for a new or altered building with the building permit5
Owner-builder
Illinois has a conditional plumbing exemption, not a general exemption from village building permits61

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Granville Zoning Inspector

Village building permit applications and zoning conformity review

Septic permits

Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Department

Putnam County private sewage plan review, permits and inspections; confirm coordination with Granville village

815-872-5091

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 Granville 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 Granville, Illinois?

Granville requires the village Zoning Inspector to issue a building permit before excavation, construction, moving or alteration of any building, including accessory buildings.1 A garage or other accessory-building project therefore belongs in the village review process.1 Granville’s published code requires new construction and maintenance of existing buildings to conform to the Building Officials and Code Administrators Code of 1999 and its amendments and supplements.7 Illinois also requires locally adopted residential codes to meet the statewide minimum structural requirements of the International Residential Code.8 Ask the village Zoning Inspector which code editions and inspection stages apply to your project before finalizing plans.7

Who issues building permits in the Village of Granville?

The Village of Granville Zoning Inspector issues or refuses building permits based on conformity with the zoning chapter and other village ordinances.9 The published procedure requires a decision within 10 days after submission and a written reason for refusal.9 A Granville building permit becomes void after 90 days unless substantial progress has been made.9 Ask the Village Clerk to route your application to the Zoning Inspector and provide the current application form, fee schedule and inspection contact.1 For land outside village limits, use the Putnam County guide for the county building-permit process.10

Does the Village of Granville have zoning and minimum lot sizes?

Granville permits land use only for a purpose allowed in the parcel’s zoning district, and district boundaries are shown on the map incorporated into the village zoning chapter.211 In Granville’s R-1 Single-Family Residence District, the minimum lot area is 7,500 square feet per family.4 A qualifying lot of record existing on September 27, 1965 may have an exception when the owner has no adjacent parcel or tract.4 Granville’s R-1 height limit is 35 feet, while R-2 has a 25-foot limit; both districts also impose a story limit.1213 Ask the Zoning Inspector for the parcel’s district, applicable yard setbacks and any older-lot exception before designing a home.11

How do septic permits work inside the Village of Granville?

Illinois requires approval from IDPH or the applicable local authority before construction of a new private sewage disposal system.14 The Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Department reviews private sewage plans, issues septic permits and inspects systems before use in Putnam County.3 We could not confirm Granville’s additional village septic requirements or when a home must connect to public sewer; ask the village and health department about the address before commissioning a septic design. The health department’s application process requires soil information from a Certified Soil Classifier or Illinois Licensed Professional Engineer, and an inspection before backfilling.15 The health department requires at least 48 hours’ notice before work begins.15

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Village of Granville?

We could not confirm a Granville rule allowing residential RV occupancy, temporary camping while building, tiny homes or accessory dwelling units; ask the village Zoning Inspector about the proposed use and parcel. Granville’s zoning still requires land to be used for a purpose permitted in the applicable district.2 Granville also requires certificates of occupancy for specified changes in building or land use, including occupancy and use of vacant land.5 Illinois allows specified human-waste options such as compost toilets, but other domestic wastewater must go to a conventional private sewage disposal system; that state provision does not establish village permission for an off-grid dwelling.16

What are the steps to build a home in the Village of Granville?

  1. Ask the village Zoning Inspector to identify the parcel’s mapped zoning district and confirm the proposed home is a permitted use.112
  2. Confirm public water and sewer requirements with the village; if proposing septic, consult the Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Department before preparing the system application.3
  3. Submit the village building-permit application before excavation or construction and apply for the new building’s occupancy certificate at the same time.15
  4. Arrange any required inspection schedule with the village, and obtain the applicable occupancy certificate before the regulated occupancy or use.5

A subdivision within Granville requires Village Board approval before recording in Putnam County or having validity.17

What should you check before buying land in the Village of Granville?

Ask the village about public utility connections, floodplain review and driveway approval for the specific parcel; we could not confirm Granville’s detailed requirements for those topics. Illinois requires a permit from IDPH or an approved local health department before constructing, modifying or sealing a private water well.18 Work in a state-maintained roadway’s right-of-way, including highway driveway access, requires an IDOT permit before work starts.19 For budget context, Putnam County’s effective property tax rate is 1.6%; that county-level figure is not a quote for a Granville parcel.20 Ask for the parcel’s actual tax bill and confirm village zoning before committing to a design.2

Watch-outs

  • Granville building permits expire after 90 days without substantial progress; schedule the project around the village permit conditions.9
  • Granville allows only land uses permitted in the parcel’s district; we could not confirm RV living or tiny-home permission, so ask the village Zoning Inspector before buying for that purpose.2
  • Illinois’s owner-occupant plumbing exemption is conditional and does not waive Granville’s building-permit requirement.61

Sources

  1. Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Village of Granville, IL Code (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Sewage Program | Bureau, Putnam & Marshall Health Dept, quoted and re-checked
  4. Article III: District Regulations (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  6. HB5913 Enrolled — Illinois Plumbing License Law amendment (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 127: Building Code (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Building Codes and Regulations (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Putnam County Building and Zoning Procedure, quoted and re-checked
  11. Districts and Boundaries (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article III: District Regulations (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Article III: District Regulations (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  14. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.190 Installation Approval (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Department (bpmhd.org)
  16. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.130 Human Waste Disposal (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Procedure for Review of Subdivisions (Village of Granville), quoted and re-checked
  18. 77 Ill. Admin. Code 920.130, Water Well Permit Requirements (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Highway Permits (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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 Granville

Village of Granville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Excavation, construction, moving, or alteration of any building, including accessory buildings, inside Granville village.

    • The Zoning Inspector must issue the permit before work begins.
    • The application must include information requested in § 285-36.
    • The permit becomes void 90 days after issuance unless substantial progress has been made.
    • The Zoning Inspector grants or denies the permit within 10 days after submission.
    “has issued a building permit for such work.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    All new construction and maintenance of existing buildings within the Village limits of Granville.

    • Construction and maintenance must conform to the Building Officials and Code Administrators Code of 1999 and all amendments and supplements thereto.
    “All new construction of any building and the maintenance of existing buildings within the Village limits of Granville, Illinois, shall conform to the standards and procedures promulgated under the Building Officials and Code Administrators Code of 1999 and all amendments and supplements thereto.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    New buildings, alterations, changes in building or land use, vacant-land occupancy, and lawful nonconforming uses inside Granville village.

    • A certificate is required for a change to a different use classification, occupancy and use of vacant land, a change in land-use classification, and any change in a nonconforming use.
    • A certificate for a new or altered building is applied for with the building-permit application.
    • A temporary certificate may be issued for up to six months during alterations or partial occupancy.
    “Certificates of occupancy shall be required”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Granville village limits; Village Code Chapter 285, Zoning and Land Development.

    • The code states that the chapter was adopted by the President and Board of Trustees on 9-17-1965 by Ordinance No. 172, with later amendments.
    “No land shall be used except for a purpose permitted in the district in which it is located.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Granville village.

    • The district boundaries are shown on the District Map incorporated into Chapter 285.
    “the Village is hereby divided into districts”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Any subdivision of land within Granville village.

    • Village Board approval is required before recording in Putnam County or validity.
    • The code separately provides preliminary and final plat procedures.
    “No subdivision of any block, lot or sublot or any part thereof, or any piece or parcel of land within the Village, shall be entitled to record in Putnam County or have any validity until it has been approved by the Village Board.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit applications inside Granville village.

    • The Zoning Inspector issues or refuses the permit based on conformity with the zoning chapter and other Village ordinances.
    • A refusal must state the cause in writing.
    • The decision is due within 10 days after submission.
    • The permit is void after 90 days unless substantial progress has been made.

    decision deadline: 10 days · permit validity absent substantial progress: 90 days

    “If the proposed excavation or construction as set forth in the application is in conformity with the provisions of this chapter and other ordinances of the Village, the Zoning Inspector shall issue a building permit for such excavation or construction.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Granville

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

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residence District inside Granville village.

    • The minimum lot area is per family.
    • A qualifying lot of record existing on 9-27-1965 may be used for a one-family dwelling or permitted non-dwelling use if the owner owns no adjacent parcel or tract.

    minimum lot area per family: >= 7500 square feet (qualifying pre-9-27-1965 lot of record)

    “The minimum lot area per family shall be 7,500 square feet.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Single-Family Residence District inside Granville village.

    • Buildings may not exceed 2 1/2 stories or 35 feet.
    • The general height-regulation exceptions for certain public, institutional, utility, tower, and similar structures may apply.

    maximum height: <= 35 feet (2 1/2-story limit and applicable § 285-11 exceptions)

    “No building or structure shall hereafter be erected, altered, or enlarged to exceed 2 1/2 stories nor to exceed 35 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — R-2 Single-Family Residence District inside Granville village.
      “No building or structure shall hereafter be erected, altered, or enlarged to exceed 2 1/2 stories nor to exceed 25 feet.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from Granville village building or zoning requirements.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Granville village.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Granville village residential districts.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Granville village residential districts.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Granville village.
13 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Village of Granville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Putnam County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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