Village of Mark, IL Building Permits, Zoning & Septic Rules

Village of Mark, Illinois requires a building permit from the village zoning enforcing officer before excavation, construction, moving or alteration of buildings and specified accessory work.¹ Mark has its own zoning; private sewage systems go through the Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Department.²³ Qualifying properties near a village sewer must connect, so septic is not automatically an option inside Mark.⁴

At a glance

Building permits: Required from the village zoning enforcing officer¹
Zoning: Village districts and permitted-use rules apply²
Sewer connection: Mandatory for qualifying improved property within 150 feet of a village sewer⁴
Private septic: Health department permit required where private sewage disposal is used⁵
RVs: Floodplain rules apply beyond 180 days per year; villagewide occupancy permission is unconfirmed⁶
R-1 lots: Minimum 12,000 square feet; interior width 85 feet, corner width 100 feet⁷
Manufactured homes: R-1 permitted uses exclude mobile homes or trailers⁸

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Mark — Village Hall

Village contact to request the zoning enforcing officer for Mark building permits and zoning questions

815-339-2454

[email protected]

2 Park Street Mark, Illinois 61340

Septic permits

Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Department

Private sewage disposal permits, plan review and inspection for Putnam County

815-872-5091

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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

Mark requires the village zoning enforcing officer to issue a building permit before excavation, construction, moving or alteration of buildings begins.¹ The Mark building-permit rule expressly covers accessory buildings, fences, decks, patios and permanent pools, and a perimeter-fence permit requires a boundary survey.¹ Mark’s adopted building-code provision names the International Building Code, 2006 edition.⁹ Ask the village officer which current code requirements and inspections apply to your project before ordering plans; Illinois also has statewide baseline building-code requirements effective in 2025.¹⁰

Who issues building permits in Village of Mark, and what are the fees?

The village zoning enforcing officer issues Mark building permits.¹ Start with Village Hall and request that officer; the village publishes its main telephone number on the contact page.¹¹ Mark’s published new-home fee is $15 per 100 square feet of total square footage, while a residential addition or garage costs $10 per 100 square feet.¹² A residential accessory building, deck or patio excluding a garage costs $15, a fence costs $20, and a permanent pool costs $25.¹² Ask Village Hall for the application and payment instructions before submitting your project.

Does Village of Mark have zoning, and what lot limits apply?

Mark has village zoning districts with district-specific permitted uses and dimensional requirements.² In Mark’s R-1 district, the minimum lot area is 12,000 square feet, the minimum interior-lot width is 85 feet, and the minimum corner-lot width is 100 feet.⁷ The R-1 permitted-use provision allows single-family dwellings and home occupations but excludes mobile homes or trailers.⁸ In Mark’s residential districts, buildings above 35 feet require additional side-yard width, and no building may exceed 50 feet.¹³ Ask the village zoning enforcing officer to identify the parcel’s district and applicable front, side and rear setbacks before deciding where a home or accessory building will fit.²

How do sewer connections and septic permits work inside Village of Mark?

Mark requires sewer connection for improved property intended for human use or employment when the property abuts a street, alleyway or right-of-way containing a sewer within 150 feet of the nearest property line; connection is required within 90 days after the sewer is in service.⁴ Mark also restricts private wastewater-disposal facilities except as provided in its sewer-use division, so ask the village about sewer availability before commissioning a septic design.¹⁴ Where private sewage disposal is used, the Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Department requires a complete application, soil boring data, site plans, required distances, signatures and the appropriate fee.⁵ A certified soil classifier or Illinois licensed professional engineer must assess absorption capacity.¹⁵ The septic permit is valid for one year, and the health department requires at least 48 hours’ notice before work starts so inspection occurs before backfilling.⁵¹⁶

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

Mark’s floodplain provisions apply flood-damage protection requirements to a travel trailer or recreational vehicle installed on a site for more than 180 days per year.⁶ That floodplain rule does not establish general villagewide permission to occupy an RV on private land.⁶ Mark’s R-1 permitted-use provision separately excludes mobile homes or trailers.⁸ We could not confirm a general temporary-camping rule, tiny-home occupancy rule or permission for an independent accessory dwelling in Mark; ask the village zoning enforcing officer about the proposed dwelling type, parcel district and intended length of occupancy. A private wastewater arrangement must also satisfy Mark’s sewer-use restrictions and applicable health department permitting.¹⁴⁵

Building a home in Village of Mark: what should you do first?

Ask the village zoning enforcing officer to confirm the zoning district, allowed dwelling type and dimensions; Mark’s rules vary by district.²
Ask the village whether mandatory sewer connection applies to the parcel before planning private sewage disposal.⁴
If private sewage disposal is applicable, arrange the soil assessment and submit the health department’s septic application before installation.¹⁵⁵
Obtain the village building permit before excavation or construction, and ask the village officer for the building-inspection schedule.¹
For septic construction, notify the health department at least 48 hours before starting and arrange inspection before backfilling.¹⁶

What should you check before buying land in Village of Mark?

Confirm that the proposed home fits Mark’s zoning district and that the wastewater plan complies with the village sewer-use rules before committing to a parcel.²¹⁴ Illinois requires a permit before construction, deepening, modification or sealing of a water well; ask the health department which office receives an application for a Mark address.¹⁷ We could not confirm Mark’s driveway-access requirements or a general building owner-builder exemption; ask Village Hall about both before budgeting the work. Illinois’s owner-occupant plumbing exemption is limited to qualifying plumbing work and does not create a general building-permit exemption.¹⁸ For land outside village limits, consult the Putnam County guide; the county publishes a separate building and zoning procedure.¹⁹

Watch-outs

Mark’s R-1 exclusion of mobile homes or trailers is a district-specific rule; do not treat it as a villagewide rule for every dwelling type.⁸
Mandatory village sewer connection can prevent a planned private septic arrangement.⁴¹⁴
We could not confirm the general Mark building-inspection schedule; request it from the village zoning enforcing officer before work begins.²⁰

Sources

Written October 11, 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 Mark

Village of Mark’s own rules

Building permitRequired
Excavation, construction, moving, or alteration of buildings and specified accessory work inside Mark village.
- A building permit must be issued by the zoning enforcing officer before work begins.
- The rule expressly includes accessory buildings, fences, decks, patios, and permanent pools.
- A perimeter-fence permit requires a boundary survey.
“It shall be unlawful to commence the excavation for or the construction of any building, including accessory buildings, fences, decks, patios, or permanent pools, or to commence the moving or alteration of any buildings, including accessory buildings, until the zoning enforcing officer has issued a building permit for such work.”
Sec. 26-246 — Building permit—Required ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Building code adoptedAdopted
Buildings and structures inside Mark village.
- The adopted code is the International Building Code, 2006 edition.
- The ordinance states that the code regulates property, buildings, structures, supplied utilities and facilities, safety, sanitation, occupancy, permits, and fees.
edition: International Building Code, 2006 edition
“The International Building Code, 2006 edition, as published by the International Code Council, Inc., three copies of which have been on file for 30 days in the office of the village clerk, and which has been duly filed with the state capital development board, division of building codes and regulations, is hereby adopted as the building code of the Village”
Sec. 14-19 — International Building Code, 2006 edition ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Certificate of occupancyLimited
Utility solar energy system special-use projects inside Mark village.
- A certificate of occupancy is issued after an approved final inspection of all building permits for the project.
“After an approved final inspection of all building permit(s), a certificate of occupancy shall be issued.”
library.municode.com ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Local zoningPresent
Land inside Mark village; the Village has its own zoning article and districts.
- The zoning article contains district-specific regulations and permitted-use provisions.
“District means a section of the corporate area of the Village, within which certain uniform regulations and requirements, or various combinations thereof, apply under the provisions of this article.”
Village of Mark, Illinois ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)
R-1 district inside Mark village.
- Each residential lot must meet the district chart's lot-area and width requirements.
minimum lot area: >= 12000 square feet · minimum interior lot width: >= 85 feet · minimum corner lot width: >= 100 feet
“R-1 district | 12,000 | 85 | 100 | 35 | 6 | 30”
library.municode.com ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Building heightSpecified
Buildings in the R-1, R-2, and R-3 residential districts inside Mark village.
- Buildings may exceed 35 feet only if each side yard is increased by five feet for every five feet, or fraction thereof, of additional height.
- No building may exceed 50 feet.
- The rule also states a 2½-story limit.
base height: <= 35 feet (additional side-yard width required above 35 feet) · absolute maximum height: <= 50 feet · story limit: <= 2½ stories (subject to the section's height rule)
“No building shall exceed 2½ stories or 35 feet in height, unless each side yard is increased over the required minimum by five feet for every five feet, or fraction thereof, of additional height over 35 feet. In no case shall the building height exceed 50 feet.”
Sec. 26-128 — Building height ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Living in an RVLimited
Travel trailers or recreational vehicles installed on a site inside Mark village's floodplain for more than 180 days per year.
- The code defines a building to include recreational vehicles and travel trailers installed on a site for more than 180 days per year.
- Flood-damage protection requirements apply to installing a travel trailer or recreational vehicle on a site for more than 180 days per year.
- This claim is limited to floodplain development and does not establish a general villagewide RV-occupancy rule.
annual site duration: > 180 days
“Installing a travel trailer or recreational vehicle on a site for more than 180 days per year.”
Sec. 22-7 — Protecting buildings ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Manufactured homesProhibited
Mobile-home or trailer occupancy in the R-1 residential district inside Mark village.
- The claim is limited to the R-1 district.
- Floodplain provisions separately regulate manufactured homes and do not override the R-1 permitted-use exclusion.
“Single-family dwellings and home occupations, except mobile homes or trailers.”
Sec. 26-124 — Permitted uses in the R-1 district ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Off-grid sanitationLimited
Private wastewater disposal inside Mark village.
- A privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or similar wastewater-disposal facility is unlawful except as provided in the sewer-use division.
- Where a village sewer is within 150 feet of the nearest property line and the property is used or intended for human use or employment, connection is required within 90 days after the sewer is in service.
- Private sewage systems outside the mandatory sewer-connection circumstance remain subject to applicable health-department permitting.
“Except as provided in this division, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facilities intended or used for the disposal of wastewater.”
Sec. 54-384 — Use of wastewater facilities ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)
Improved property inside Mark village used or intended for human use or employment, when a village sewer is within 150 feet of the nearest property line.
- The property must abut a street, alleyway, or right-of-way containing the sewer.
- Suitable toilet and waste-disposal facilities must be installed at the owner's expense.
- Connection must occur within 90 days after the sewer is in service.
- The Village's utilities page confirms that Mark provides water and sewer service, but the quoted mandatory-connection rule addresses sewer.
sewer distance: <= 150 feet from nearest property line · connection deadline: 90 days after sewer is in service
“Any person owning improved property within the Village, which abuts any street, alleyway, or right-of-way in which a sewer is located, shall, if the improvements are used or are intended to be used for any type of human use or employment and if the sewer is within 150 feet of the nearest property line of the property, at his expense, install therein, suitable toilet and waste disposal facilities, and within 90 days after such sewer is in service, connect such facilities of the sewer in accordance with village ordinances.”
Sec. 54-384 — Use of wastewater facilities ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Permit feesPublished (with conditions)
Mark village zoning/building permits.
- Residential accessory building, deck, or patio excluding garage: $15.00.
- Residential addition or garage: $10.00 per 100 square feet.
- Fence: $20.00.
- New home: $15.00 per 100 square feet of total square footage.
- Permanent pool: $25.00.
- Commercial: $100.00.
- Industrial: no charge.
accessory building, deck, or patio fee excluding garage: 15 USD · addition or garage fee: 10 USD per 100 square feet · fence fee: 20 USD · new home fee: 15 USD per 100 square feet (total square footage) · permanent pool fee: 25 USD · commercial fee: 100 USD · industrial fee: 0 USD (no charge)
“Residential Accessory building, deck, or patio, excluding garage $15.00 Addition or garage $10.00 per 100 square feet Fence $20.00 New home (total square footage) $15.00 per 100 square feet Permanent pool $25.00 Commercial $100.00 Industrial No charge”
library.municode.com ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026

Rules another office applies inside Village of Mark

Village of Mark 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 sewage disposal systems serving property inside Mark village.
- The health department page identifies the applicable Illinois state code and county ordinance.
- The page states that work must be done by a state-licensed and county-registered installer, subject to the owner-occupied self-work exception.
“Bureau, Putnam & Marshall County Health Departments require a 48-hour notification prior to the commencement of work to allow for scheduling of a final inspection of sewage construction before backfilling.”
How to Obtain a Sewage Disposal System Permit ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Septic permitRequired
Installation or replacement of a private sewage disposal system inside Mark village where private sewage disposal is used.
- A complete Private Sewage Disposal Permit Application is required.
- Soil boring data, site plans, property address and parcel number, required distances, signatures, and the appropriate fee are required.
- The permit is valid for one year.
- A variance may be requested where compliance is impractical or impossible.
- An NPDES permit is required if the proposed system discharges into waters of the United States.
permit validity: 1 year
“A Private Sewage Disposal Permit Application must be completed in full and submitted to the Bureau or Marshall office.”
How to Obtain a Sewage Disposal System Permit ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026
Septic inspectionRequired
Private sewage system construction inside Mark village.
- The health department requires at least 48 hours' notice before work begins.
- The inspector inspects the system before backfilling.
advance notice: >= 48 hours
“Upon approval of the application, you are required to notify the health department at least 48 hours before beginning work. This is required so the inspector can fit you in their schedule. The inspector will then perform an inspection of the system prior to any backfilling.”
How to Obtain a Sewage Disposal System Permit ↗Re-checked Oct 10, 2026

Still unanswered

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

Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from Mark village building-permit or building-code requirements.
Inspections — General building inspections inside Mark village.
Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Mark village.
Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Mark village.
Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Mark village.

5 more unanswered

Accessory dwellings
Well permit
Agricultural exemption
Driveway access
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 Mark publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Putnam County’s page lists the county offices to call.