Bolthole Index

St. Clair County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in New Athens, Illinois

The Village of New Athens, Illinois requires a building permit before a building is erected, altered, remodeled or moved1. The village has its own zoning, run by a building commissioner2, and an RV cannot be used as a dwelling in any zoning district3. Septic permits come from the St. Clair County Health Department, not the village4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required before a building is erected, altered, remodeled or moved inside the village1
Zoning
Village zoning, administered by a building commissioner2
Inspections
Final inspection required before anyone occupies a new building or addition5
Septic
St. Clair County Health Department permit4
RV living
Not allowed as a dwelling in any zoning district3
Manufactured homes
Occupancy permit from the village before occupancy6
Minimum lot (SR-3)
8,700 square feet, 66 feet wide7
Wells
State well permit from IDPH or an approved local health department8

Who to call

Building permits

Village of New Athens, Village Hall

General village contact for building permit and zoning questions inside New Athens

618-475-2144

905 Spotsylvania Street New Athens, IL 62264

Building permits

St. Clair County Building & Zoning Department

Building permits for unincorporated St. Clair County; also provides building inspections for villages that contract with the county, including New Athens

Septic permits

St. Clair County Health Department – Water & Private Sewage

Private sewage disposal (septic) permits, installer licensing and well permits for St. Clair County

618-233-7769

[email protected]

19 Public Square, Suite 150, Belleville, IL 62220

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does New Athens have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, lot size and setbacks?

The Village of New Athens in St. Clair County, Illinois has its own zoning code, and a building commissioner designated by the mayor and board of trustees administers it2. Zoning here is the village's, not St. Clair County's: the county's zoning rules cover only land outside city limits9.

Lot sizes depend on the district. An SR-3 lot needs 8,700 square feet and 66 feet of width7. An SR-1 lot needs 4 acres and 100 feet of width10. In the A-1 agricultural district the minimum is 2 acres11, and in A-2 it is 5 acres with 250 feet of width12.

Setbacks in SR-3 are 25 feet from the front lot line, 10 feet from either side and 5 feet from the rear13. No recreational vehicle may be used as a dwelling in any zoning district3. We found no tiny-home provision; ask Village Hall before planning one14.

Do you need a building permit in New Athens, and who issues it?

Yes. No building in the Village of New Athens, residential or commercial, may be erected, constructed, altered, remodeled or transported without a building permit issued first1. A permit is also needed for electrical service changes, plumbing changes and moving a lot line that affects a structure, but not for interior work without structural changes1.

The village does not issue permits in a new subdivision until streets, drainage and utilities are complete, and fees must be paid before a permit issues1. We could not confirm the village's fee amounts, so ask Village Hall at 618-475-214414.

St. Clair County's Building & Zoning Department lists New Athens among the villages that contract with the county to provide building inspections15. Inside the village, the county's unincorporated-area permit rules and fees do not apply16.

How do septic permits work in New Athens?

Septic permits in New Athens are not a village matter. St. Clair County's Health Department requires a permit to construct, alter or extend an individual sewage disposal system anywhere in the county4. The initial permit fee is $3004, and the permit is valid for 1 year4. Only a homeowner or a county-licensed installer may hold it4.

The Health Department must refuse a septic permit where a sanitary sewer is available, which includes a practical connection within 300 feet for a single-family home17. For a lot inside the village, ask Village Hall whether sewer reaches the address before you plan a septic system14. We could not confirm the village's own sewer-connection rules.

Contact the Health Department at 618-233-776918.

Can you live in an RV or manufactured home in New Athens?

An RV cannot be your dwelling in New Athens: the village code bars using a recreational vehicle as a dwelling in any zoning district3. Parking is separate. No more than 2 recreational vehicles may be parked on a lot, and parking in front of a house is limited to seven consecutive days for loading and unloading3. Sleeping in a vehicle parked overnight in the village for public camping is banned19.

Immobilized manufactured homes need an occupancy permit from the village before anyone moves in, plus a walk-through health and safety inspection6. A home vacant for more than 180 days needs another permit every 180 days and a re-inspection6.

Building a home in New Athens: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district of your lot and its minimum lot size with Village Hall, 618-475-2144214.
  2. Check whether the lot is in the Kaskaskia River floodplain; new buildings over $1,000 or 70 square feet there must be protected to the base flood elevation plus 1 foot20.
  3. Settle sewer or septic: ask the village about sewer, then apply to the St. Clair County Health Department if septic is allowed418.
  4. Get the village building permit before work starts1.
  5. Schedule inspections; the county's Building & Zoning Department performs building inspections for New Athens under contract15.
  6. Pass the final inspection before anyone occupies the building5.

What stays with St. Clair County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits and the county Health Department's sewage code stay with St. Clair County for every address4. Water wells are regulated by a state permit from IDPH or an approved local health department, and the state caps the permit fee at $1008. Land outside village limits follows the county's rules, not the village's; see the St. Clair County page.

County-level numbers help with the soil question. About 10% of St. Clair County soils rate not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system21. The county's effective property tax rate is 2.1%22.

An accessory building such as a shed may cover no more than 30 percent of the average rear yard, and may not be used as a dwelling23.

Watch-outs

  • The village's building permit fee amounts, adopted building code editions and any certificate of occupancy requirement are unconfirmed; ask Village Hall at 618-475-214414.
  • Do not rely on St. Clair County's unincorporated-area building permit or zoning rules inside New Athens; the village's own code governs there2.
  • Agricultural zoning does not exempt a building from permits: the village code gives agriculture-related accessory structures in A-1 only a height exemption24.

Sources

  1. New Athens Code Sec. 10-64 Permit required; restrictions on issuance (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  2. New Athens Code Sec. 46-15 Definitions (zoning) (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  3. New Athens Code Sec. 46-79 Recreational vehicles (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  4. St. Clair County Private Sewage Disposal Code, quoted and re-checked
  5. New Athens Code Sec. 10-64 Permit required; restrictions on issuance (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  6. New Athens Code Sec. 26-3 Manufactured home occupancy permit (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  7. New Athens Code Sec. 46-195 SR-3 Area/bulk restrictions (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  8. 77 Ill. Admin. Code 920.130, Water Well Permit Requirements (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  10. New Athens Code Sec. 46-139 SR-1 Area/bulk restrictions (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  11. New Athens Code Sec. 46-395 A-1 Area/bulk restrictions (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  12. New Athens Code Sec. 46-424 A-2 Area/bulk restrictions (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  13. New Athens Code Sec. 46-195 SR-3 Area/bulk restrictions (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  14. Village of New Athens, Village Hall (newathensil.com)
  15. St. Clair County Building & Zoning Department (co.st-clair.il.us)
  16. St. Clair County Building Regulations, Chapter 7, quoted and re-checked
  17. Health Department - Private Sewage Disposal Code, quoted and re-checked
  18. St. Clair County Health Department – Water & Private Sewage (scchealthdept.com)
  19. New Athens Code Sec. 28-101 Public camping prohibited (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  20. New Athens Code Sec. 18-50 Protecting buildings (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  21. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. New Athens Code Sec. 46-73 Area/bulk restrictions; accessory uses (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked
  24. New Athens Code Sec. 46-395 A-1 Area/bulk restrictions (Village of New Athens), quoted and re-checked

Written October 16, 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 New Athens

Village of New Athens’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erecting, altering, remodeling or moving buildings inside New Athens village

    • Also required for electrical service changes, plumbing changes and moving a lot line affecting a structure.
    • Not required for interior work without structural changes.
    • No permit in a new subdivision until streets, drainage and utilities are complete.
    • Applicants delinquent in monetary payments to units of government are ineligible.
    • Fees must be paid before issuance.
    “No building located within the village, whether used for residential or commercial purposes, shall be erected, constructed, altered, remodeled or transported, unless, prior to the start of such project, there has been issued a building permit for such action.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    New buildings and additions inside New Athens village

    • Inspection is made at the direction of the building administrator.
    “No persons shall occupy the building or addition until the property has passed a final inspection.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside New Athens village limits

    • Chapter 46 Zoning and Land Use is administered by the building commissioner designated by the mayor and board of trustees.
    “Building commissioner means the person designated by the mayor and board of trustees as the officer responsible for enforcing and administering all requirements of this chapter.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    A-1 Agricultural District inside New Athens village

    lot area: >= 2 acres · lot width: >= 100 feet · lot depth: >= 100 feet

    “Minimum lot size: a. Lot area: two acres. b. Lot width: 100 feet minimum. c. Lot depth: 100 feet minimum.”
    4 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    SR-3 Single-Family Residential District inside New Athens village

    • SR-1, SR-4, A-1 and A-2 list the same 25/10/5 foot setbacks.

    front setback: >= 25 feet · side setback: >= 10 feet · rear setback: >= 5 feet

    “Minimum setbacks: a. From front lot line: 25 feet. b. From either side lot line: ten feet. c. From rear lot line: five feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Accessory uses on any lot in any zoning district inside New Athens village

    • Applies to accessory uses only; no principal-building coverage limit found in supplied sections.
    • Accessory uses may not be in any required front yard and may not be used as a dwelling.

    accessory use coverage of average rear yard: <= 30 percent

    “All accessory uses on any one lot in any zoning district shall not occupy more than 30 percent of the average rear yard area when complying with the setback regulations of such district.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    A-1 Agricultural District inside New Athens village

    • No height restriction on agriculture-related accessory structures.
    • A-2 uses the same limit.

    maximum building height: lesser of 35 feet or 2 1/2 stories (agriculture-related accessory structures)

    “Maximum building height: the lesser of 35 feet or 2 ½ stories; provided, however, there shall be no height restriction on agriculture-related accessory structures.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Using a recreational vehicle as a dwelling in any zoning district inside New Athens village

    • No more than two recreational vehicles may be parked on any lot; does not apply to the Kaskaskia River Marina area, which is governed by the village lease agreement and marina regulations.
    • Parking of RVs in front of a house is limited to seven consecutive days for loading/unloading; parking on the side or in a driveway is permitted indefinitely (Sec. 42-103).

    maximum RVs parked per lot: <= 2 vehicles (businesses selling RVs; Kaskaskia River Marina area)

    “No recreational vehicle shall be used as a dwelling in any zoning district.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping and sleeping in vehicles inside New Athens village

    • Public camping is banned on public property and rights-of-way; sleeping in a vehicle parked overnight within the village for public camping is banned.
    • Camping on private land as such is not addressed in the supplied sections; RVs cannot be used as dwellings in any zoning district.
    “No person may park a vehicle overnight within the village for the purpose of sleeping or otherwise engaging in public camping in said vehicle.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Immobilized manufactured homes inside New Athens village

    • Each home is subject to a walk-through health and safety inspection and must comply with Chapter 26 before occupancy.
    • Homes vacant over 180 days need an additional permit every 180 days and re-inspection.
    • Dependent manufactured homes are not permitted unless in a licensed travel trailer park, and may not be used as a residence without board of trustees approval (Sec. 26-32).
    • Only one manufactured home per lot in a manufactured home park (Sec. 26-69).
    “All owners of immobilized manufactured homes shall be required to purchase an occupancy permit from the village prior to occupancy or re-occupancy.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agriculture-related accessory structures in the A-1 district inside New Athens village

    • Only a height exemption was found; no building permit exemption for agriculture was found.
    “there shall be no height restriction on agriculture-related accessory structures.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Buildings in the floodplain (Kaskaskia River) inside New Athens village

    • Applies to new buildings over $1,000 or 70 sq ft, substantial improvements, manufactured home installation, and RVs on site more than 180 days per year.
    • Methods: fill or elevation to the flood protection elevation (base flood plus one foot); RVs meeting listed conditions are excepted from elevation.

    freeboard: 1 foot

    “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 Village of New Athens or St. Clair County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside New Athens village
  • Building code adopted — Building code adopted inside New Athens village
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside New Athens village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside New Athens village
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside New Athens village
10 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 New Athens publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. St. Clair County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of St. Clair County: county rules, score and offices