Georgetown, IL Building Permits, Zoning & Septic Rules

Georgetown, Illinois requires a building permit from the city clerk before anyone erects, enlarges or relocates a building or structure inside city limits¹. The permit costs a flat $10 plus ten cents per square foot². We could not confirm a city zoning ordinance, so ask Georgetown City Hall before you buy. Septic permits in Vermilion County come from the county health department³.

At a glance

Building permit: Required inside city limits; issued by the city clerk¹
Permit fee: Flat $10 plus ten cents per square foot²
Zoning: Not confirmed; ask City Hall⁴
Septic: Vermilion County Health Department; city sewer connection required once available³⁵
Floodplain: City floodplain permit rules for the special flood hazard area⁶
RV or tiny home living: Not confirmed; ask City Hall⁴
Owner-builder: Illinois exempts owner-occupants from a licensed plumber only for plumbing on their own single-family home⁷

Who to call

Building permits

City of Georgetown, City Hall (city clerk, building permits)

Building and fence permit applications inside Georgetown city limits

(217) 662-2525

208 S. Walnut St., Georgetown, IL 61846

Building permits

Georgetown building and fence permit request form

City form for new construction, remodel, repair and fence permits

Septic permits

Vermilion County Health Department - Environmental Health Division (Private Sewage Disposal Program)

Permits for new and renovated private sewage disposal (septic) systems in Vermilion County, plus soil evaluation and inspection

217-431-2662

200 S. College St. Suite A, Danville, IL 61832

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 17, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Georgetown, Illinois?

Yes. Georgetown's municipal code says no person, company or corporation may erect a building or structure of any kind within city limits without a permit, and the same permit covers enlarging or relocating a building and building a permanent fence or retaining wall¹. The city clerk issues it, and the city will not issue it until you present a proof of survey¹⁸.

The fee is a flat $10 plus ten cents per square foot, paid when the permit is issued². The city's own form puts the same fee at $10.00 for any construction permit plus $.10 per square foot newly added⁹. Fence permits cost $10, and demolition and moving permits $5 each².

The state does not issue building permits for privately funded homes; any permit is left to the local government¹⁰.

Who issues building permits in Georgetown, IL, and how do you reach them?

The Georgetown city clerk issues building permits¹. City Hall is at 208 S. Walnut St., Georgetown, IL 61846, phone (217) 662-2525⁴. Georgetown's building permit request form says construction should not begin until the application is approved, and that anyone digging needs JULIE clearance by calling 811 before submitting the application⁹.

The city also names a building inspector's office in its code, but we could not confirm what inspections it requires, or whether Georgetown issues certificates of occupancy. Ask City Hall.

Does Georgetown, IL have zoning, and what about setbacks, RVs and tiny homes?

We could not confirm a zoning ordinance for Georgetown, so zoning districts, minimum lot sizes, minimum home sizes and rules for RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings are unconfirmed. Ask City Hall at (217) 662-2525 before you buy⁴.

The city's permit form quotes one dimensional rule from the code: no structure may sit less than six feet from the side and rear property lines⁹. Each new home also needs two paved, all-weather parking spaces on the lot, outside the required front yard, for single-family and two-family dwellings¹¹.

The city's flood rules count an RV that stays on site over 180 days per year as development in the flood hazard area⁶. That is a floodplain rule, not a rule that allows or bans living in an RV.

How do septic permits work inside Georgetown, IL?

Illinois requires plan approval from the state health department or the local authority before a new private sewage disposal system is built¹². In Vermilion County, the County Health Department issues permits for new and renovated private sewage disposal systems¹³, and it is at 200 S. College St. Suite A, Danville, phone 217-431-2662¹³.

City rules narrow the options. Georgetown's code makes privies, septic tanks and cesspools unlawful except where the chapter allows them, and only where public sewer is unavailable¹⁴. The city issues no permit for a subsurface soil absorption system on a lot under 25,000 square feet¹⁵. Once public sewer becomes available, a direct connection is required and the old septic tank must be abandoned and filled⁵.

Vermilion County's soils are a further hurdle: none of the county's soils are rated "not limited" for a conventional drain field, so expect a soil evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁶.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Georgetown, IL?

We could not confirm any Georgetown rule on living in an RV, a tiny home or a manufactured home on a lot. Georgetown's code has a mobile home park chapter, but we could not retrieve its rules. Ask City Hall at (217) 662-2525 before you move anything onto a lot⁴.

Illinois's statewide campground licensing rules cover campgrounds, not a private lot, so they do not answer this question¹⁷. Manufactured homes in Illinois must be installed by a licensed installer or the homeowner, and local zoning, building, floodplain and utility rules may also apply¹⁸.

Building a home in Georgetown, IL: the steps, in order

Call Georgetown City Hall at (217) 662-2525 to confirm zoning and which rules apply to your lot⁴.
Order a survey; the city issues no building permit without proof of survey⁸.
Check the flood map; new construction in the special flood hazard area must be protected from flood damage to one foot above base flood level⁶.
Call 811 for JULIE clearance if you will dig⁹.
Contact the Vermilion County Health Department about septic or, if city sewer is available, plan to connect to it¹³⁵.
Submit the building permit request form to the city clerk and pay the fee².
Hold the work until the application is approved⁹.

What stays with Vermilion County, and what to check before you buy in Georgetown

Septic permits and soil evaluations come from the Vermilion County Health Department, not City Hall¹³. Illinois requires a permit before building, modifying or sealing a water well, from the state health department or an approved local health department¹⁹. A driveway onto a state highway needs a permit from the Illinois Department of Transportation²⁰.

The county page covers land outside Georgetown: Vermilion County. Vermilion County's effective property tax rate is 1.8%²¹, and its typical home value is $98,565²².

Watch-outs

We could not confirm whether Georgetown has a zoning ordinance, so ask City Hall at (217) 662-2525 before you buy⁴.
Inside Georgetown, the city's sewer rules can override a septic plan once public sewer becomes available⁵.
Owner-builders do not get a general exemption from local permits; Illinois's owner exemption covers only plumbing work on your own home⁷.

Sources

Written October 17, 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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Georgetown publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Vermilion County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Georgetown, Illinois