Bolthole Index

Will County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic in Village of Godley, Illinois

Village of Godley, Illinois requires a zoning permit before construction, foundation work or a new property use, with exemptions for routine maintenance and minor repairs.1 Godley administers its own zoning; Will County’s zoning ordinance excludes incorporated villages with their own zoning ordinances.23 Septic plans require approval from the Illinois Department of Public Health or the applicable local authority before construction; confirm the reviewing health office for your address.4

At a glance

Construction permit
Village zoning permit required for construction, foundations and new uses; routine maintenance and minor repairs exempt1
Zoning
Village zoning applies throughout Godley corporate limits2
Zoning permit fee
$50; a complete general building-fee schedule remains unconfirmed5
RV living
Trailer coaches in R-1 require full skirting or a permanent foundation and a lot of permanent character; ask about your particular vehicle6
Mobile homes
Moving a mobile home onto an empty unimproved lot is prohibited; existing-home replacements have conditions7
Septic approval
IDPH or applicable local authority must approve plans before construction4
Private wells
State law requires a permit before new construction, modification or abandonment sealing8

Who to call

Zoning

Village of Godley — Zoning Enforcing Officer

Village zoning permit applications and written issuance or denial decisions

Septic permits

Will County Health Department — Private Sewage Program (Joliet Main Office)

Private sewage and well program inquiries for addresses in the Will County portion of Godley; confirm parcel jurisdiction before applying

815-727-8490

501 Ella Avenue

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 Godley 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 Godley, IL?

Godley’s zoning ordinance requires a permit before erecting, constructing, reconstructing, enlarging, adding to or moving a building or structure, and before excavation or foundation work.1 A new property use or a change of use also requires village approval under the permit provision.1 Routine maintenance and minor repairs are exempt under that provision, including the listed examples of redecorating, repainting, remodeling and reroofing.1 Ask the Village Clerk whether your project also needs a separate building application, inspections or occupancy approval: we could not confirm Godley’s complete building-code and inspection requirements.

Who issues construction and zoning permits in Village of Godley?

Godley’s Zoning Enforcing Officer issues or denies zoning permit applications and must give written reasons for a denial.9 The application must identify the property by legal description, name the owner and applicant, describe the proposed uses and estimated cost, and include a dimensional drawing.10 The decision period is 30 days from acceptance; if no action occurs within that period, the applicant may appeal directly to the Zoning Board of Appeals.10 Godley charges $50 for each zoning permit; that figure does not establish the complete cost of a building project.5

Does Village of Godley have zoning, and which rules apply?

Godley’s zoning ordinance classifies all land within the village’s corporate limits, so a Godley parcel’s village zoning designation matters before you select a house or land use.2 Godley lists R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, I-1 and I-2 zones rather than a single standard for every parcel.11 Ask the Zoning Enforcing Officer for the parcel’s district, applicable minimum lot area, setbacks, height limit and permitted residential uses before committing to a site plan. Outside village limits, consult the Will County guide for the county zoning framework applicable to unincorporated land.3

How do septic permits and wells work inside Village of Godley?

Illinois requires septic plan approval from IDPH or the applicable local authority before construction, plus notice at least 48 hours before installation, repair or modification begins.4 For an address in the Will County portion of Godley, start with the Will County Health Department Private Sewage Program and confirm parcel jurisdiction before submitting an application.12 Will County’s septic permit rule requires a soil evaluation before permit issuance.13 We could not confirm the administering health office for every Godley address; ask the Village Clerk which county and health authority serve the parcel. Illinois also requires a well permit from IDPH or an approved local health department before constructing, modifying or sealing a well.8

Can you live in an RV, mobile home or tiny home in Village of Godley?

Godley’s R-1 residential provision allows trailer coaches only if fully skirted or on a permanent foundation and placed on a lot of permanent character.6 That conditional provision does not establish permission to live in any parked RV while building; ask the Zoning Enforcing Officer how your vehicle and intended occupancy are classified.6 Godley separately prohibits moving mobile homes into village limits onto empty unimproved lots, while allowing qualifying replacements of existing mobile homes under village conditions.7 Replacement mobile homes carry a $100 inspection fee and permit fees of $100 for a single-wide or $200 for a double-wide.7 We could not confirm a tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rule; request a determination for the proposed dwelling from the village.

Building a home in Village of Godley: what are the steps?

  1. Ask the Zoning Enforcing Officer to identify the parcel’s village zoning district and whether the proposed use fits that district.211
  2. Confirm sewage disposal with the applicable health authority and obtain septic plan approval before septic construction if the home will use a private system.4
  3. Submit Godley’s zoning permit application with the legal description, owner and applicant names, proposed use, estimated cost and dimensional drawing.10
  4. Obtain village approval before foundation or construction work, and ask the Village Clerk for the project’s building inspection and occupancy requirements.1
  5. Start the authorized work within 90 days; otherwise Godley requires a new permit.10

Watch-outs

  • Godley’s $50 zoning permit fee is not a verified complete building-fee schedule; ask the Village Clerk for all project charges.5
  • Godley’s existing-mobile-home replacement provisions do not authorize placing a mobile home on an empty unimproved lot.7
  • Illinois permits specified human-waste toilet alternatives under conditions, but other domestic wastewater still requires compliant disposal; discuss an off-grid sanitation proposal with the applicable health office before buying equipment.14

Sources

  1. § 154.088 Permit requirements (Village of Godley), quoted and re-checked
  2. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Village of Godley), quoted and re-checked
  3. Will County Code § 155-1.40 Applicability and Jurisdiction, quoted and re-checked
  4. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.190 Installation Approval (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. § 154.088 Permit requirements (Village of Godley), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 154.055 R-1 One-Family Residential Zone (Village of Godley), quoted and re-checked
  7. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Village of Godley), quoted and re-checked
  8. 77 Ill. Admin. Code 920.130, Water Well Permit Requirements (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Village of Godley — Zoning Enforcing Officer (codelibrary.amlegal.com)
  10. § 154.088 Permit requirements (Village of Godley), quoted and re-checked
  11. § 154.020 Zones established; use regulation generally (Village of Godley), quoted and re-checked
  12. Wells and Septic Systems | Will County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  13. Will County Health Department Board of Health packet — Private Sewage Disposal Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  14. 77 Ill. Adm. Code 905.130 Human Waste Disposal (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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 Godley

Village of Godley’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    New uses, foundations, construction, reconstruction, enlargement, additions, moving buildings or structures, and changes of use inside Godley village.

    • Routine maintenance and minor repairs such as redecorating, repainting, remodeling, or reroofing are exempt.
    • A permit authorized but not started within 90 days requires a new permit.
    • Mobile or modular homes placed on privately owned lots for permanent residence require a Village Clerk permit; mobile home park homes are excluded.
    • Issued permits must meet state pollution-control and environmental-control requirements.

    permit decision deadline: 30 days (If no action occurs, the applicant may appeal directly to the Zoning Board of Appeals.) · zoning permit fee: 50 USD

    “To erect, construct, reconstruct, enlarge, add on, or move any building or structure;”
  • Local zoningPresent

    All land within Godley village corporate limits.

    “For the purpose of this chapter, all land lying within the corporate limits of the village is hereby divided and classified into the following zones.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Land within Godley village corporate limits.

    • The code lists R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, I-1, and I-2 zones; the zoning map is a separate code section.
    “Said zones are listed in the highest, designated as R-1, to the lowest, I-2 or heavy industry.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Trailer-coach occupancy in the R-1 One-Family Residential Zone.

    • Trailer coaches are permitted only if fully skirted or on a permanent foundation and placed on a lot of a permanent character.
    “Trailer coaches if fully skirted or on a permanent foundation per lot of a permanent character.”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    Moving a mobile home into Godley village on an empty unimproved lot.

    • Existing mobile homes present on September 25, 2000 may be replaced subject to village requirements.
    • Replacement homes must be brand new or at least within ten years old, inspected by the Village Clerk, and subject to the stated inspection and permit fees.
    • Underpinning must be completed within 90 days; replacement must occur within 30 days after permission or grandfather rights are lost.
    • All mobile homes must be tied down according to state statutes.

    mobile-home inspection fee: 100 USD (Non-refundable and payable before inspection.) · single-wide mobile-home permit fee: 100 USD · double-wide mobile-home permit fee: 200 USD

    “As of the passage of division (B)(1) through (B)(7) below on September 25, 2000, that there be no mobile homes moved into the village limits on empty unimproved lots.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Permits required under the Godley zoning ordinance.

    • The fee provision concerns zoning permits; no complete general building-fee schedule was verified.

    zoning permit fee: 50 USD

    “A fee of $50 shall be charged for each permit.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Godley zoning permits.

    • Applications require property legal description, owner and applicant names, proposed uses, estimated cost, dimensional drawing, and other enforcement information.
    • The Zoning Enforcing Officer issues or denies within 30 days and must give written reasons for denial.
    • No action within 30 days permits direct appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

    decision period: 30 days · permit validity before work starts: 90 days (A new permit is required if authorized work is not started or use change is not made within 90 days.)

    “Within 30 days from the date of acceptance of the application, the Zoning Enforcing Officer shall either issue or deny the permit. If the permit is denied, reasons shall be given in writing to the applicant.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders performing construction inside Godley village.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Godley village.
  • Inspections — General building inspections inside Godley village.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Godley village.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Godley village residential zones.
16 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Godley publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Will County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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