Bolthole Index

Woodford County, Illinois

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

The Village of Metamora, Illinois requires building permits for construction, modifications and specified development projects; start with the village Zoning Administrator.1 Metamora has its own zoning and adopted building codes, so the county’s unincorporated-area rules are not the village’s rules.234 Private septic and well systems remain with the Woodford County Health Department.5

At a glance

Building permits
Required for construction, modifications and specified development projects; applications through the village Zoning Administrator1
Zoning
Village zoning; district-specific lot and yard rules267
Septic systems
Woodford County Health Department reviews plans, issues private septic permits and inspects new or repaired systems5
RV use
Guest RV sleeping in the rear yard limited to 15 days unless written zoning permission is obtained8
Minimum lot size
R-1 single-family lots: 7,800 square feet and 65 feet wide6
Private wells
Woodford County Health Department reviews plans and issues private well permits5

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Metamora Zoning Administrator

Village building permit questions and applications, zoning, inspections and Certificates of Compliance

(309) 303-2599

[email protected]

Septic permits

Woodford County Health Department

Private septic and well plan review, permits and inspections

309-467-3064

[email protected]

1831 S Main Street

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 Metamora 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 Metamora, IL?

Metamora requires building permits for construction, modifications and specified development projects; ask the village Zoning Administrator whether the proposed work needs an application.1 Metamora’s adopted code identifies the 2006 International Residential Code for qualifying residential construction and the 2006 International Building Code for other buildings and structures, with the more restrictive provision controlling a conflict.3 Woodford County’s statement that no building code is adopted concerns unincorporated development, not construction inside Metamora.43 For a parcel outside village limits, use the Woodford County guide for the county’s answer.9

Who handles building permit applications and inspections in Metamora?

The Village of Metamora directs building permit questions and requests for applications to its Zoning Administrator, reachable at (309) 303-2599 or [email protected].1 Metamora’s permit page links the building and construction ordinances, zoning ordinances and an interactive GIS zoning map.1 The village Zoning Administrator carries out inspections and issues a Certificate of Compliance after a project requiring a permit is completed.1 Ask that office for the project’s inspection schedule and whether any separate occupancy authorization is needed; a Certificate of Compliance should not be assumed to answer the occupancy question.

Does the Village of Metamora have zoning, lot sizes and setbacks?

Metamora has village zoning, and dimensional requirements depend on the parcel’s district.267 In Metamora’s R-1 district, single-family dwellings require at least 7,800 square feet of lot area per dwelling unit and 65 feet of lot width per structure.6 In the AG district, the front yard on federal, state, county or township roads must satisfy the greater of 30 feet from the property line or 100 feet from the road centerline.7 On other roads in AG, the greater of 30 feet from the property line or 60 feet from the centerline applies.7 A Metamora lot split requires a surveyor’s plat, and the resulting lots must meet applicable zoning requirements.10

How do septic and private well permits work inside Metamora?

The Woodford County Health Department regulates installation of private well and sewage systems throughout Woodford County, including Metamora.5 The Health Department reviews plans and issues private septic and well permits, and inspects new or repaired systems.5 Metamora separately requires a village building-sewer application before sewer work begins, with a plot plan, pipe information, connection location, requested information and fees.11 A building-sewer permit and a private septic permit address different work; route the proposed system to the village and Health Department accordingly.115 We could not confirm when a new Metamora home must connect to public water or sewer; ask the village before designing a private system.

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

Metamora’s residential RV rule allows a bona fide guest’s RV or recreational trailer in the rear yard for no more than 15 days with householder permission, unless the Zoning Administrator gives written permission; use during that period is limited to sleeping.8 Recreational vehicles and trailers cannot be parked in the front yard and must be behind the front elevation in a side or rear yard.8 The guest provision does not establish permission to occupy an RV as a permanent home or while building.8 Metamora prohibits using a tent as living quarters.12 We could not confirm a specific tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rule; ask the Zoning Administrator about the proposed structure and district. Metamora’s stated minimum floor areas apply to zero lot line duplex units, not every detached house.13

Building a home in Metamora: what should you do first?

  1. Ask the village Zoning Administrator to identify the parcel’s zoning district using the village zoning map, then check the district’s lot and yard requirements.167
  2. Request the village building permit application and confirm which adopted building-code provisions govern the proposed home.13
  3. Resolve sanitation before work: apply to the village before building-sewer work, or arrange private septic and well plan review with the Woodford County Health Department.115
  4. Arrange village building inspections and the Certificate of Compliance, plus Health Department inspections for new or repaired private septic and well systems.15

Before committing to a purchase, ask the village about floodplain approval, utility connection requirements and occupancy authorization; we could not confirm those requirements for Metamora.

Watch-outs

  • Metamora’s guest-RV sleeping allowance is limited to 15 days unless written permission is obtained from the Zoning Administrator; it does not establish a general right to live in an RV while building.8
  • Metamora’s zero lot line duplex minimums are 1,100 square feet for a single-story unit and 1,500 square feet for a unit with more than one story, excluding garages, open porches, cellars and basements; these are not general detached-house minimums.13
  • Illinois’s owner-occupant plumbing exemption is conditional and does not establish a general exemption from local building permits; ask Metamora’s Zoning Administrator about self-performed construction.14

Sources

  1. Village of Metamora Zoning Administrator (villageofmetamora.com)
  2. Title 17, Chapter 17.08, Section 17.08.010, Definitions (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  3. Title 15, Chapter 15.04, Section 15.04.010, Compliance with title and adopted codes (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  4. Building and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  5. Woodford County Health Department (woodford-county.org)
  6. R-1 required lot area and lot widths (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  7. AG yard requirements (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  8. Title 15, Chapter 15.40, Section 15.40.128, Motor vehicles and RVs (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  9. Building and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  10. Title 17, Chapter 17.52, Section 17.52.040, Other uses and regulations (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  11. Title 13, Chapter 13.52, Section 13.52.070, Permit required—Building sewer (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  12. Title 17, Chapter 17.52, Section 17.52.040, Other uses and regulations (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  13. Title 17, Chapter 17.52, Section 17.52.080, Two-family dwelling units (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  14. HB5913 Enrolled — Illinois Plumbing License Law amendment (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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 Metamora

Village of Metamora’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction, alteration, addition, use and occupancy of buildings and structures in the village.

    • The 2006 International Residential Code controls qualifying residential construction; the 2006 International Building Code controls other buildings and structures; the more restrictive provision applies in a conflict.
    • Ordinance No. 2008-2 is dated 6-3-2008.

    International Building Code: 2006 Edition · International Residential Code: 2006 Edition

    “conformity is required with the "International Building Code" 2006 Edition [...] and the "International Residential Code" 2006 Edition”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Metamora village; the village code contains Title 17, Zoning, including AG, R-1, R-1A, and R-2 districts.

    “Min. Lot Area Per Dwelling Unit (Square Feet) | Min. Lot Width Per Structure (Feet) | Single-Family Dwellings | 7,800 | 65”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Zero lot line duplex dwelling units under Title 17.

    • This is not a general minimum floor-area rule for every detached single-family dwelling.
    • Garages, open porches, cellars, and basements are excluded.

    single-story unit floor area: >= 1100 square feet (zero lot line duplex dwelling unit) · more-than-one-story unit floor area: >= 1500 square feet (zero lot line duplex dwelling unit)

    “Each dwelling unit has a floor area of not less than one thousand one hundred square feet for a single story unit”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the R-1 district.

    minimum lot area per dwelling unit: >= 7800 square feet · minimum lot width per structure: >= 65 feet

    “Min. Lot Area Per Dwelling Unit (Square Feet) | Min. Lot Width Per Structure (Feet) | Single-Family Dwellings | 7,800 | 65”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Structures in the AG district.

    • On federal, state, county, or township roads, the greater of 30 feet from property line or 100 feet from centerline applies.
    • On other roads, the greater of 30 feet from property line or 60 feet from centerline applies.

    front yard from property line: >= 30 feet · centerline setback on federal, state, county, or township roads: >= 100 feet (whichever is greater with 30 feet from property line) · centerline setback on other roads: >= 60 feet (whichever is greater with 30 feet from property line)

    “a minimum front yard of thirty feet from the property line or one hundred feet from the centerline, whichever is greater”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in the R-1 district.

    • A building may exceed 30 feet only if each side yard is increased by 5 feet for every 5 feet or fraction of additional height.
    • No building may exceed 50 feet.
    • Accessory-building area is generally limited to 900 square feet at ground level, subject to the stated exceptions.

    base height: <= 30 feet (unless side yards are increased as specified) · absolute maximum height: <= 50 feet

    “No building shall exceed thirty feet in height, unless each side yard is increased over the required minimum”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles and recreational trailers on private residential property inside Metamora village.

    • No recreational vehicle or recreational trailer may be parked in the front yard.
    • It must be behind the front elevation in the side or rear yard.
    • A bona fide guest's recreational vehicle or trailer may be parked in the rear yard for no more than 15 days with householder permission, unless written permission is obtained from the zoning administrator.
    • During that period it may be used only for sleeping purposes.

    guest period: <= 15 days (unless written permission is obtained from the zoning administrator)

    “such recreational vehicle or recreational trailer may be used only for sleeping purposes during such fifteen-day period”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Tent and camping use inside Metamora village.

    • No tent may be used, erected, or maintained as living quarters.
    • Tents used in commercial or industrial zones or for camping purposes wherever permitted must be temporary.
    “No tent shall be used, erected or maintained as living quarters.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Lot divisions and subdivision-related access inside Metamora village.

    • Each resulting lot must conform to applicable zoning regulations.
    • A lot split requires a surveyor's plat.
    • No further reduction is permitted if it would make the lot unable to meet Title 17 requirements.

    minimum street width: >= 30 feet

    “No recorded lot shall be divided into two or more lots unless such division results in the creation of lots”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building sewer and excavation permit processes inside Metamora village.

    • Building sewer applications use a village form and must be submitted before work begins with a plot plan, pipe information, connection location, other requested information, and fees.
    • Excavation applications with work plans go to the superintendent of public works.
    • Emergency excavations require notice within 24 hours, or the next business morning after a weekend or village holiday.

    emergency excavation notice: <= 24 hours (weekend or village holiday: next business morning)

    “Any such person or his agent shall make application therefor in a form furnished by the village, prior to the commencement of any sewer work.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Metamora village.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Metamora village.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Metamora village.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Metamora village.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Metamora village.
6 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • 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 Metamora publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Woodford County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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