Bolthole Index

Mason County, Illinois

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Havana, Illinois

Inside Havana, Illinois, the city zoning department issues building permits for roofing, fences, decks and any structure over 100 square feet1. Zoning comes from the city's own Title 172. Septic permits in Mason County are issued by the Mason County Health Department3, while the city can require a hookup to public sewer within 200 feet4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the City of Havana zoning department for roofing, fences, decks and structures over 100 sq ft1
Zoning
City zoning ordinance (Title 17) with R-1 and R-2 districts25
Building code
International Building Code adopted by the city6
Septic
Mason County Health Department issues septic permits; the city code can require sewer hookup34
RV living
Sleeping in a parked RV is limited to a few days in a driveway or yard with owner consent78
Minimum lot (single-family)
7,500 sq ft in R-1 and R-2, with exceptions for older platted lots910
Driveway curb cut
$25 permit for a new driveway or a widening of more than two feet11
Floodplain
Buildings in the floodplain must be protected to one foot above base flood12

Who to call

Zoning

City of Havana Zoning Department

Building permits, demolition permits, zoning and code enforcement inside Havana city limits

(309) 543-2153

Septic permits

Mason County Health Department

Septic permits for Mason County, including addresses in cities

309-210-0110

1002 East Laurel Ave., Havana, IL 62644

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 Havana means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Havana, Illinois?

Yes. The City of Havana requires owners of property inside city limits to get a building permit for all roofing projects, any change to the footprint of a home or building, any structure over 100 square feet, fences, decks, patios and pergolas1. Concrete pads and driveways are not part of that building permit process, though they must drain without affecting neighbors1.

The city has adopted the International Building Code, plus fire and mechanical codes in Title 15 of its municipal code6. The city's zoning page lists the 2018 edition of the building codes1. Illinois itself does not issue building permits for privately funded construction; that is left to the local government13.

We could not confirm Havana's building permit fees, its inspection steps or a certificate of occupancy rule. Ask the zoning department before you pay for plans.

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

The City of Havana Zoning Department handles building permits, demolition permits, code enforcement and variances inside the city1. Call (309) 543-2153 to make an appointment for inspection and approval1. The permit application is a PDF on the city's zoning page.

Do not take a city address to the county zoning counter. Mason County's zoning ordinance covers land outside incorporated cities that have their own zoning ordinances14. For anything beyond city limits, see the Mason County page.

A new driveway cut through a curb is a separate permit: the city charges $25 for a new driveway or a widening of more than two feet, and nothing for two feet or less11. The written application goes to the City Clerk and is approved at City Council discretion11.

Does Havana have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Havana has its own zoning ordinance, Title 17 of the city code, with R-1 single-family and R-2 multiple-family districts25. We have not confirmed the full list of districts, so check the city's zoning map for your parcel.

A single-family lot in R-1 needs at least 7,500 square feet, unless it is a platted lot of record from before the ordinance9. R-2 uses the same 7,500 square foot minimum for single-family dwellings10. In R-1 the front yard must be 25 feet deep or 25 percent of the average lot depth, whichever is smaller15. We did not confirm side and rear setbacks, height limits or accessory dwelling rules; ask the zoning department.

Mobile homes are treated differently by district. R-1 allows mobile home or trailer parks that meet Section 17.76.03016. In R-2, an individual mobile home needs at least 720 square feet, a permanent foundation below the frost line and one paved off-street parking space, and the hitch, wheels and axle must be removed after the permit is issued17.

How do septic permits work in Havana?

Septic permits in Mason County come from the Mason County Health Department, and the page for them says the application must be approved before construction318. Most applicants then need a soil test before construction begins18. Every installed system must be inspected, including one a homeowner builds19.

Inside Havana, the city sewer rules matter first. An occupied property next to a street or alley with a public sewer must connect within 60 days of written notice when the sewer is within 200 feet of the property line, at the owner's expense4. We could not confirm whether the city or the health department would approve a new septic system on a lot inside city limits; call the Health Department at 309-210-0110 and the city zoning department before you assume one is possible20.

The wider soil picture is county-level: only about 4.9% of Mason County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation if you are outside sewer service21.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Havana?

Not as a long-term home on a lot. Sleeping in a parked camper or RV between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. counts as camping in Havana and is banned except where the code allows it7. The exceptions are narrow: one vehicle in a residential driveway with the owner's written consent for no more than three days a month7, or a rear or screened yard with consent for no more than three days in a calendar week8. No fee may be charged7.

Illinois campground rules do not answer this question, because they govern licensed campgrounds, not a private lot. We could not find a tiny-home or accessory dwelling provision in the Havana code. Ask the zoning department at (309) 543-2153 and get the answer in writing before you buy a lot for a tiny home1.

Building a home in Havana: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel is inside Havana city limits and find its zoning district with the city zoning department1.
  2. Check lot size and front setback against the district: 7,500 square feet for a single-family lot in R-19.
  3. Ask whether the lot is in the floodplain. Buildings valued over $1,000 or larger than 70 square feet there must be protected to one foot above the base flood12, and a state floodplain permit may also apply22.
  4. Ask the City Clerk about a curb-cut permit if the driveway crosses a curb: $25 for a new one11.
  5. Confirm sewer or septic with the city and the Mason County Health Department20.
  6. Apply for the building permit from the city zoning department and schedule the inspection1.
  7. Illinois lets an owner-occupant do plumbing work on their own single-family home, but that exemption covers plumbing only, not building permits23.

What stays with Mason County, and what to check before you buy

Mason County, not the city, issues septic permits and well permits for the county, and the county health department handles them324. A well permit is required before any construction or modification to land, and a soil test may be needed24.

If the lot is outside city limits, the county rules apply instead. The county zoning ordinance requires a building permit before construction on parcels it covers25. Read the Mason County page for that answer.

Mason County's effective property tax rate is 2.1% and the median bill is $2,277 a year2627. The county's nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 35 miles away28.

Watch-outs

  • Havana's building permit fees, inspection steps and certificate of occupancy rules were not confirmed; ask the City of Havana Zoning Department at (309) 543-21531.
  • Septic tanks inside city limits may be restricted where public sewer is available; confirm with both the city and the Mason County Health Department before you plan a septic system4.
  • Floodplain lots carry extra protection rules and can need a state permit1222.
  • Sleeping in a camper on a city lot is limited to a few days a month or week78.

Sources

  1. City of Havana Zoning Department (havanail.gov)
  2. Havana Code 17.36.020 R-1 Use regulations (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  3. Septic Permit | Mason County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  4. Havana Code 13.08.050 Toilet facilities required (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  5. Havana Code 17.40.020 R-2 Use regulations (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  6. Havana Code 15.08.010 Building code adopted (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  7. Havana Code 9.06.020 Camping permitted (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  8. Havana Code 9.06.020 Camping permitted (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  9. Havana Code 17.36.070 R-1 Lot area single-family (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  10. Havana Code 17.40.070 R-2 Lot area single-family (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  11. Havana Code 12.04.060 Removal of curb or gutter (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  12. Havana Code 15.32.070 Protecting buildings (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  13. Illinois Codes FAQ (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Mason County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  15. Havana Code 17.36.040 R-1 Front yards (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  16. Havana Code 17.36.020 R-1 Use regulations (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  17. Havana Code 17.40.020 R-2 Use regulations (Havana), quoted and re-checked
  18. Septic Permit | Mason County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  19. FAQs - Mason County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  20. Mason County Health Department (masoncohealth.com)
  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. Permit Program (Illinois statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. HB5913 Enrolled — Illinois Plumbing License Law amendment (2026 county census)
  24. Well Permit, quoted and re-checked
  25. Zoning Ordinance, Mason County, Illinois, quoted and re-checked
  26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  27. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  28. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data

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 Havana

Havana’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Buildings inside Havana city

    • Current edition of the International Building Code, as amended from time to time
    • Fire code (IFC) and mechanical code (IMC) also adopted in Title 15
    “The regulations of the current edition of the International Building Code, as amended from time to time, be and is hereby adopted”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Havana city limits

    • Title 17 Zoning with R-1 and R-2 districts
    “In the R-1 district no building or land shall be used and no building shall be erected or structurally altered”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts inside Havana city

    • R-1 Single-Family and R-2 Multiple-Family confirmed; full district list and map not reviewed
    “in the r-2 district, no building or land shall be used and no building shall be erected or structurally altered”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Mobile homes in R-2 district inside Havana city (site-built minimum not found)

    • Applies only to individual mobile homes or trailers in R-2

    minimum floor area: >= 720 sq ft

    “unit shall have a minimum of seven hundred twenty square feet of floor area,”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the R-1 district inside Havana city

    • Platted and recorded lots of record from before adoption with less area may still be used
    • Other permitted uses need 10,000 sq ft

    minimum lot area: >= 7500 sq ft (pre-existing platted lots of record)

    “every lot for single-family dwellings shall have an area of not less than seven thousand five hundred square feet, except that if a lot of record prior to the adoption of this title has less area and has been duly platted and recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds for mason county, illinois, such lot may be used for a single-family dwelling.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-2 district inside Havana city
      “Every lot for single-family dwellings shall have an area of not less than seven thousand five hundred square feet”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Front yard in the R-1 district inside Havana city (side/rear yards not reviewed)

    • Front yard averaging rule where 40% or more of frontage is developed with variation of not more than ten feet
    • Required front yard never more than sixty feet or less than fifteen feet under averaging

    front yard depth: >= 25 feet or 25% of average lot depth, whichever is smaller (averaging rule)

    “there shall be a front yard having a depth of not less than twenty-five percent of the average depth of the lot or twenty-five feet, whichever is smaller.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Sleeping in RVs/campers inside Havana city

    • Sleeping in a parked camper or RV 11 p.m.-7 a.m. is 'camping', banned except as permitted
    • Residential driveway: one vehicle, written consent, max three days per calendar month
    • No fee may be charged
    • Not permitted where other code provisions on mobile homes prohibit it

    driveway camping limit: <= 3 days per month

    “inside a licensed and registered vehicle in a residential off-street driveway with the written consent of the owner and occupant of the residence, where the driver/occupant of such vehicle is in possession of a valid driver's license, provided that no more than one vehicle shall be permitted at any one location. no particular location shall be used for camping under this provision for more than three days during any one calendar month.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping on private or public property inside Havana city

    • Residential yard camping with owner consent, rear yard or screened side/front yard, max three days per calendar week
    • No noise, inadequate sanitation or fees; HOA covenants may prohibit
    • Otherwise banned city-wide, public or private

    yard camping limit: <= 3 days per calendar week

    “in the yard of a residence with the consent of the owner or occupant of the residence, where the camping is in the rear yard, or in an area of a side yard or front yard that is separated from view from the street by a fence, hedge or other obstruction, and then for no more than three days in any calendar week;”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Individual mobile homes or trailers in the R-2 district inside Havana city

    • Within sixty days after permit issued: remove towing hitch and tongue; remove wheels and axle
    • Set on a permanent foundation extending below frost line, no piers
    • Minimum 720 square feet of floor area
    • One off-street paved parking space

    minimum floor area: >= 720 sq ft

    “4. unit shall have a minimum of seven hundred twenty square feet of floor area, 5. a minimum of one off-street paved parking space shall be provided.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Occupied property abutting a street, alley or right-of-way with a public sewer inside Havana city

    • Connection required within sixty days after official written notice
    • Applies if the public sewer is within two hundred feet of the property boundary
    • Owner pays at own expense
    • Water connection rule not found in provided sections

    sewer distance: <= 200 feet · connection deadline after notice: 60 days

    “the connection shall be made within sixty days after the owner receives official written notice to do so, provided that the public sewer is located within two hundred feet of the boundary line of the house, building or property.”
  • Subdividing landLimited

    New subdivisions and manufactured home parks in the floodplain inside Havana city; general subdivision ordinance not reviewed

    • Must meet damage prevention and building protection standards of 15.32.060 and 15.32.070
    • Must include base flood elevation, floodway boundary and engineer's drainage statement
    “new subdivisions, manufactured home parks, annexation agreements, planned unit developments, and additions to manufactured home parks and subdivisions shall meet the damage prevention and building protections standards of sections 15.32.060 and 15.32.070 of this chapter.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    New driveways or widening existing driveways by cutting a curb inside Havana city

    • Written application to City Clerk, approved at City Council discretion
    • Permit fee $25 for new driveway or widening more than two feet; $0 for widening two feet or less
    • Six months to complete after approval
    • New driveway approach surfaced with concrete, asphalt or brick for at least six feet

    curb cut permit fee: 25 USD (zero for widening two feet or less)

    “the price for a permit to cut a curb to widen an existing driveway two feet or less shall be zero dollars. the price for a permit to cut a curb for a new driveway or to widen an existing driveway more than two feet shall be twenty-five dollars.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Buildings in the floodplain (SFHA) inside Havana city

    • Applies to new buildings valued over $1,000 or 70 sq ft, substantial improvements, manufactured homes, RVs on site over 180 days/year
    • Must be protected below flood protection elevation (base flood plus one foot)
    • State IDNR/OWR permit requirements apply under 15.32.060

    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 Havana or Mason County directly.

  • Building permit — New construction inside Havana city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Inside Havana city
  • Inspections — Inside Havana city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Inside Havana city
  • Lot coverage — Inside Havana city
10 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Havana publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Mason County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Mason County: county rules, score and offices