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

jjones@villageofmetamora.com

Septic permits

Woodford County Health Department

Private septic and well plan review, permits and inspections

309-467-3064

wchd@woodfordcountyil.gov

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 jjones@villageofmetamora.com.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. Metamora Code § 17.52.040—Other uses and regulations (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  11. Metamora Code § 13.52.070—Permit required, building sewer (Village of Metamora), quoted and re-checked
  12. Metamora Code § 17.52.040—Tents (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

    Each dwelling unit proposed to be designated or sold as a zero lot line duplex inside Metamora village limits.

    • Garages, open porches, cellars, and basements are excluded from floor-area calculation.
    • All other applicable zoning-code and village-code requirements also apply.

    single-story floor area: >= 1100 square feet · more-than-one-story floor area: >= 1500 square feet

    “Each dwelling unit has a floor area of not less than one thousand one hundred square feet for a single story unit, and one thousand five hundred square feet for a unit having more than one story.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • 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”
  • 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 landProhibited

    Use of a tent as living quarters inside Metamora village limits.

    • Tents used for camping purposes wherever otherwise permitted must be temporary.
    “No tent shall be used, erected or maintained as living quarters. Tents used in commercial or industrial zones or tents used for camping purposes wherever permitted shall be of a temporary nature.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Moveable housing units used for human occupancy inside Metamora village limits.

    • The chapter's requirements apply insofar as applicable to the unit and parcel.
    “All moveable housing units utilized for human occupancy and the areas, grounds or parcels of land upon which they are located from time to time, insofar as they are applicable thereto, shall comply with the requirements of this chapter.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Division of recorded lots inside Metamora village limits.

    • Each resulting lot must conform to all applicable regulations of its zone.
    • A lot split requires a surveyor's plat.
    • A reduction that makes a recorded lot unable to meet Title 17 is not permitted.
    “No recorded lot shall be divided into two or more lots unless such division results in the creation of lots each of which conforms to all of the applicable regulations of the zone in which the property is located.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Excavation permits for village streets, alleys, sidewalks, rights-of-way, or village property inside Metamora village limits.

    • The fee is due before issuance.
    • Other deposits, financial security, and insurance may be required under Chapter 12.20.

    excavation permit fee: 100 USD per excavation

    “Before any permit required by the chapter is issued by the village, the applicant shall pay the village a permit fee of one hundred dollars per excavation.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Installation or repair of a building sewer inside Metamora village limits.

    • Application must be made before sewer work begins.
    • The village may request other pertinent information and fees established by ordinance.
    “No person shall install or repair any building sewer without first obtaining a written permit for such work from the superintendent. 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.”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Metamora

Village of Metamora does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Buildings in the R-1 district inside Metamora village limits.

    • Height above 30 feet requires each side yard to increase by five feet for every five feet, or fraction, of additional height.
    • Height may not exceed 50 feet.

    base maximum building height: <= 30 feet (greater height only with required side-yard increase; absolute maximum 50 feet) · absolute maximum building height: <= 50 feet

    “No building shall exceed thirty feet in height, unless each side yard is increased over the required minimum by five feet for every five feet, or fraction thereof, of additional height over thirty feet. In no case shall the building height exceed fifty feet.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — General building work inside Metamora village limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Metamora village limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Metamora village limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of construction inside Metamora village limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Metamora village limits.
12 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 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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