Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hall Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Hall Township

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

• Building permitRequired

  New construction in unincorporated Bureau County, including unincorporated Hall township land (the county zoning department administers it; villages with their own zoning are excluded).

  • Projects that need a permit include, but are not limited to: decks, sheds (144 sq. ft. or more in area), garages, gazebos and other accessory structures (permanent foundation or not); dwellings; commercial and industrial buildings; additions to any building or structure.
  • A structure on skids needs a building permit, whether or not it has a permanent foundation.
  • Re-roofing, window replacement and siding replacement generally do not need a permit.
  • Most signs on private property need a building permit; Article V of the county zoning ordinance sets sign rules.
  • A building permit must be obtained before construction begins.

  shed size threshold requiring permit: >= 144 sq. ft. (sheds 144 sq. ft. or more in area)

  “generally, any new construction requires a building permit which must be obtained prior to beginning construction.”

• Building code adoptedNot adopted

  New construction in unincorporated Bureau County, including unincorporated Hall township land: no county building code.

  • Cities and villages with their own municipal zoning in Bureau County have adopted building codes; those codes govern inside their limits, not in unincorporated Hall township.
  • Commercial buildings are subject to the state inspection rule recorded under building_inspection.

  “bureau county has not adopted a building code.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Residential and other construction in unincorporated Bureau County, including unincorporated Hall township land

  • The county conducts zoning compliance inspections, not building-code inspections, because the county has no building code.
  • Three zoning compliance inspections are typical: site stake-out, footings, and final.
  • Commercial buildings are subject to a separate state-required inspection (see building_inspection commercial claim).

  “these inspections are not building inspections. they are conducted to determine that the project is in compliance with the requirements of the zoning ordinance and / or the floodplain ordinance.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Required — Newly constructed commercial buildings in unincorporated Bureau County, including unincorporated Hall township land (a state rule, not a county rule)

    “public act 096-0704 (20 ilcs 3105/10.09-1) requires that no person may occupy a newly constructed commercial building in a non-building code jurisdiction until:”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Completed new construction in unincorporated Bureau County, including unincorporated Hall township land

  • The final zoning compliance inspection, upon completion of the project, is the step for issuing an occupancy certificate.
  • The county zoning ordinance has an Article XI titled permits and certificate of occupancy; its text was not retrieved, so fees and exceptions are not stated here.

  “typically, three zoning compliance inspections are conducted during the course of construction – an initial site inspection at the stake-out stage, a second inspection at the footings stage, and a final inspection upon completion of the project for issuance of an occupancy certificate.”

• Local zoningVaries (with conditions)

  Land inside Hall township's limits that is outside any village or city with its own zoning ordinance. County zoning is the rule-maker for unincorporated Hall township land; no Hall Township zoning ordinance was found.

  • Villages and cities with their own zoning ordinance govern their own limits. The county lists Dalzell, DePue, Ladd, Neponset, Princeton, Seatonville, Spring Valley, Tiskilwa and Walnut as having their own zoning.
  • The county pages do not say whether Ladd or Spring Valley lie inside Hall township; that was not confirmed on an official page.
  • The county pages do not state that Hall township has not adopted zoning, so no township-level absence is recorded here.

  “the bureau county planning & zoning department has jurisdiction over the unincorporated areas of bureau county as well as all incorporated municipalities without their own zoning ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts applying to unincorporated Hall township land (county districts: Agricultural, Resort-Recreational, Rural Estate, Single Family Home R-1/R-2/R-3, Highway Business B-3, Business B-1, Limited Manufacturing M-1, General Manufacturing M-2)

  • The county publishes each Article III district as a separate PDF; the district text itself was not retrieved, so district dimensional rules are not recorded here.
  • The county index lists the districts; it does not state which district maps Hall township parcels.

  “please follow each link below to view, download or print the selected section of the current bureau county zoning ordinance.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Agricultural zoning district (A) parcels in unincorporated Hall township. Only the agricultural district setbacks are recorded here; residential district setbacks are not.

  • The source is a county guidance page about separating an existing farm residence from a larger parcel; the Article III Agricultural text (the controlling ordinance) was not retrieved, so confirm these figures there.
  • Residential district (R-1, RE) setbacks were not retrieved.

  setback from road right-of-way (minimum): >= 50 feet (county guidance for separating a farm dwelling; Article III Agricultural text not retrieved) · setback from side and rear property lines (minimum): >= 30 feet (same county guidance; Article III Agricultural text not retrieved)

  “bureau county agricultural zoning setback requirements should be met (minimum of fifty (50) feet from the right-of-way of any road and thirty (30) feet from side and rear property lines.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems on land inside Hall township, administered by the Bureau County Health Department (the health department's service covers the whole county, including Hall township).

  • The county FAQ routes septic and well evaluations and permits to the Bureau County Health Department; the health department's own rules, fees, and service area were not retrieved.
  • Municipal sewer areas, if any, were not checked.

  “please contact the bureau county health department for evaluations, permits, questions and concerns with wells and septic systems located in bureau county.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions in unincorporated Hall township, under the Bureau County maps, plats and subdivision code

  • Farm residence or tenant house sales or leases are not subject to the county subdivision code only if: the existing dwelling is zoned agriculture; it was constructed before January 1, 1987; a plat of survey prepared by an Illinois-licensed land surveyor is provided; the parcel can support a well and septic system; and the plat is recorded with the county recorder before or with the deed.
  • The county planning department keeps subdivision files for unincorporated areas and for subdivisions inside villages without their own zoning.

  “the sale or lease of any property formerly used or presently used as a farm residence or tenant house shall not be subject to the maps, plats and subdivision code of bureau county under the following conditions”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process for new construction in unincorporated Hall township

  • The county FAQ covers when a permit is needed and the three zoning compliance inspections; the application forms, review steps and fees are not published on the pages opened.
  • The county planning and zoning department (700 S. Main St., Princeton, IL) administers the process per the county pages.

  “generally, any new construction requires a building permit which must be obtained prior to beginning construction.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Hall Township or Bureau County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a home in unincorporated Hall township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in unincorporated Hall township districts
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot area for a home in unincorporated Hall township districts
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits in unincorporated Hall township districts
• Building height — Building height limits in unincorporated Hall township districts

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.