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

Rules another office applies inside Walnut Township

Walnut 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 on unincorporated land inside Walnut township (outside the Village of Walnut), under the Bureau County zoning ordinance administered by county planning and zoning

  • The permit must be obtained before construction begins, so construction is conditional on the permit.
  • The county says a permit is generally not required for re-roofing, replacing or installing new windows, siding replacement or similar maintenance; if in doubt, the county should be contacted.
  • The county says the zoning ordinance does not require a permit to erect a fence in residential zoning districts.
  • The county says most signs on private property require a building permit.
  • Parcels inside Village of Walnut limits go to the village office instead.

  shed area requiring a permit: >= 144 sq ft (the county lists sheds of this size or larger as requiring a permit; the FAQ says a structure needs a permit whether or not it has a permanent foundation)

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

• Building code adoptedNot adopted

  Unincorporated land inside Walnut township (outside the Village of Walnut); Bureau County is the rule-maker and has adopted no building code for that land

  • Covers the county only; the Village of Walnut may have its own adopted codes and is not covered here.
  • Commercial buildings in non-building-code jurisdictions have a separate state pre-occupancy inspection requirement (see building_inspection claim).

  “Bureau County has not adopted a building code.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Inside Walnut township's unincorporated land: county zoning compliance inspections are not building inspections; commercial buildings have a state-required pre-occupancy inspection

  • The county conducts zoning compliance inspections (stake-out, footings and final) to check the zoning and floodplain ordinances; the county says these 'are not building inspections'.
  • The state requirement applies to commercial buildings, defined as any building other than a single-family home or a dwelling of 2 or fewer apartments, condominiums or townhomes, or a farm building exempt under the Illinois Architecture Practice Act.
  • The inspector must be qualified under the state capital development board standards and must file a certificate of inspection with the county.

  “These inspections are not building inspections.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of the Bureau County zoning ordinance applying to unincorporated land inside Walnut township

  • The county's index lists Article III districts: Agricultural, Resort-Recreational (RR), Rural Estate (RE), Single Family Home R-1, R-2 and R-3, Highway Business B-3, Business B-1, Limited Manufacturing M-1 and General Manufacturing M-2.
  • The index lists the articles but the district text itself was not opened.

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agricultural-zoned parcels on unincorporated land inside Walnut township (agricultural district)

  • Stated by the county in its guidance on separating an existing farm dwelling; the county points to its agricultural setback requirements and advises confirming them against the ordinance text.
  • The county guidance applies to parcels zoned agriculture.
  • Figures are from county guidance and should be checked against Article III of the zoning ordinance, which was not opened.

  setback from road right-of-way: >= 50 ft · setback from side and rear property lines: >= 30 ft

  “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)

  Onsite septic systems on land inside Walnut township, including inside the Village of Walnut, handled by the Bureau County Health Department

  • The health department also administers public health services for Putnam and Marshall counties; its office is at 526 Bureau Valley Pkwy, Princeton.
  • Septic permits and inspections are conditional on the health department's approval.

  “permits and inspects [...] septic systems”

• Septic permitRequired

  New onsite septic systems on land inside Walnut township, handled by the Bureau County Health Department

  • Permit application, soil evaluation and fee requirements were not located on pages opened.

  “A Private Sewage Disposal Permit Application must be completed in full”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Onsite septic systems on land inside Walnut township, inspected by the Bureau County Health Department

  • The page says health department staff 'inspects' septic systems but does not state the inspection trigger or timing; confirm with the health department whether each new system is inspected.

  “final inspection of sewage construction before backfilling.”

• Well permitRequired

  New water wells on land inside Walnut township, handled by the Bureau County Health Department

  • Well permit application and fee details were not located on pages opened.

  “the health department must issue a private water well construction permit.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions on unincorporated land inside Walnut township under the Bureau County subdivision code

  • The county exempts certain existing farm dwellings from the maps, plats and subdivision code when conditions are met: the dwelling is zoned agriculture, was built before January 1, 1987, and a recorded plat of survey is provided.
  • The county planning and zoning department keeps subdivision files for unincorporated areas.
  • Subdivision ordinance text was not opened.

  “shall not be subject to the maps, plats and subdivision code of bureau county under the following conditions”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development on mapped floodplain land inside unincorporated Walnut township

  • Applies only where the property is in a floodplain or flood zone.
  • The county's flood plain regulations are in Article VI of the zoning ordinance and a separate flood plain ordinance, neither of which was opened.

  “the presence of a floodplain or flood zone on your property can affect its use and /or development.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning and building permit process for construction on unincorporated land inside Walnut township

  • Permit is obtained before construction; the county describes three zoning compliance inspections (stake-out, footings and final).
  • Application forms and the fee schedule were not opened, so the process is only partly documented.

  “typically, three zoning compliance inspections are conducted during the course of construction”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction on land inside Walnut township
• Local zoning — Land inside Walnut township's limits outside the Village of Walnut: whether Walnut township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance
• Minimum dwelling size — Agricultural district and R-1 single-family district on unincorporated land in Walnut township
• Minimum lot size — Agricultural district and R-1 single-family district on unincorporated land in Walnut township
• Lot coverage — Residential and agricultural lots on unincorporated land in Walnut township

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.