Building permits, zoning and land rules in De Witt County, Illinois

Yes. In unincorporated De Witt County, a building permit must be issued before covered erection, construction, reconstruction or structural alteration begins¹. Listed exceptions include siding, windows, roofing and other listed remodeling, work that does not change size, shape, dimensions or height, public-utility structures and qualifying park structures¹.

A single-family dwelling does not need the county occupancy permit required for other changes in use or occupancy¹. A single-family residential building permit costs $150, including attached or detached garages, carports, decks and porches, and county zoning and occupancy application fees are non-refundable¹. Agricultural-purpose buildings and accessory buildings on an operating farm have no permit fee; the fee waiver does not remove the building-permit requirement¹. Illinois statewide building-code requirements apply in De Witt County, although we could not confirm a separately adopted county building-code edition⁹.

De Witt County Planning and Zoning handles county building permits, zoning, floodplain management, plats and subdivision review¹⁰. Contact the office at 201 West Washington Street in Clinton, (217) 935-7775 or zoning@dewittcountyil.gov; online building permits are available through Cloudpermit¹⁰.

Clinton handles its own building permits¹¹. Farmer City handles its own building permits¹². Village of Wapella handles its own building permits¹³. Village of Weldon handles its own building permits¹⁴. Private-sewage approval remains with the DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department, with additional city septic permitting in Farmer City^3,4.

For a county building permit, meet with the Administrator and submit the application, boundary survey and plot plan unless the survey is waived¹. Ask Planning and Zoning which building-code edition and inspections apply; we could not confirm a general county inspection schedule¹⁰.

Yes. De Witt County zoning applies in unincorporated areas and municipalities without their own zoning ordinance; municipalities with their own ordinance use local zoning instead². Clinton has its own zoning¹⁵. Farmer City has its own zoning¹⁶. Village of Wapella has its own zoning¹⁷. Private-sewage approval stays with the DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department, with additional city septic approval in Farmer City^3,4.

The zoning chapter identifies agricultural, commercial, floodplain, industrial, residential, mobile-home and rural-development districts, each with its own use standards¹⁸. District minimum lot areas range from 7,350 to 87,120 square feet where a minimum is listed, and land without public sewer may require a larger lot when soil capability warrants it⁶. District building-height limits range from 35 to 60 feet where a maximum is listed, while some districts list no maximum and special-use exceptions may be available⁶. Accessory residential structures may not exceed 25 feet in height, and setbacks vary by district^6,19. The county definition of a modular home requires at least 24 feet of width and 1,000 square feet of floor area, but that definition does not establish a universal minimum for every dwelling type²⁰.

The DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department handles private-sewage approval in De Witt County; contact the Clinton office at 5924 Revere Road or 217.935.3427^3,21. Farmer City additionally requires a city septic permit and installation inspection by the City Superintendent⁴.

Submit a Private Sewage System Application and soil report before health review for building-permit approval; unsuitable soil requires alternative technology³. Only about 5.1% of county soils avoid a severe USDA limitation rating for conventional drain fields, so evaluate the site early²².

A septic application is required for tank replacement, major-component additions or removals, an absorption-field increase of at least 25%, or removal and replacement of at least 25% of the field²³. Complete replacement or new installation costs $200; repairs of 50% or less cost $75²³. Arrange inspection before backfilling and give 48 hours’ notice; covered work or deficiencies can prevent approval²³. Residential systems also require evaluation within three years of installation and every five years afterward; non-residential systems require evaluation within three years and every three years afterward³.

De Witt County allows a recreational-vehicle camp only by special-use permit in the RD-1, RD-2, industrial and floodplain districts, but that rule does not authorize using an individual RV as a dwelling on an ordinary residential parcel²⁴. Ask De Witt County Planning and Zoning whether the parcel's district allows the exact RV use and what building permit, zoning approval, septic and floodplain requirements apply. We could not confirm a separate rule for temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy.

Manufactured and mobile homes are a separate category: placement is limited to the R-4 Mobile Home Residential District or an IDPH-approved and licensed mobile-home park⁵. Manufactured and mobile homes without municipal water or sewer connections must comply with Health Department well and septic rules⁵. The county definition of a modular home requires a minimum width of 24 feet and at least 1,000 square feet of floor area, plus a permanent foundation and required utilities²⁰. That modular-home definition does not establish a universal minimum-size rule for every house²⁰.

1. Confirm whether county or municipal zoning controls the parcel; municipal zoning varies, and private-sewage approval comes from the DeWitt-Piatt Bi-County Health Department, with additional city septic approval in Farmer City^2,3,4.
2. Ask De Witt County Planning and Zoning to confirm the district, permitted use, minimum lot area, height, setbacks and required exhibits^6,10,18.
3. Submit the private-sewage application and soil report to the Health Department before building-permit review³.
4. Obtain the required private-well permit before constructing, modifying or sealing a well⁷.
5. File the applicable building-permit application, survey and plot plan, and do not begin covered work before issuance¹.
6. Arrange septic inspection before backfilling with 48 hours’ notice, and ask Planning and Zoning which building inspections apply^10,23.
7. Ask Planning and Zoning about floodplain review and obtain a floodplain development permit before covered work⁸.

Start with jurisdiction and zoning district, then verify that the intended home type and use are allowed^2,18. County Planning and Zoning reviews maps, plats and subdivisions, and the county's subdivision regulations are available through that office^10,25,26.

Check soils before choosing a house site because only about 5.1% of county soils avoid a severe USDA limitation rating for conventional drain fields²². County Planning and Zoning handles floodplain management in unincorporated areas, and covered floodplain development requires a permit before work begins^8,10. Confirm access with the road authority; work in state highway right-of-way requires an IDOT permit²⁷. The county's effective property-tax rate is about 1.8%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $2,297²².