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

Rules another office applies inside Pella Township

Pella 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

  All new construction and projects increasing an existing building's square footage in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • Permit must be obtained before construction begins.
  • Agricultural-use buildings require a permit but have no fee by statute.
  • A late application after foundation construction or erection doubles the construction-permit fee.

  base permit fee: 20 USD (First 200 square feet; non-agricultural projects.) · additional permit fee: per 0.15 USD per square foot (Structures over 200 square feet; non-agricultural projects.)

  “Construction permits are required for all new construction and for all projects which increase the square footage of existing buildings on the property.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Premises in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area for which Ford County permits have been issued.

  • Inspection is performed by the Zoning Enforcing Officer or a duly appointed assistant.

  “He shall examine premises for which permits have been issued, and shall make necessary inspections to see that the provisions of law are complied with.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in Pella Township that is in Ford County's unincorporated zoning area; this is county-administered zoning, not a Pella Township ordinance.

  • The Ford County ordinance applies to unincorporated county areas; incorporated corporate boundaries are excluded as stated by the county.

  “The Ford County Zoning Office administers the Ford County Zoning Ordinance. Ford County adopted zoning regulations in 1972. Zoning regulates the uses allowed on land and the location of improvements on that land.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Ford County unincorporated zoning area within Pella Township; exact parcel district must be determined from the official district map.

  • District boundaries are shown on the district map, whose originals and prints are held by the County Zoning Enforcing Officer.

  published districts: AG-1, CO-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, B-1, B-2, I-1

  “Ford County is hereby divided into eight types of districts: AG-1 Agricultural CO-1 Conservation R – 1 Residential (single family) R – 2 Residential (two family) R – 3 Residential (multiple family) B – 1 Highway Business B – 2 General Business I – 1 Industrial”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Residential (single family) District in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  minimum lot area: >= 20000 square feet (R-1 single-family dwelling.) · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet (R-1.)

  “R – 1 100 20,000 20,000 N. A. N. A. Water **”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  AG-1 Agricultural and R-1 single-family residential districts in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • Highway-centerline setbacks govern if they conflict with front-yard regulations.
  • Variations may be sought for stated hardship or nonconformity circumstances.

  AG-1 front-side-rear yard: 50-20-50 feet · R-1 front-side-rear yard: 30-10-30 feet

  “AG-1 50 20 50 CO-1 50 20 50 R - 1 30 10 30”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Buildings in Ford County zoning districts within Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • The applicable maximum is the height limit for the district in which the building is located.

  “Maximum height limits established for buildings and structures are as follows: (1) Thirty-five feet in the CO-1, R-1 and R-2 Districts. (2) Forty-five feet in the R-3, B-1, B-2 and I-1 Districts.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Inhabited trailers in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • Except where otherwise permitted, inhabited trailers must be located in a trailer court with a conditional-use permit.
  • Each mobile-home lot must be at least 5,000 square feet and 50 feet wide.
  • Trailer courts require at least five acres and no more than eight trailer lots per acre.

  minimum trailer-court area: >= 5 acres · maximum trailer-lot density: <= 8 lots per acre

  “Except where otherwise permitted, all inhabited trailers shall be located in a trailer court which has received a conditional use permit and which conforms with the requirements of the following paragraph.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile-home occupancy in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • Except where otherwise permitted, inhabited trailers must be in a conditional-use-permitted trailer court.
  • The ordinance's cited provision uses the term mobile home for individual trailer-court lots.

  “Each lot provided for the occupancy of a single mobile home unit shall have an area of not less than 5,000 square feet and a width of not less than 50 feet”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Accessory buildings in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • The cited restriction concerns accessory buildings; classification of a proposed detached unit should be confirmed with the Ford County Zoning Enforcing Officer.

  “Accessory buildings may not be used for dwelling purposes.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Residential buildings requiring water supply and sewage disposal facilities in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • Facilities must conform to Illinois Department of Public Health suggested standards.
  • New or altered facilities must also conform to the stated standards.
  • A sewer discharge into a stream, watercourse, or lagoon requires an Environmental Protection Agency permit.

  “Every residential building, trade, business, or industry hereafter established and requiring water supply and sewage disposal facilities, shall provide such facilities conforming to the suggested standards of the Illinois Department of Public Health, and any new water supply and sewage disposal facilities or alterations to existing facilities shall conform also to such standards.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural-use buildings in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • Agricultural-use buildings still require a permit.
  • No construction-permit fee is charged by statute.

  construction permit fee: 0 USD (Agricultural-use buildings; permit still required.)

  “Agricultural use buildings require a permit; however, by statute no fee is charged.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Planned unit developments and subdivision-related development in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • For a planned unit development, no permit issues until the final plat is approved and recorded.
  • The final development plan must follow applicable subdivision-ordinance procedures, standards, and requirements.

  planned-unit-development minimum site: >= 10 acres

  “The final development plan shall follow all applicable procedures, standards and requirements of the ordinance governing the subdivision of land.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Non-agricultural construction permits in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.

  • Agricultural-use buildings have no fee by statute.
  • Late application after foundation construction or erection doubles the fee.

  first 200 square feet: 20 USD (Non-agricultural projects.) · structures over 200 square feet: per 0.15 USD per square foot (Non-agricultural projects.)

  “A fee of $20.00 for the first 200 square feet and fifteen cents ($.15) per square foot for structures over 200 sq ft is charged for all non-agricultural projects.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.
• Building code adopted — Construction in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.
• Lot coverage — Lots in Pella Township's unincorporated zoning area.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land in Pella 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.