Building permits, zoning and land rules in Fulton County, Illinois

Unincorporated Fulton County requires the County Zoning Office to issue a zoning permit before construction, substantial rehabilitation or alteration, or installation of manufactured housing can legally begin¹. The county formerly called this a building permit and requires applicable well and septic permit numbers and copies⁷. The published schedule lists a $125 base fee plus $0.25 per square foot for a dwelling or manufactured home, while a mobile home is $500¹⁰. The county reviews use, setbacks, height, parking and land coverage rather than enforcing a local building code^1,2. Illinois's statewide building-code requirements have applied since 2025, including in jurisdictions without an adopted local code; ask the responsible city, village or county official which requirements and local amendments govern the project³.

Fulton County Planning & Zoning issues the county zoning permit for projects on unincorporated land: call (309) 547-0902, email zoning@fultonco.org, or visit 257 West Lincoln Street Lewistown, IL 61542⁸. The office administers the county zoning ordinance but does not interpret or enforce building codes². After construction, the owner must notify the Zoning Officer for a zoning-compliance inspection and certificate decision; this is not a general building-code inspection^7,10. Inside an incorporated community, contact its city or village hall about building permits and zoning approval⁴. Fulton County Health Department Environmental Health still issues septic permits and private-well permits countywide; call 309-647-1134 or visit 700 East Oak Street^5,6,11.

Fulton County administers five zoning districts in unincorporated areas, while incorporated communities may direct residents to their own city or village hall for zoning approval and building permits^2,4. Uses, lot dimensions and building-height limits depend on the parcel's district¹. Minimum front, side and rear setbacks also vary by district: the Agricultural Conservation district requires 50-foot front and rear yards and 20-foot side yards, while residential districts use smaller minimums². In the Agricultural Conservation district, multiple dwellings require a separate acre for each dwelling, required yards, road access and Health Department approval, with no more than three dwellings per parcel¹. A mobile home there must have at least 500 square feet of living area, not a general minimum for every dwelling type¹. Ask Planning & Zoning to confirm the parcel's district and exact dimensional rules⁸.

Illinois regulates private sewage disposal systems, while local health agencies may review construction plans under local ordinance or as state agents¹². In Fulton County, the Health Department issues the permit required before constructing, renovating, altering or extending a private sewage disposal system⁵. The installation cannot be covered or used until the Health Officer has inspected it and approved it in writing⁵. About 38.6% of Fulton County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make system feasibility an early purchase contingency¹³. Contact Environmental Health at 309-647-1134 before ordering a system or scheduling excavation¹¹.

We could not confirm a Fulton County rule allowing an RV to serve as a long-term residence on private land; ask Planning & Zoning for a parcel-specific answer before moving one onsite⁸. Recreational-vehicle and camper parks are conditional uses in the Agricultural Conservation district, must serve patrons who have other residences, and require Health Department approval for water and sewage systems, but those park rules do not answer private RV residence¹. We also could not confirm a specific tiny-home occupancy rule. The published 500-square-foot minimum applies only to mobile homes in the Agricultural Conservation district, not every dwelling¹. Manufactured homes face separate rules for construction date, HUD seal, anchoring, utilities, running gear and district dimensions¹.

1. Confirm whether county or municipal zoning and building-permit authority applies, then give the responsible office the parcel number and proposed use⁴.
2. Check the district's use, setbacks, height and lot rules, plus any flood-hazard restrictions^1,2,14.
3. Obtain applicable Fulton County septic and private-well permits before applying for the county zoning permit^5,6,7.
4. Submit the owner and applicant names, parcel index number, proposed use, address, detailed sketch, structure location and required supporting information⁷.
5. Obtain a Fulton County driveway permit for a new entrance from a county road; for a township, state, federal or municipal road, contact that road's jurisdiction¹⁵.
6. Leave the septic installation uncovered until written approval⁵.
7. After construction, notify the Zoning Officer for the zoning-compliance inspection and certificate decision¹⁰.

Confirm whether the parcel is under county or municipal zoning, then verify its allowed use, setbacks, height, lot dimensions and approval path before closing^1,2,4. Make septic feasibility a contract contingency because only about 38.6% of Fulton County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹³. Verify the private-water plan early because constructing, modifying or deepening an individual or semi-private water supply requires a county permit⁶. Check mapped flood risk because special flood-hazard areas carry strict construction conditions¹⁴. Identify the road owner because a new county-road entrance requires a driveway permit from Public Works & Highways, while a township, state, federal or municipal road has a different authority¹⁵. Fulton County's effective property-tax rate is about 2.1%, with a median annual bill of about $2,186¹³.