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

Rules another office applies inside Harris Township

Harris 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

  Erection, reconstruction, structural alteration, and use of buildings and premises on unincorporated land inside Harris Township that is administered under Fulton County zoning.

  • The County application identifies the permit as required by the Fulton County Zoning Ordinance.
  • The application requires septic and well permit numbers and copies when applicable.

  “a Permit and a Compliance Certificate as required under the Zoning Ordinance of the County of Fulton”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction on unincorporated land inside Harris Township administered under Fulton County zoning.

  • After construction is complete, the applicant must notify the zoning officer.
  • The zoning officer then inspects and issues or refuses a zoning compliance certificate.

  “The applicant further agrees that UPON COMPLETION OF THE CONSTRUCTION THEY WILL NOTIFY THE ZONING OFFICER, WHO SHALL THEN INSPECT THE PREMISES AND ISSUE OR REFUSE TO ISSUE A Zoning Compliance Certificate.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Harris Township administered under Fulton County zoning; district assignment must be confirmed from the County zoning map or office.

  • The County ordinance identifies five districts; the source does not itself assign a particular Harris Township parcel to a district.

  “Fulton County is divided into five specific zoning districts.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems inside Harris Township.

  • IDPH regulates installation statewide.
  • Local health agencies may review construction plans under a local ordinance or as an IDPH agent.

  surface-discharge threshold: <= 1500 gallons per day (Systems discharging treated effluent to the ground surface.)

  “The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) regulates the installation of all private sewage disposal systems [...] There are about 90 local health agencies in Illinois”

• Septic permitRequired

  Proposed construction on unincorporated land inside Harris Township where a private sewage disposal system is installed, repaired, or added.

  • The County zoning application requires entry of a septic permit number when the proposed construction requires installation, repair, or addition of a private sewage disposal system.

  “BEFORE a Zoning Permit can be issued, and BEFORE construction can start, you MUST obtain a well and/or septic permit”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway entrances from county roads inside Harris Township.

  • This finding only covers access from a county road.
  • For a township, state, federal, or municipal road, the applicant must contact the jurisdiction with authority over that road.

  “If you will be putting in an entrance/driveway off of a county road, you will need to fill out a permit”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Building in a special flood hazard area inside Harris Township where Fulton County administers the floodplain ordinance.

  • Building is prohibited unless the applicant and landowner meet the strict governing construction rules.
  • The County Zoning Enforcement Officer acts as Floodplain Administrator.

  “Building in a special flood hazard area is prohibited, unless the applicant & land owner can meet the strict rules governing the construction”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Harris Township.
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Harris Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of construction inside Harris Township.
• Local zoning — Land inside Harris Township, Fulton County, Illinois.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings on unincorporated land inside Harris Township administered under Fulton County zoning.

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.