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

Rules another office applies inside Greenfield Township

Greenfield 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

  Regulated construction, alteration, repair, movement, or change of a building or structure in unincorporated Greenfield Township.

  • Applies only to work regulated by Title 6 and located outside county municipal limits.
  • Plans and other application materials are required; plans may be waived for minor nonstructural alterations and sufficiently described residential accessory buildings no larger than 700 square feet.
  • A permit lapses if foundation and subfloor are not completed within six months or the building is not completed within one year unless extended in writing.

  application examination period: <= 10 days

  “It is hereby required that a permit be obtained in advance and all other requirements of this title be complied with whenever a building or structure, or parts or appurtenances thereof, such as plumbing installation and electrical installation, located outside the limits of municipalities of this county and regulated by this title is erected, installed, altered, converted, remodeled, structurally repaired, moved or changed.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings in unincorporated Greenfield Township subject to Grundy County building regulations.

  • The county adopted the 2021 International Codes with amendments; plumbing uses the current Illinois State Plumbing Code.

  “The following codes are hereby adopted by reference and made a part of this ordinance as if set out at length herein. A Building Code: 2021 International Codes with Amendments.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New structures and changes in use in unincorporated Greenfield Township requiring a county certificate of occupancy.

  • The certificate is normally issued after completion and passage of all required inspections.

  “The zoning officer shall automatically issue a certificate of occupancy after all final inspections have successfully been completed.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  A new structure or change in use of an existing structure in unincorporated Greenfield Township.

  • For new construction, the zoning officer automatically issues the certificate after all final inspections successfully complete.
  • For a change in use, an on-site inspection is required before an occupancy permit is granted.

  decision period after complete application: <= 5 working days

  “No new structure or change in use of an existing structure shall be occupied until a certificate of occupancy is issued by the zoning officer.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Development on land in Greenfield Township that is outside municipal limits; Grundy County, not the township, administers the UDO there.

  • The source limits the UDO to unincorporated Grundy County and provides that jurisdiction may change by municipal annexation.

  “All development within the boundaries of unincorporated Grundy County, as may be modified from time to time by municipal annexation, and all land use applications made to the county for property within the county shall comply with the provisions of this UDO.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Proposed subdivisions and land-development projects in unincorporated Greenfield Township.

  • Projects must comply with all UDO chapters, the county school-site donation ordinance, applicable private sewage and potable-water codes, and other land-use-control ordinances.
  • Required land improvements must be installed and approved before a certificate of occupancy is granted for a building in an approved subdivision, lot division, or land-development project.

  “Any subdivision of land within the county that is located outside the corporate limits of any city, village, or incorporated town shall be subject to these regulations.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  County building-permit applications for regulated work in unincorporated Greenfield Township.

  • Payment is due with the application.
  • The applicable amount is set by the fee schedule adopted by resolution of the Grundy County Board; the schedule amount was not located in the opened official material.

  “Payment of the fees, as required by the schedule of fees adopted by resolution by the Grundy County board, shall be made with the application.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  County building permits for regulated construction in unincorporated Greenfield Township.

  • Application must be signed by the owner or authorized agent and submitted in writing on building-officer forms.
  • An application requires descriptive location/design material, a site drawing, a health-department well/septic permit copy, and construction plans unless a stated plan waiver applies.
  • The building officer examines application and plans within ten days; conforming work receives a written permit.

  application examination period: <= 10 days

  “A building permit application, signed by the owner or authorized agent, shall be in writing on forms provided by the building officer and may be amended during the course of work.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner construction of a residence inside Greenfield Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Greenfield Township.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Greenfield Township.
• Setbacks — Principal residential structures inside Greenfield Township.
• Lot coverage — Residential lots inside Greenfield 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.