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

Rules another office applies inside Andover Township

Andover 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

  Construction, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, enlargement, or change of occupancy of a building or structure in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • County source limits code administration to unincorporated areas.
  • Agricultural buildings and structures are exempt from building-code regulations.

  “Any owner or authorized agent (contractor)who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change occupancy of a building/structure shall first obtain required building permit.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • County source limits the code to unincorporated areas; incorporated areas within the township are not established by this source.
  • Agricultural buildings and structures are exempt from the county building-code regulations.

  code edition: International Building Code 2000 Edition

  “henry county adopted the uniform building code 1976 edition on may 8, 1979; replaced the code with uniform building code 1988 edition on december 12, 1989 and replaced the code with international building code 2000 edition on april 17, 2001.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • Applies to construction or work for which a permit is required.
  • County source limits code administration to unincorporated areas.

  “All construction or work for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspection by the building official.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Accessory buildings in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • This is an accessory-building rule, not a general principal-building height limit.

  maximum accessory building height: <= 20 ft (Measured from floor of building to roof peak.)

  “accessory buildings shall not exceed 20 feet in height, measured from floor of building to roof peak of building.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private sewage-disposal systems inside Andover Township where public sewer is unavailable.

  • The health department says this program applies to residents in Henry or Stark County who do not have access to public sewer.

  “Our office regulates these systems to ensure: new installations meet code requirements and are properly installed, malfunctioning systems are repaired promptly to prevent contamination, and all repairs and new installations are permitted through our office.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New installations and repairs of private sewage systems inside Andover Township where public sewer is unavailable.

  • The health department says this program applies where public sewer is unavailable.
  • The stated rule covers repairs and new installations.

  “all repairs and new installations are permitted through our office.”

• Well permitRequired

  Private water wells for projects in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • The county application says to obtain the necessary private-water-well permit before starting the project.

  “PLEASE OBTAIN NECESSARY PRIVATE WATER WELL AND SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM PERMITS FROM THE HENRY COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT BEFORE STARTING PROJECT”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural buildings and structures in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • Agricultural buildings/structures remain subject to minimum setback from road right-of-way requirements.
  • The exemption is from county zoning regulations as stated.

  “illinois law exempts agricultural buildings/structures from all zoning regulations except minimum set back from road right-of-way requirements”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • County zoning department identifies subdividing as a managed program in unincorporated county areas.

  “to manage the zoning, planning, subdividing, building, ag areas and floodplain management programs.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New driveway access for construction projects in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • Permit must come from the highway authority with jurisdiction.
  • It must be installed before the construction project starts.

  “Driveway access permits are required from highway authority with jurisdiction and must be installed prior to starting construction project.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  County building permits in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • Fee must accompany the application and construction documents.
  • Amount is prescribed by the County Board.

  “A building permit fee made payable to Henry County Treasurer in amount as prescribed by the County Board shall be submitted with the permit application and construction documents.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  County building-permit applicants in the unincorporated portions of Andover Township.

  • Application must be properly completed.
  • Permit issuance does not approve any violation of building code, zoning ordinance, or other local, state, or federal regulation.

  “To obtain required building permit, applicant shall provide the following information on the application:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Andover Township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Land inside Andover Township.
• Local zoning — Land inside Andover Township.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Andover Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Andover 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.