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

Clover Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, demolition, or occupancy change of a building or structure in unincorporated Clover Township.

  • Agricultural buildings and structures are exempt from building-code regulations.
  • A permit must be obtained before work starts; failure can result in a stop-work order and fines or penalties up to $500.

  maximum stated potential fine or penalty: <= 500 USD (The instructions say a violation may result in fines and penalties up to this amount.)

  “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.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  An owner acting as contractor for work in unincorporated Clover Township.

  • The owner must be shown as OWNER in the contractor field when the owner performs the work.
  • Illinois law requires roofing contractors to be licensed and requires plumbing-contractor licensing; the instructions say OWNER may be entered if the owner does the work.

  “If property owner will be the contractor, write owner in space provided.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures in the unincorporated portion of Clover Township.

  • The County instructions state that agricultural buildings and structures are exempt from building-code regulations.
  • The cited materials identify the International Building Code 2000 Edition as the replacement code; they do not establish a later code edition.

  International Building Code adoption date: 2001-04-17 (The document says the County replaced its prior code with the International Building Code 2000 Edition.)

  “replaced the code with International Building Code 2000 Edition on April 17, 2001.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work for which a Henry County building permit is required in unincorporated Clover Township.

  • The person doing authorized work must notify the building official at least 24 hours before work is ready for inspection.
  • Work may not proceed beyond the indicated point without approval; failure to request required inspections or proceeding without approval is an ordinance violation.

  advance inspection notice: >= 24 hours

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Clover Township, where Henry County administers its zoning program; this is not evidence of a separate Clover Township zoning ordinance.

  • The official county page limits the County program to unincorporated areas of Henry County.
  • Whether any incorporated area within the township is subject to a separate municipal ordinance was not established.

  “Henry County Zoning and Building Department is responsible for development and implementation of several land use management programs in the unincorporated areas of the county.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  District classifications shown on Henry County's building-permit application for unincorporated Clover Township.

  • The source is a permit-application bulk-requirements table rather than the complete zoning ordinance or official zoning map.
  • District labels are reproduced exactly as shown in the application.

  listed district labels: AG-1; R-1/M-1; AG-2; R-2/B-1; C-1/H-1; R-3/R-5; R-4

  “AG-1 R-1/M-1 [...] AG-2 R-2/B-1 [...] C-1/H-1 R-3/R-5 [...] R-4”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1/M-1 district entries on the Henry County building-permit application for unincorporated Clover Township.

  • The table identifies the measure as ground-floor area per dwelling.
  • The source does not separately establish whether the R-1/M-1 label represents one district or grouped districts.

  minimum ground-floor area per dwelling: >= 825 square feet (R-1/M-1 table entry.)

  “Ground Floor Area/Dwelling [...] R-1/M-1 43,560 150 40 10 40/10 825”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1/M-1 district entries on the Henry County building-permit application for unincorporated Clover Township.

  • The value appears in the table under Lot Size.
  • The table's grouped district label is reproduced exactly from the official application.

  minimum lot size: >= 43560 square feet (R-1/M-1 table entry.)

  “Lot Size [...] R-1/M-1 43,560 150 40 10 40/10 825”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1/M-1 district entries on the Henry County building-permit application for unincorporated Clover Township.

  • The separate road-right-of-way and road-centerline setback rules also apply.
  • The source table distinguishes principal and accessory-building setbacks but the extracted PDF table does not label which of the paired side/rear values applies to each.

  front yard: >= 40 feet (R-1/M-1 table entry.) · side yard: >= 10 feet (R-1/M-1 table entry.)

  “Front Yard Side Yard Rear Yard [...] R-1/M-1 43,560 150 40 10 40/10”

• Well permitRequired

  Private-water well associated with a building project in unincorporated Clover Township.

  • The building application places responsibility on the owner or contractor to obtain the Health Department well permit.
  • The materials opened do not provide the separate well-permit application process or fee.

  “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 unincorporated Clover Township.

  • The exemption does not apply to the minimum road-right-of-way setback requirement.
  • The materials state agricultural buildings and structures are exempt from building-code regulations.

  “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 plats for unincorporated land inside Clover Township.

  • The fee schedule distinguishes final plats of one to three lots without new streets or access easements from preliminary plats with more than three lots or new streets/access easements.
  • Required reviewing bodies can include Zoning/Building, Highway Official, Environmental Health, Natural Resources, Planning Committee, and County Board.

  final plat fee for 1-3 lots without new streets or access easements: 50 USD (Plus $15 per lot.) · per-lot fee: per 15 USD (Applies to the stated final-plat category.)

  “Final Subdivision Plat with 1-3 lots without new streets or easements of access [...] $50.00 + $15.00 per lot submitted to Zoning/Building Department”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access for a construction project inside Clover Township.

  • The permit is required from the highway authority with jurisdiction.
  • The entrance must be installed before construction starts.

  township-road centerline setback: >= 73 feet (Applies under the County building application.) · township-road right-of-way setback: >= 40 feet (Applies under the County building application.)

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

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications for unincorporated Clover Township.

  • A plot plan is required only for new structures or additions to show setback compliance.
  • The County Health Department must approve the plot plan before a building permit can issue.
  • An application will not be processed unless properly completed and signed by the owner and/or contractor.

  “Plot plans are required only for new structures or additions to existing structures to illustrate compliance with set back regulations.”

Rules another office applies inside Clover Township

Clover Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems on property inside Clover Township, subject to the Henry County ordinance.

  • The County ordinance excludes waste management in a municipality that has severed itself from county jurisdiction under 55 ILCS 5/5-15006.

  “Health Authority means the Administrator or Health Officer of Henry County Health Department or his or her designee.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, repair, extension, or enlargement of capacity of a private sewage disposal system inside Clover Township.

  • A valid construction permit must be issued by the Health Authority.
  • For a new installation, repair, or extension of a surface-discharging system after February 10, 2014, any required USEPA General Permit must be obtained first.
  • The construction permit is valid for six months from issuance and is void if construction has not started in that time.

  construction permit validity: 6 months (Void if construction has not started within the stated time limit.)

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, alter, repair, extend, and enlarge the capacity of any private sewage disposal system [...] unless he holds a valid construction permit issued by the Health Authority”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private sewage disposal system installation inside Clover Township.

  • The Health Department must be notified at least 48 hours before backfilling.
  • Inspection depends on notice and review of a complete application, documentation, and fees.

  notice before backfilling: >= 48 hours

  “I accept responsibility for notifying the Health Department at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to backfilling to allow for final inspection of the system.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Human occupancy, use, or assembly inside Clover Township that relies on private sanitation.

  • Adequate sanitary and safe disposal is required.
  • A private means of disposal may not be maintained when a sanitary sewer system is available within 200 feet of the property line.

  public sewer availability distance: <= 200 feet (Private sanitation is not allowed under the ordinance when a public sanitary system is available.)

  “No building, structure, area or premise shall be constructed or maintained for human occupancy, use or assembly, without adequate facilities for the sanitary and safe disposal of human excreta”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Property inside Clover Township where a publicly operated sanitary-waste collection and disposal system is available within 200 feet of the property line.

  • Connections and discharges into the public system must comply with the County ordinance and the rules of the municipality operating and maintaining that system.
  • This source addresses sewer, not a mandatory public-water connection.

  public sewer availability distance: <= 200 feet (Measured from the property line.)

  “Where a publicly operated system for collection and disposal of sanitary wastes is available within two-hundred (200) feet of the property line, the utilization of such public sewage systems shall be considered the only safe and sanitary means”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a residence inside Clover Township.
• Building height — Residential building height inside Clover Township.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Clover Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Clover Township.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Clover 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.