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

Rules another office applies inside Cornwall Township

Cornwall 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, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, or occupancy change of a building or structure on unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.

  • Agricultural buildings and structures are exempt from building-code regulations.
  • A permit must be obtained before starting work.

  “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 and structures in unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.

  • Agricultural buildings and structures are exempt from building-code regulations.

  adopted code: International Building Code 2000 Edition (The county page says it replaced the Uniform Building Code on April 17, 2001.)

  “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

  Work requiring a building permit on unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.

  • The person doing permitted work must notify the building official at least 24 hours before inspection.
  • Work may not proceed beyond the indicated point without approval.
  • Failure may result in a stop-work order and fines up to $500.

  advance inspection notice: >= 24 hours

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

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings or additions constructed after the ordinance effective date, and certain use changes, on unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.

  • A permitted-use-to-permitted-use change is excepted.
  • For a completed building, the zoning officer must inspect and certify conformity with the plans and specifications.
  • A temporary certificate may be issued for no more than six months during completion or partial occupancy.

  temporary certificate maximum validity: <= 6 months (During completion of an addition or partial occupancy of premises.)

  “No building or addition thereto, constructed after the effective date of this Ordinance shall be occupied, and no land vacant on the effective date of this ordinance shall be used for any purpose until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the Zoning Enforcing Officer.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township; administered by Henry County rather than shown as a Cornwall Township ordinance.

  • The ordinance applies to unincorporated, not incorporated, land.

  “An Ordinance establishing comprehensive zoning regulations for the unincorporated area of Henry County, and providing for the administration, enforcement and amendment process thereof, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 34, Illinois Revised Statutes.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township; the specific district is determined from the township zoning map.

  • The listed districts apply outside incorporated areas.
  • District maps are incorporated into the ordinance and are filed with the zoning enforcing officer.

  “For the purposes of this ordinance, all land lying outside of the incorporated areas in Henry County is hereby divided into the following districts: Agriculture AG-1 Agricultural AG-2 Agribusiness Conservation, Historical and Cultural Preservation CO-1 Conservation HI-1 Historical and Cultural Preservation Residential R-1 Single Family Residence R-2 Single Family Residence R-3 Single General Residence R-4 Mobile Home Residence R-5 Summer Home Business B-1 General Business Manufacturing M-1 General Manufacturing”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private sewage systems inside Cornwall Township, as part of Henry County.

  • The program addresses residents without 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

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

  • Application must be made in writing to the Henry County Health Department and include required fees.
  • A surface-discharging-system application after February 10, 2014 requires a USEPA General Permit first if one is required.
  • Permit is limited to specified work, location, person/business, method, and use.
  • The permit is void if construction has not started within six months.

  permit validity if work has not started: 6 months (The permit is void after that period.)

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, alter, repair, extend, and enlarge the capacity of any private sewage disposal system or to obtain a building permit from the county or a municipality for the property located within Henry County, Illinois, unless he holds a valid construction permit issued by the Health Authority stating the name of the person for which the construction, alteration, extension or enlargement of the capacity is proposed.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Aerobic-treatment-unit systems and registered-system contractor work inside Cornwall Township.

  • Owners of aerobic treatment units must maintain an active service policy for semi-annual inspections and maintenance for as long as the unit operates.
  • The record must transfer to a later owner.

  aerobic treatment-unit inspection frequency: semi-annual

  “All homeowners who have any type of aerobic treatment unit on their property shall have in force at all times, an active service policy through the installation contractor, manufacturer or distributer to perform the required semi-annual inspections and maintenance as well as additional necessary service for as long as the unit is in operation.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sanitation inside Cornwall Township.

  • No private means of sewage disposal may be maintained where a public sanitary sewer is available within 200 feet of the property line.
  • All occupancy requires adequate sanitary and safe waste-disposal facilities.

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

  “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 together with all liquid and solid wastes that could hazard the public health or create objectionable nuisance conditions.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Property inside Cornwall Township with publicly operated sanitary-waste collection and disposal available within 200 feet of the property line.

  • Connections and discharges must comply with the ordinance and the municipality operating and maintaining the public system.
  • A private sewage system may not be maintained where sanitary sewer is available.

  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 of sewage and excreta disposal.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural buildings and structures on unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.

  • The building-instructions page states the exemption is from building-code regulations.
  • The zoning ordinance says agricultural uses remain subject to federal, state, and local floodplain-development, depositing, or excavation rules.
  • Road right-of-way setback requirements remain applicable under the building instructions.

  “Illinois Revised Statutes, Chapter 34 Section 3151, states that no regulations or restrictions under the provisions of this Ordinance shall be construed to apply to land, farm dwellings and farm structures which are used for agricultural purposes, while so used.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdividing unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.

  • Subject to the Illinois Plat Act and Henry County Subdivision Ordinance.

  “Section 7.10 Subdividing of Land As per Illinois Revised Statutes, Chapter 109 Plat Act and Henry County Subdivision Ordinance.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Private sewage disposal systems in designated flood-hazard areas inside Cornwall Township.

  • The rule applies only in duly designated FEMA National Flood Insurance Program 100-year flood-hazard areas.
  • The Illinois Private Sewage Disposal Code requirement must be met.
  • Mechanical or electrical components subject to inundation must be at least one foot above the estimated one-percent-annual-probability flood elevation.

  component elevation above 100-year flood elevation: >= 1 foot (Applies to mechanical or electrical components subject to inundation.)

  “Any mechanical or electrical components of the system that are subject to damage by inundation are located no less than one foot above the estimated elevation of the one percent annual probability flood (Hundred year flood plain).”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications for unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.

  • All application parts must be completed before issuance.
  • For new structures or additions, a plot plan is required to show setback compliance.
  • The Health Department must approve the plot plan before a building permit can issue.

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

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Cornwall Township.
• Building height — Building height on unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on unincorporated land inside Cornwall Township.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy on unincorporated land inside Cornwall 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.