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

Rules another office applies inside Yorktown Township

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

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities, administered by the county

  • The ordinance lists AG-1, AG-2, CO-1, HI-1, R-1 through R-5, B-1 and M-1 districts; the district map for Yorktown township parcels (the zoning maps are kept by township) was not opened.
  • The county ordinance applies only to land outside incorporated areas.

  “all land lying outside of the incorporated areas in henry county is hereby divided into the following districts”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in the AG-1 agriculture district on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

  • Table column order was reconstructed from flattened text extraction; confirm against the PDF layout.
  • Farm dwellings in AG-1 also face a special use permit requirement for manufactured homes.

  ground floor living area per dwelling: >= 825 square feet

  “ag-1, r-1 43,560 150 40 10 40 825 20% m-1 80%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-1 single family residence district on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

    “ag-1, r-1 43,560 150 40 10 40 825 20% m-1 80%”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in the R-1 single family residence district on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

  • Table column order was reconstructed from flattened text extraction; confirm against the PDF layout.
  • Lots in platted subdivisions and lots of record may have additional rules not reviewed here.

  lot area: >= 43560 square feet · lot width: >= 150 feet

  “ag-1, r-1 43,560 150 40 10 40 825 20% m-1 80%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in the AG-1 agriculture district on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

    “ag-1, r-1 43,560 150 40 10 40 825 20% m-1 80%”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal buildings on AG-1 lots on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

  • Table column order was reconstructed from flattened text extraction; confirm against the PDF layout.
  • Agricultural buildings have separate setbacks from township and private roads under the ordinance's agricultural exemption article.

  front yard setback: >= 40 feet · side yard setback: >= 10 feet · rear yard setback: >= 40 feet

  “ag-1, r-1 43,560 150 40 10 40 825 20% m-1 80%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal buildings on R-1 lots on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

    “ag-1, r-1 43,560 150 40 10 40 825 20% m-1 80%”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the AG-1 district on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

  • Table column order was reconstructed from flattened text extraction; confirm against the PDF layout.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 20 percent

  “ag-1, r-1 43,560 150 40 10 40 825 20% m-1 80%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in the R-1 district on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

    “ag-1, r-1 43,560 150 40 10 40 825 20% m-1 80%”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities, in the AG-1 and R-1 districts

  • Permitted in R-4 mobile home park districts without individual zoning or building permits (per the same section).
  • In AG-1 as farm dwellings only with individual zoning special use permits.
  • Temporary hardship occupancy in AG-1 and R-1 requires special use permits; deed restrictions or covenants can exclude them.
  • Some R-1 placements need a building permit and a minimum 24-foot width, with a minimum living area of 825 square feet; the text captured for this item was cut off, so that part is not fully verified.
  • The zoning district for a specific parcel inside Yorktown township is not confirmed; the township zoning maps were not opened.

  minimum living area (AG-1 farm dwellings, hardship and qualifying R-1 homes): >= 825 square feet (R-4 mobile home park and R-5 summer home uses use 600 square feet)

  “minimum living area is 825 square feet (section 7.6 bulk requirements).”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite septic systems on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities; the county FAQ directs septic questions to the Henry County Health Department

  • The FAQ only says septic information can be obtained from the Henry County Health Department; it does not state the department's permit rules, service boundaries, or that it covers every parcel in Yorktown township.
  • The health department's own septic rules were not opened and are not verified.

  “any well or septic information can be obtained by contacting henry county health department at 309-852-0197.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural exemption from county zoning for land and buildings used for farming inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

  • Owner must show property and buildings are primarily adapted and used for agricultural purposes.
  • Agricultural buildings must still comply with federal, state or local floodplain regulations.
  • Agricultural buildings must meet the ordinance's township/private road setback (40 feet from right-of-way).

  “ag exemption application (pdf) building permit application (pdf)”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division and subdivision of land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

  • Henry County has a subdivision ordinance; its text was not opened.
  • Survey and plat fee schedule is listed on the county forms page.
  • Incorporated municipalities may have their own subdivision rules.

  “the department works with the planning/development committee, planning committee, zoning board of appeals and ag areas committee to manage the zoning, planning, subdividing, building, ag areas and floodplain management programs.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development inside the designated Henry County floodplain on land inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

  • Applies within the designated floodplain only; the Henry County Flood Plain Ordinance was not opened, so permit steps and elevation rules are not recorded.
  • Agricultural buildings and land uses are not exempt from floodplain rules.

  “the department works with the planning/development committee, planning committee, zoning board of appeals and ag areas committee to manage the zoning, planning, subdividing, building, ag areas and floodplain management programs.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for construction inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

  • The county forms page lists a building permit fee document and a survey and plat fee schedule; the fee amounts were not opened and are not recorded here.

  “building permit fees (pdf) survey and plat fee schedule (pdf)”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process for construction inside Yorktown township outside incorporated municipalities

  • The county publishes building permit instructions (including a section 7 document), but the instruction text was not opened, so the steps are not recorded here.
  • Zoning & Building accepts checks only for permit payments by mail to the courthouse, per the county FAQ.

  “zoning & building department can only accept checks as the form of payment.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether owner-builders may build without a licensed contractor inside Yorktown township
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to new construction inside Yorktown township
• Inspections — Whether building inspections are required for construction inside Yorktown township
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is issued for new homes inside Yorktown township
• Local zoning — Whether Yorktown township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits

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.