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

Rules another office applies inside Rawlins Township

Rawlins 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

  New houses, accessory buildings, decks, structural changes, and electrical or plumbing work in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • Accessory structures under 120 square feet with no electrical or plumbing do not require a building permit but must still meet zoning setbacks.
  • Work may not start, including excavation, before the permit fee is paid.
  • Review takes about 15 to 20 working days after a complete application packet.

  Accessory structure exemption threshold: < 120 sq ft (No electrical or plumbing; setbacks still apply)

  “accessory structures that are less than 120 square ft. & contain no electrical or plumbing, do not require a building permit; however, still must comply with the zoning setbacks.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New construction and alterations in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including unincorporated land in Rawlins township

  • Codes are effective 01/01/2025.
  • The Illinois plumbing code (2014), the Illinois energy conservation code and the 2018 Illinois Accessibility Code are state codes adopted by the county with their state amendments.
  • Amendments and appendix chapters are listed in the county code.

  International Building Code edition: 2021 edition · International Residential Code edition: 2021 edition · National Electrical Code edition: 2020 edition

  “the following technical codes have been adopted and made a part of the building code, effective 01/01/2025”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • Owner or contractor must call the planning and development office for each inspection.
  • Call 3-4 hours before pouring a footing; after framing; 24 hours before rough mechanical and electric; 24 hours before post-insulation of conditioned space; and 24 hours before the final.

  “inspections are required. call the planning & development department at (815) 591-3810 before the work is ready”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land in Jo Daviess County, including unincorporated land inside Rawlins township. This is the county zoning ordinance (Title 8) administered by the county, not a township ordinance.

  • Applies only outside incorporated municipalities.
  • Rawlins township's own adoption of zoning was not located; the county planning department administers the county ordinance for unincorporated land.

  “the planning and development department is responsible for administering and enforcing the county's building code, zoning ordinance, guest accommodations ordinance, subdivision regulations”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning district map for unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • The map is published as an 11 x 17 and a 24 x 40 PDF.
  • District boundaries for Rawlins township were not confirmed from the map.

  “the 24" x 40" zoning map is a large file; please be patient as it will take time to download”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Frontage setbacks for lots in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township, measured by road type

  • State highway: 75 ft from the property line or 125 ft from the centerline.
  • County roads: 60 ft from the property line or 110 ft from the centerline.
  • Township roads: 50 ft from the property line or 80 ft from the centerline.

  County road frontage setback: 60 ft from property line (110 ft from roadway centerline)

  “county roads: 60 ft from the property line/ 110 ft from the centerline of the roadway”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — AG (agricultural) district lots in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

    “side & rear setbacks. (in ag & r-1, side setback is 20’, & rear setback is 40’)”

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1 residential district lots in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

    “side & rear setbacks. (in ag & r-1, side setback is 20’, & rear setback is 40’)”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Nonpermeable surface coverage on lots in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township, by zoning district

  • The numeric limit is in the ordinance for each zoning district, not found in this research.
  • Contact the planning and development office for a property's limit.

  “jo daviess county does have limits on how much of your land can be covered in nonpermeable surface. please see the ordinance for your zoning district, or call the planning & development office to see what your property has”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Non-agricultural accessory area on AG district lots in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

    “on lots five (5) acres to less than forty (40) acres: five thousand (5,000) square feet for the first five acres and one thousand (1,000) square feet for each additional acre thereafter”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems on land in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • The septic permit is issued by the county environmental health department, which sends it to the planning department.
  • A septic permit or sign-off must be issued before a building permit.

  “you or your septic contractor, are required to obtain a septic permit from the jo daviess county environmental health department”

• Septic permitRequired

  New homes and building permits in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • A septic permit or sign-off must be issued before the building permit is issued.
  • Contact: Jo Daviess County Health Department, 9483 Route 20 West, Galena, IL 61036, (815) 777-0283.

  “a septic permit or sign off must be issued prior to the issuance of a building permit”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural structures and agricultural residences on land zoned AG (the form uses the label AG-1 General Agriculture) in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • A structure is permitted only if it is used primarily as an accessory to the agricultural purpose defined in the ordinance.
  • An agricultural residence is permitted only if the occupant's principal activity is agricultural, as defined.
  • Applicant must submit a notarized affidavit and one proof of farming involvement: a tax return (Schedule F), grain receipts, or livestock receipts.

  “the jo daviess county zoning ordinance allows for the permitting of agricultural structures on land zoned ag-1 general agriculture”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • Subdivision application and checklist are county forms.
  • Separation of a residence in the AG district is handled through a separate application.

  “the planning and development department is responsible for administering and enforcing the county's building code, zoning ordinance, guest accommodations ordinance, subdivision regulations”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access onto public roads in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township; permitting agency depends on the road

  • County roads: Jo Daviess County Highway Department.
  • Township roads: township road commissioner.
  • State highways: Illinois Department of Transportation.
  • Address issuance requires the road authority to sign off that access is safe.

  “driveway permits and culvert requirements can be obtained by calling the appropriate agency”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals under the county guest accommodations program in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • Guest accommodations properties have different requirements than a single-family house.
  • A county guest accommodations license is required.

  “properties used in the guest accommodations program (short term rental) do have different requirements than for a single-family house”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permit fees in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • The fee is set after plan review and approval, and payment is due before work starts.
  • The county publishes a fee schedule (as of 12-12-2024) on its planning page; that schedule was not retrieved.

  “after the review is complete the office will contact you and let you know what the permit fee is and how you can pay”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit process in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township

  • Application packet includes plans, site plan, and septic and address applications.
  • Permits must start within 6 months, with consistent inspections to remain valid.
  • Major structural changes require a structural change request.

  “permit work must start within 6 months, and then have consistent inspections for the permit to remain valid.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township
• Building height — Building height limits in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land in unincorporated Jo Daviess County, including Rawlins 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.