Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Scales Mound Township, Illinois

Scales Mound Township’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction on unincorporated land inside Scales Mound Township under the County building code.

  • The incorporated Village of Scales Mound may administer separate municipal rules.

  “The following technical codes are hereby adopted and made a part of this ordinance”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings holding County permits on unincorporated land inside Scales Mound Township.

  • Permit bearers must give the building and zoning administrator 24 hours' advance notice.
  • Inspection stages are footing forms before concrete, framing before siding, rough electrical/plumbing/mechanical before insulation, and final inspection before moving in.

  advance notice: 24 hours (Notice is required for readiness for a particular building-unit inspection.)

  “All bearers of building permits are required to give the building and zoning administrator twenty four (24) hours' advance notice of the readiness of a particular building unit for inspection following completion of the following stages of construction:”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy and use of newly constructed permitted structures on unincorporated land inside Scales Mound Township.

  • Certificate follows final inspection and approval by the building and zoning administrator.
  • Occupancy or use is not allowed until the certificate is issued.
  • Occupancy or use without the certificate is a separate offense.

  “Occupancy and use shall not be allowed until the certificate is issued.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings on unincorporated land inside Scales Mound Township.

  • For an agricultural-building permit, only an accurate site plan is needed.
  • Agricultural buildings may be exempt from building-permit fees.
  • The cited language does not establish a blanket exemption from the permit requirement.

  “Exception: The county building officer may reduce or waive the requirements of submission of plans if he/she finds that the nature of the work applied for is such that reviewing of plans is not necessary to obtain compliance with this chapter. To obtain a permit to construct an agricultural building, only an accurate site plan is needed.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision activity on unincorporated land inside Scales Mound Township.

  • County Planning and Development administers the County Subdivision Regulations.
  • Applicability and exemptions require the operative County subdivision provisions.

  “This title shall apply to all land in the county not exempted herein or not within an incorporated municipality.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Guest accommodations/short-term rental use on unincorporated land inside Scales Mound Township.

  • County Planning and Development administers and enforces the Guest Accommodations Ordinance.
  • The department issues Guest Accommodations Licenses.
  • Site-specific zoning, license, and inspection requirements may apply.

  “without having first secured a license therefor from the county building and zoning administrator”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  County building-permit applications for construction on unincorporated land inside Scales Mound Township.

  • Fee is set by the County Board.
  • Fees apply to new construction of buildings or structures regulated by the chapter.
  • Agricultural buildings may be exempt.

  “accompanied by a fee as set by the county board”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications for construction on unincorporated land inside Scales Mound Township.

  • Owner or representative must file a County form.
  • The application must include a signed purpose statement and a plan set.
  • The plot plan must show structures, lot-line distances, well, and septic.

  “To obtain a permit, the owner or his/her representative shall file an application therefor on a form furnished by the County for that purpose, and said application shall include a signed statement indicating the purpose of the building unit. A set of plans must be furnished at the time of the permit application.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Scales Mound Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in the AG Agricultural District inside Scales Mound Township.
• Minimum lot size — Single-family dwellings in the AG Agricultural District inside Scales Mound Township.
• Lot coverage — Lots in Scales Mound Township.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Scales Mound 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.