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

Manteno Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the Village of Manteno limits (a village located within Manteno township; not the township's unincorporated land)

  • Village zoning applies only to land within Village limits; the permit form requires use in accordance with Village zoning ordinances.
  • Zoning ordinance text (Village code Title 9) was not opened; only the permit form statement was verified.

  “The land and building will be used in accordance with all the provisions of the zoning ordinances of the Village of Manteno.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fee for construction inside the Village of Manteno limits

  • The form states the fee as twenty dollars ($25) in the same sentence, an internal inconsistency; verify the current Village fee before relying on it.
  • The form notes that a 2014 board report said building fees were waived; that report is outdated and not relied on.

  non-refundable building permit fee, residential: >= 25 USD (form text reads twenty dollars ($25); amount as printed)

  “There are two fees involved in obtaining a standard building permit: Permit Fee + Inspection Fee”

Rules another office applies inside Manteno Township

Manteno 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

  House, addition, garage, pole building or other accessory building larger than 200 sq. ft. in unincorporated Manteno township (county Planning Department permit)

  • The application title covers accessory buildings larger than 200 sq. ft.; the opened text does not address smaller accessory buildings.
  • The planning department does not enforce subdivision covenants and restrictions, which must be checked separately.
  • Permit issued only after submittal requirements (application, plot plan, drawings, any required septic referral and fees) are met.

  “What projects require a building permit? • New Buildings • Temporary Buildings • Additions • Demolitions • Renovations • Prefabricated Structures”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts for unincorporated Manteno township; the zoning map is published, district text was not reached

  • The county zoning map is updated each March to include approved zoning activity from the previous year.
  • Ordinance district text (Chapter 121) not opened; district list unverified.

  “A Zoning Map is also included as part of the Kankakee County Zoning Ordinance. This Map is updated in March of each year to include all approved zoning activity from the previous year.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage (septic) systems on land in Manteno township; the Kankakee County Health Department handles the permit and inspection for septic work referred from the county planning department

  • The health page does not state its service-area boundaries; whether land inside the Village of Manteno is excluded was not verified.
  • Septic work is referred by the county planning department (Septic Referral Form) when a project needs a septic system or an existing system is checked.

  “KANKAKEE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH”

• Septic permitRequired

  New or replacement private sewage (septic) systems on land in Manteno township

  • Permit application and fee details (the health office lists a $150 county contractor license fee in search snippets, not opened) not verified.
  • Permit issued by the health department; construction proceeds after the permit.

  “A sewage permit is required for a new installation or any repair work or modification to an existing system.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Installation of private sewage (septic) systems in Manteno township

  • The page says the health department conducts inspections to ensure proper installation; inspection stages and timing were not stated.
  • Also conducts evaluations and dye tests of existing systems to determine possible failures (not a required inspection, per the page).

  “The system shall not be covered until final approval is given by the Health Department.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit process for house, addition, garage, pole building or accessory building over 200 sq. ft. in unincorporated Manteno township

  • Items may include plumbing letter of intent or affidavit, truss stamp paperwork, engineer-stamped plans, septic referral, 911 address form, culvert permit (from the township road commissioner), erosion-control permit in subdivisions, and school impact fees.
  • Permit issues only once all required items are submitted and fees paid.

  “All the above will be needed to issue a permit for your project.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for work by the owner in unincorporated Manteno township
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies inside Manteno township
• Inspections — Building inspections for work in unincorporated Manteno township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in unincorporated Manteno township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for the main single-family residential district in unincorporated Manteno 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.