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

Pilot Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Projects submitted to the Kankakee County Building Division in the unincorporated portions of Pilot Township.

  • The guide requires an application, project description, and accompanying drawings, plus applicable items listed in its referral section.
  • The cited guide does not establish a rule for land administered by an incorporated municipality.

  “all the above will be needed to issue a permit for your project. a minimum of the application and a description of your project with accompanying drawings, will allow us to get the process started for # 9a-e as it may pertain to your project.”

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  An owner performing work on that owner's project under the County permit guide in unincorporated Pilot Township.

  • The guide separately states that applicable contractors must be registered and current with all certificates.

  “all contractors must be registered and current with all certificates. home owner may do all the work on their project.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction administered by the Kankakee County Building Division in the unincorporated portions of Pilot Township.

  • The County page does not identify a specific code edition in the cited passage.
  • Incorporated land within Pilot Township may be administered by a municipality rather than the County.

  “the building division adopts and enforces codes, standards, and ordinances that safeguard us, and help maintain property values.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in the unincorporated portions of Pilot Township; Kankakee County administers the applicable zoning ordinance.

  • This does not establish that Pilot Township itself adopted or administers a zoning ordinance.
  • The cited County zoning program applies to unincorporated County land; incorporated land within Pilot Township may be subject to the applicable municipality's rules.

  “the kankakee county planning department administers the zoning for the unincorporated areas of the county.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoned parcels in the unincorporated portions of Pilot Township.

  • The published County district list applies to unincorporated County land; the applicable district for a particular Pilot Township parcel must be determined from the County zoning map or Planning Department.

  “zoning districts: a1 - agriculture a2 - agricultural estate r1 - single-family residential r2 - high density residential re - rural estate residence c1 - restricted commercial c2 - general commercial i1 - restricted industrial i2 - general industrial pl - public lands pud - planned unit development”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Zoned parcels in the unincorporated portions of Pilot Township.

  • The applicable district must be determined from the County zoning map or Planning Department.
  • The opened handbook establishes district-specific minimum lot-size controls but the numeric schedule was not extracted.

  “listed on the following pages are the zoning districts, a brief description of their purpose, and a summary of their minimum lot size and width.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision construction in the unincorporated portions of Pilot Township.

  • Inspection schedules are individualized based on each subdivision's needs and requirements.

  “during the construction of a subdivision there are various inspections that are required.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  A Pilot Township property with a ditch that requires a culvert, when processed through the County building-permit guide.

  • The County guide directs the applicant to the Township Road Commissioner only where a ditch requires a culvert.
  • The guide does not establish a universal driveway-permit rule for every Pilot Township parcel.

  “culvert permit. if your property has a ditch and requires a culvert you will be given this form to take to your township road commissioner.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Kankakee County Building Division permit applications for unincorporated Pilot Township.

  • A one-time personal account is required for the online portal described by the County.
  • The account may be used to apply for permits, check status, and submit required documentation.

  “kankakee county now offers the ability to apply for building permits”

Rules another office applies inside Pilot Township

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Projects in Pilot Township that require a new septic system or evaluation of an existing system during the County building-permit process.

  • The Building Division gives the septic referral form for a project requiring a septic system or a functional check of a current system.
  • In subdivisions with city sewer, the form instead concerns tap-on fees.

  “if doing a new septic system or having an old one checked out, the paperwork will go to the kankakee county health department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — Residential construction inside Pilot Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Pilot Township.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Pilot Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Pilot Township.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Pilot 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.