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

Amboy Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction on unincorporated land inside Amboy Township administered through Lee County's Building & Zoning Office.

  • The County page directs applicants to use the building-permit application for any structure other than a fence or pool.
  • The scope does not establish rules for incorporated municipalities within the township.

  “Building Permit Application (ANY STRUCTURE other than a Fence or Pool. Those two applications are below.)”

• Building code adoptedPartial

  Building-plan review for permit applications submitted to Lee County for unincorporated land inside Amboy Township.

  • The source states that Lee County has no building code; BOCA, IBC, or NEC is used for plan review.

  “*In the absence of a Lee County Building Code, the most current Building Officials and Code Administrators International (BOCA) or International Building Code (IBC) or National Electric Code (NEC) shall be used for the review of plans.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Commercial buildings on unincorporated land inside Amboy Township subject to Lee County permitting.

  • Applies to structures built after July 1, 2011, in R-4, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1, I-2, or I-3 zones, and structures subsequently converted to commercial use.
  • Commercial buildings must be inspected and approved before permit approval.

  “Any structure built after July 1, 2011, in an R-4, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1, I-2, or I-3 zone, or a structure built after July 1, 2011, and subsequently converted to a commercial use, will be required to obtain a certificate of inspection signed by an inspector who is qualified under the terms of Public Act 096-0704.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Amboy Township subject to Lee County zoning.

  • County zoning-map classification is the final authority on a parcel's current zoning status.
  • County records document Zoning Board petitions for Amboy Township parcels.

  “The unincorporated area of the county is divided into districts or "zones". Certain types of uses are allowed in each of these zones. The ordinance lists those uses.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential lots in AG-1 Rural/Agricultural and R-1 Rural Residential zoning districts on unincorporated land inside Amboy Township.

  • The AG-1 table entry is marked R, meaning restricted use.
  • Parcel zoning must be confirmed against the official zoning map.

  minimum residential lot size: 2 acres (AG-1 entry is marked R; R-1 is not marked R in the table.)

  “Minimum lot size, residential | 2 acres, R | 2 acres | 1 acre | 1 acre | 1 acre”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1, R-2, R-3, and R-4 residential zoning districts on unincorporated land inside Amboy Township.

  • Parcel zoning must be verified on the County zoning map.
  • The County permit application separately identifies road setback requirements for agricultural zoning.

  R-1 front yard: 25 feet (Table entry marked R.) · R-1 side yard: 15 feet · R-1 rear yard: 15 feet · R-2/R-3/R-4 side and rear yard: 7 feet

  “Yard, side | | 15 ft | 7 ft | 7 ft | 7 ft | 15 ft, R | 15 ft, R | 15 ft, R | 15 ft, R | 15 ft, R | 15 ft, R | | | 7 ft | S | | R |”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems installed inside Amboy Township, subject to Lee County Health Department administration.

  • Systems must comply with Lee County and Illinois State Private Sewage Codes.
  • Public-sewer connections are handled through the municipality owning the sewer rather than the County Board of Health.

  “Permits are issued and inspections are conducted of private sewage disposal systems installed in Lee County.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Private septic tanks, privy vaults, sink drains, and sewage disposal systems inside Amboy Township.

  • A permit is required before erection, construction, repair, or construction/repair approval.
  • For a public-sewer connection, arrangements must be made with the municipality owning the sewer.
  • Applications require a plat, plans/specifications, and soil classifications.

  “No septic tank, privy vault, sink drain, or sewage disposal system shall be erected, constructed, or repaired in this county, except in accordance with this chapter, and it shall be unlawful to proceed with such work unless a permit has first been obtained from the County Board of Health; provided, however, that where the connection is to be made to a public sewer, arrangements shall be made with the municipality owning the sewer rather than the County Board of Health.”

• Off-grid sanitationAllowed (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems inside Amboy Township where a public-sewer connection is not made.

  • County Board of Health permit required before work.
  • System must comply with the County chapter; public-sewer connections are arranged with the municipality owning the sewer.

  “No septic tank, privy vault, sink drain, or sewage disposal system shall be erected, constructed, or repaired in this county, except in accordance with this chapter, and it shall be unlawful to proceed with such work unless a permit has first been obtained from the County Board of Health; provided, however, that where the connection is to be made to a public sewer, arrangements shall be made with the municipality owning the sewer rather than the County Board of Health.”

• Well permitRequired

  Water and closed-loop wells inside Amboy Township.

  • Permit applies to constructing, deepening, modifying, or sealing a well.
  • Permit to construct, deepen, or modify a water well expires if construction has not started within 12 months of issuance.
  • Noncommunity public water supplies require an Illinois Department of Public Health permit.

  permit validity: 12 months (Construction must start within this period or the permit is void.)

  “No water well or closed loop well shall be constructed, deepened, modified, or sealed except in accordance with this chapter, and it shall be unlawful to proceed with such work unless a permit has first been obtained from the health authority.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land in unincorporated Amboy Township.

  • Preliminary plat approval is required before final-plat submission.
  • A one-lot subdivision may be exempt in some instances or approved by the Planning Commission in others.

  “The Zoning Department is responsible for regulating the division of land in the unincorporated areas of Lee County.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New dwelling construction requiring a Lee County building permit on unincorporated land inside Amboy Township.

  • After the Zoning Office issues an address, applicant must obtain driveway-access, 9-1-1-sign, and drainage permits from the Lee County Highway Engineer.
  • Work in a road right-of-way requires approval from the highway authority with jurisdiction.

  “After the Zoning Office has issued an address, the individual requesting the permit must receive a driveway access permit, a 9-1-1 sign permit and drainage permit from the Lee County Highway Engineer, 1629 Lee Center Road, Amboy, IL. 61310 at (815) 857-4141.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  A building-permit application for a parcel in a floodplain on unincorporated land inside Amboy Township.

  • Requirement applies only where the parcel is in a floodplain.
  • The permit form requires completion of a floodplain permit.

  “Is parcel in Flood Plain no ___ yes* Approved (Health Dept.) *If yes, complete Floodplain Permit”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Lee County building permits for unincorporated land inside Amboy Township.

  • Schedule states fees paid are non-refundable.
  • A reasonable fee is set by the Zoning Administrator where no specific fee is provided.
  • Government agencies are fee-exempt but must submit a permit application.

  living-area building-permit fee: per 0.2 USD per square foot · minimum building-permit fee: 50 USD

  “Minimum building permit fee (Any fee less than $50.00) $ 50.00 ___________________”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications administered by Lee County for unincorporated land inside Amboy Township.

  • Applications must use the County portal.
  • The application calls for a site plan and architectural plans; architectural plans may be added after submission.
  • Private well and/or sewage system approval is required before issuance where applicable.

  “Permits Must Be Applied For Using This Portal”

Rules another office applies inside Amboy Township

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

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural uses on unincorporated land inside Amboy Township subject to County zoning.

  • Exemption depends on state law and qualification; County directs applicants to contact the Zoning Department.

  “Certain agricultural uses are exempt from meeting local zoning requirements according to state law. Contact the Zoning Department to determine if you qualify for this exemption.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Amboy Township.
• Local zoning — Land inside Amboy Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Amboy Township.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Amboy Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Amboy 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.