Zoning, building permits and septic rules in South Dixon Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside South Dixon Township

South Dixon 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)

  Septic tanks, privies, sink drains and other on-site sewage disposal systems inside South Dixon township (Lee County countywide ordinance applies within the township; the township itself adopts no septic rule found)

  • Permit must be issued by the county board of health (Lee County Health Department) before construction or repair, except where the connection is to be made to a public sewer, in which case arrangements are made with the municipality owning the sewer rather than the county board of health.
  • No septic system may be installed on a lot created after March 26, 1996 with less than one acre (or before that date with less than one-half acre) unless the county board of health representative deems a sufficient sized system can be installed; with public water service and septic only, three-quarters acre may be allowed.

  “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”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing, constructing or repairing a septic tank, privy vault or sewage disposal system inside South Dixon township (county health permit)

  • Application must be in writing with a plat showing wells, sewers, septic tanks and other facilities, plus plans and specifications, and soil classifications; permit must be issued before construction and before the building permit is issued (Sec. 8-2-9(b)).
  • Lot-size limits apply (Sec. 8-2-6(d)); a public-sewer connection is handled with the sewer-owning municipality instead of the county health board (Sec. 8-2-9(a)).
  • Late-filing fee set by the county board of health applies to late applications (Sec. 8-2-9(c)(2)).

  “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”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Required — Alternative (non-conventional) septic systems installed inside South Dixon township

    “any person wishing to install an alternative septic system must acquire a septic permit prior to the system installation.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New or repaired septic systems inside South Dixon township, inspected by the Lee County board of health before backfill

  • Inspection must occur after complete installation but before backfilling; system may be used only after final inspection approval (Sec. 8-2-7(b)-(c)).
  • The county board of health may enter any property at reasonable time to inspect a permitted facility (Sec. 8-2-7(a)).

  “before backfilling is started but after the complete installation of the system, an inspection shall be made by the county board of health or its authorized representative to determine if the provisions of this chapter have been complied with.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivisions inside South Dixon township, as to septic and soil approval by the Lee County health department

  • Health approval requires a map of lots and a soils investigation grid; soil borings begin no closer than 75 feet from the subdivision edge (Sec. 8-2-6(e)(1)(a)).
  • Individual lots need soil investigations before a septic construction permit (Sec. 8-2-6(e)(3)). Approved applications go to the county zoning office (Sec. 8-2-6(e)(2)). Subdivision plat and zoning rules under Title 10 and Title 11 were not opened.

  subdivision septic review fee: per 20 USD per lot (minimum charge of $100 for review and approval)

  “before the lee county health department will issue approval for a subdivision, an application must be submitted to and approved by the lee county health department.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Septic permit application fees for systems installed inside South Dixon township (county board of health fee schedule)

  • Fee schedule in the code table: tank-only $125 (2024), $150 (2027), $175 (2030); tank/field residential $225 (2024), $250 (2027), $275 (2030); non-residential $325, $350, $375. Fees increase every three years by $25 (Sec. 8-2-9(c)(1)).
  • Owner installing a septic system on their own residential property pays twice the contractor-installed residential fee (Sec. 8-2-9(c)(1)(b)).
  • A late-filing fee set by the county board of health applies (Sec. 8-2-9(c)(2)). Fees may be changed by amendment to the county code.

  septic permit application fee, residential (contractor-submitted): 225 USD (owner-installed residential is twice this amount; schedule rises to $250 in 2027 per the code table)

  “a fee of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00) for tank-only installation, two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225.00) for residential properties, and three hundred twenty-five dollars ($325.00) for commercial properties must accompany each sewage application submitted by a licensed septic contractor.”

• Permit processPartial

  Septic (sewage disposal) permit process inside South Dixon township only; the building permit process is not covered by this claim

  • Application must include a plat, plans and specifications, and soil classifications (Sec. 8-2-9(b)(1)-(2)).
  • Septic approval must come before the building permit is issued (Sec. 8-2-9(b)(3)).

  “applications shall be approved by the county health department and permits shall be issued before any construction or repair is undertaken and before the building permit is issued.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit for new residential construction inside South Dixon township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building on their own land inside South Dixon township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for new construction inside South Dixon township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new residential construction inside South Dixon township (not septic inspections)
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new dwelling inside South Dixon 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.