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

Perryton Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, reconstruction, erection, moving in, or alteration of a building or structure on unincorporated land inside Perryton township, where the Mercer County zoning resolution applies.

  • No permit or certificate is required for routine maintenance or repair, alterations costing less than $1,000 that do not change exterior enclosed dimensions, construction of a connection to a municipally owned and operated utility, or agricultural uses.
  • The required document is a Mercer County Zoning Certificate showing compliance with the resolution.

  “no building or structure shall be constructed, reconstructed, erected, moved in, or altered within the unincorporated portions of mercer county without first obtaining a zoning certificate from the zoning officer which indicates that the proposed building or structure complies with all the provisions of this resolution.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Buildings requiring a Mercer County Certificate of Occupancy on unincorporated land inside Perryton township.

  • Inspection and certification are required before a Certificate of Occupancy for a post-effective-date building or portion of a building is issued.
  • A temporary Certificate of Occupancy may be issued for no more than six months during completion of an addition or partial occupancy.

  temporary certificate maximum validity: <= 6 months (Pending issuance of a regular Certificate of Occupancy during completion of an addition or partial occupancy.)

  “no certificate of occupancy for a building, or portion thereof, constructed after the effective date of this resolution, shall be issued until construction has been completed and the premises inspected and certified by the zoning officer to be in conformity with the plans and specifications upon which the zoning certificate was based.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Post-effective-date buildings and non-agricultural use of previously unused land in unincorporated Perryton township, where the Mercer County zoning resolution applies.

  • A Certificate of Occupancy is required before occupation of a post-effective-date building or addition and before a previously unused parcel is used for a non-agricultural purpose.
  • A change from one permitted use to another permitted use is excepted.
  • The certificate must state that the use or occupancy complies with the resolution.

  “No building, or addition thereto, constructed after the effective date of this Resolution shall be occupied, and no land not in use on the effective date of this Resolution shall be used for any non-agricultural purpose until a Certificate of Occupancy has been issued by the Zoning Officer.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside Perryton township, if subject to the Mercer County zoning resolution.

  • District locations and boundaries are set on township zoning maps and enlarged intense-use-area maps incorporated in the resolution.
  • Maps are filed in the Mercer County Board Room and open to public reference during office hours.

  “For the purposes of this Resolution, all land located outside of the Incorporated municipalities in Mercer County is hereby divided into the Following districts: Agriculture AG-1 Agricultural District AG-2 Agribusiness District Residential R-1 Single Family Residence District R-2 General Residence District R-3 Seasonal Home District R-4 Mobile Home District Commercial C-1 General Commercial District Industrial 1-1 General Industrial District”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes in unincorporated Perryton township, where the Mercer County zoning resolution applies.

  • A newly installed or replacement mobile, manufactured, modular, or panelized home intended for occupancy requires a permit.
  • The ordinance requires installation on an Illinois-accepted or approved permanent foundation with wheels, axles, and hitch removed and compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
  • Permitted locations and conditions vary by district, including R-4, R-3, AG-1, R-1, and R-2 provisions.

  “No mobile/manufactured/modular or panelized home shall be installed, constructed, or otherwise be placed in the unincorporated limits of Mercer County for the purpose of use or occupancy unless in accordance with the following:”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural land uses and agricultural buildings or structures on unincorporated land inside Perryton township, where the Mercer County zoning resolution applies.

  • Agricultural buildings or structures may still be required to conform to building or setback lines.
  • Agricultural buildings and land uses are not exempt from federal, state, or local floodplain regulations.
  • The certificate/permit exemptions also identify agricultural uses as exempt.

  “the powers of the Act shall not be exercised so as to impose regulations or require permits with respect to land used or to be used for agricultural purposes, or with respect to the erection, maintenance, repair, alteration, remodeling or extension of buildings of structures used or to be used for agricultural purposes upon such land except that such buildings or structures for agricultural purposes may be required to conform to building or set back lines.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Mercer County Zoning Certificate applications for unincorporated land inside Perryton township.

  • The Zoning Officer may require a duplicate certified plat and a duplicate scaled plat showing ground area, height, bulk, building lines, intended use, and other information required for enforcement.
  • An application must be examined and signed by the Zoning Officer before another county permit pertaining to the use of land or buildings is issued.

  “Except as hereinafter provided, no permit pertaining to the use of land or buildings shall be issued by an officer, department, or employee of Mercer county unless application for such permit has been examined by the Zoning Officer, whose signature shall certify that the proposed building or use of land is in compliance with all the provisions of this Resolution.”

Rules another office applies inside Perryton Township

Perryton 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)

  Well and septic environmental-health services for Mercer County residents, including residents inside Perryton township.

  • The official department homepage identifies its Community and Environmental Health program as providing well/septic inspections and permitting.

  “lead poisoning prevention, food & tanning education/inspection, well/septic inspections and permitting, and vector surveillance”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Perryton township.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Perryton township.
• Local zoning — Land inside Perryton township, Mercer County, Illinois.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Perryton township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Perryton 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.