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

Rules another office applies inside Sullivan Township

Sullivan 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

  New homes, additions, and detached buildings inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits (county permit requirement)

  • Permit must be obtained before construction starts.
  • The county says no permit is required for roof replacements, siding, windows, or internal remodels that do not include major structural changes.
  • Permits within the City of Sullivan are handled by the city, per the county fee page.

  “Permits for most construction projects are required”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits, under codes Moultrie County has adopted

  • Codes are adopted by Moultrie County, not by Sullivan township.
  • The county page states the codes are expected to be followed by contractors; it gives no adoption date.
  • Incorporated City of Sullivan is excluded; the county fee page refers city permits to sullivanil.us.

  “the county adopted the 2018 irc and the 2024 ibc, and expects that contractors doing business in moultrie county will follow those codes.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • The county says inspections are made during the course of construction.
  • The county building inspector performs permit-based inspections only.

  “When a permit is granted for building, the inspector needs to be contacted when the build is ready for that particular inspection.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  County zoning districts that apply to land inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • The setback table lists districts including AG-1, AG-2, R-1, R-2, R-2A, R-3, R-4, R-5, C-1, C-2, C-3, I-1, and I-2.
  • The county posts a 'zoning district types explained' document and a permissible uses chart; their text was not opened.
  • Zoning Ordinance 77-1 text was not readable in this run.

  “the unincorporated area of the county is divided into districts or "zones."”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district under county zoning, applied to land inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • Column read from the flattened setback table in district order; verify against Zoning Ordinance 77-1.

  minimum ground floor area: >= 725 sq. ft.

  “ground floor area (in sq. ft.) 725 - 725 725 725 600 600”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Ag-1 agricultural district under county zoning, applied to land inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • Column read from the flattened setback table in district order; verify against Zoning Ordinance 77-1.

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre

  “minimum lot area 1 acre - 1.5 acres 7500 sq. ft. 10,000 / 20,000* 6,000 / 8,000* 6,000 / 8,000* 3,000”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residential district under county zoning, applied to land inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

    “minimum lot area 1 acre - 1.5 acres 7500 sq. ft. 10,000 / 20,000* 6,000 / 8,000* 6,000 / 8,000* 3,000”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Yard setbacks under county zoning (Ag-1, R-1 and other districts) for land inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • The table gives front yards of 50 feet from the right-of-way of any public street for the districts shown.
  • Side and rear yards are given as fixed feet or a height-based figure that varies by district; the flattened PDF text does not map every cell reliably, so use Zoning Ordinance 77-1 for exact side and rear figures.
  • Asterisked cells direct the reader to the zoning ordinance.

  “required yards (in feet) front 50 feet of right of”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district under county zoning, inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • Table shows no maximum ground coverage for the Ag-1 district (blank cell); verify in ordinance 77-1.
  • Column read from the flattened setback table in district order.

  maximum ground area occupied: <= 30 percent

  “maximum ground area that may be occupied - - 30% 30% 30% 35% 40% - 85% 85% 85% 60% 60%”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district under county zoning, inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • Column read from the flattened setback table in district order; verify against Zoning Ordinance 77-1.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet

  “maximum height (in feet) 30* - 35 35 35 35 45 - 35 45 35 55 (except grain elevators)”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural uses on land inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • Exempt from county zoning regulations except for setbacks, according to state law.
  • County advises verifying the exemption with the planning and zoning department and confirming with legal counsel.

  “agriculture exemption: certain agricultural uses are exempt from meeting local zoning regulations, except for setbacks, according to state law.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits, under county subdivision regulations

  • The county flood page refers to county subdivision regulations; the subdivision ordinance text was not opened.

  “The Department of Planning and Zoning is charged with regulating the division of land in the unincorporated areas of Moultrie County.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in special flood hazard areas inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • Flood regulations are incorporated into county zoning and subdivision regulations and are described as fairly restrictive.
  • Construction in a floodplain may require an elevation certificate by a registered professional engineer or architect.
  • The county says the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers may have jurisdiction.
  • Check with Planning & Zoning at 217-728-7922 to see whether a parcel is in a flood hazard area.

  “A joint application with the IDNR and Army Corp of Engineers is required to build in the floodplain in Moultrie County.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Permit application and inspection sequence for construction inside Sullivan township outside City of Sullivan limits

  • Steps must be followed in the order listed, and each must be completed before the next inspection starts.
  • Site plans with square footage are required for a permit application to be processed.
  • Payments by card are accepted in office and online.

  “Site plans with square footage will now be REQUIRED for a permit application to be processed.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from contractor requirements inside Sullivan township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Sullivan township
• Local zoning — Whether Sullivan township itself adopts a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Sullivan township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Sullivan 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.