Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Evansville, Illinois

Village of Evansville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction of any shelter, building or other structure subject to ad valorem taxes inside Evansville village, IL

  • Permit comes from the zoning administrator and/or building inspector (Section 6-2-1).
  • Permit must be displayed on the structure during construction and for at least one month (Section 6-2-1).
  • Permits are non-transferable and must conform to Chapters 34 and 40 (Sections 6-2-1, 6-2-5).
  • Construction may proceed only after the permit is obtained.

  “no person shall build any shelter, building or other structure, subject to ad valoreum taxes, within the village without first obtaining a permit from the zoning administrator and/or building inspector.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New construction and alterations inside Evansville village, IL

  • Adopted codes (Section 6-1-2): International Building Code 2012, International Residential Code 2012, International Mechanical Code 2012, International Fuel Gas Code 2012, International Energy Conservation Code 2012, National Electrical Code 2011, International Code Council Electrical Code 2012, International Code of Administrative Provisions, International Swimming Pool and Spa Code 2012, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code 2013, Illinois Accessibility Code 1997, and the current Illinois Plumbing Code.
  • Section 6-1-9 requires a fire-flow evaluation for new and substantially renovated structures, except those regulated under the IRC.
  • A copy of the adopted document is on file with the zoning administrator.

  “effective october 1, 2019, a certain document, one (1) copy of which is on file in the office of the zoning administrator of the village is hereby adopted as the building codes of the village of evansville.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Permanent foundations for manufactured homes in Evansville village, IL

  • Only the manufactured-home foundation inspection is stated in the text reviewed.
  • Swimming pool plans must be presented to the building inspector for examination and approval (Section 6-3-5); this is not a general inspection rule.
  • A general inspection schedule for other residential construction was not found in the text reviewed.

  “permanent foundations installed for the placement of a manufactured home shall be inspected prior to the placement of said home.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the corporate limits of Evansville village, IL. The village adopts and administers its own zoning code (Chapter 40).

  • Code applies only within village corporate limits; unincorporated land is not covered by this code.
  • Code text reviewed is the 2020-revision PDF on the village site; currency against later amendments not verified.

  “this code shall be applicable only within the corporate limits of the village of evansville.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of Evansville village, IL

  • Districts listed: A-1 agricultural; SR-1 and SR-2 single-family residence; MR-1 multiple-family; MH-1 manufactured housing; B-1 highway business; I-1 industrial (Section 40-3-1). Overlay districts (for example O-FP floodplain) also apply.
  • The official zoning map is kept in the zoning administrator's office (Section 40-3-2).

  “the entire village is hereby divided into the following zoning districts”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Site-built residences inside Evansville village, IL, under the zoning code's definition of residence

  • Residence must also be built on a full perimeter foundation below frost depth (unless in a special flood hazard area) and have a minimum 3/12 pitch roof.
  • Manufactured homes are separately required to have at least 900 sq ft of living area (Section 40-2-2).

  minimum living area: >= 900 sq ft

  “all residences shall have a minimum of nine hundred (900) square feet of living area”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings in the A-1 agricultural district of Evansville village, IL

  • Only one dwelling per lot in A-1 (Section 40-4-2).
  • Lot width at building line 150 feet and lot depth 200 feet also apply in A-1.

  minimum lot area: >= 3 acres

  “every principal building erected in the "a-1" district shall conform to the following requirements: (a) minimum lot area 3 acres (b) minimum lot width at the established building line 150 feet (c) minimum lot depth 200 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Principal buildings in the SR-1 single-family residence district of Evansville village, IL

    “every principal building erected in the "sr-1" district shall conform to the following requirements: (a) minimum lot area 10,000 sq. ft.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings in the SR-1 single-family residence district of Evansville village, IL

  • Setbacks are the minimums stated for the SR-1 district; corner and through lots must meet front setbacks on every frontage (Section 40-3-10).
  • Front setback may be averaged in built-up blocks under Section 40-3-11 (no less than 5 feet).

  front setback: >= 25 feet · side yard total: >= 25 feet · side lot line: >= 10 feet · rear setback: >= 25 feet · side yard abutting street: >= 25 feet

  “(d) minimum setbacks (1) from front lot line 25 feet (2) total for both side yard lines 25 feet (3) from either side lot line 10 feet (4) from rear lot line 25 feet (5) from side yard abutting street 25 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Principal buildings in the A-1 agricultural district of Evansville village, IL

    “(d) minimum setbacks (1) from front lot line 50 feet (2) total for both side yard lines 25 feet (3) from either side lot line 10 feet (4) from rear lot line 25 feet (5) from side yard abutting street 50 feet”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings in the SR-1 single-family residence district of Evansville village, IL

  • Only the SR-1 district coverage cap was found in the text opened; no coverage cap for A-1 was stated in the same section.

  maximum percent lot coverage: <= 25 percent

  “(f) minimum off-street parking per dwelling unit 2 spaces (g) maximum percent coverage per lot 25%”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings in the A-1 agricultural district of Evansville village, IL

  • Height limit does not apply to accessory agricultural structures.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (does not apply to accessory agricultural structures)

  “(e) maximum building height 35 feet (does not apply to accessory agricultural structures)”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Principal buildings in the SR-1 single-family residence district of Evansville village, IL

    “(e) maximum building height 35 feet (f) minimum off-street parking per dwelling unit 2 spaces”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Use of a travel trailer or recreational vehicle as a dwelling on land inside Evansville village, IL

  • Parking rules in Section 40-5-7 do not apply to RVs in a permitted travel trailer park or on a permitted RV sales lot.
  • Not more than two travel trailers or RVs may be parked on a lot; none may be parked on a street; none in a front yard.
  • RVs must have setbacks as required for accessory buildings.

  “no travel trailer or other recreational vehicle shall be used as a dwelling.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured home on an individual lot inside the MH-1 manufactured housing district of Evansville village, IL

  • Permitted in the MH-1 district, which allows any use permitted in MR-1 plus manufactured homes on individual lots (Section 40-4-36).
  • Outside an approved manufactured home park, the home must be on property owned by the owner of the manufactured housing unit.
  • Units must meet HUD manufactured home standards or Illinois modular standards, and have a minimum living area of 900 sq ft (Section 40-2-2 definition of manufactured home).

  “manufactured homes on individual lots, provided said units conform to all applicable requirements of the village code.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage (septic) systems on land inside Evansville village, IL where public sewer is not reasonably accessible

  • The village zoning code sets the sewage-disposal duty and cites the Illinois Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act (state law) for system design and operation.
  • The county or district health department that issues the private sewage permit was not verified on an official page, so this claim does not name the permit issuer.
  • Applies in all zoning districts under Section 40-3-14.

  “whenever the public sanitary sewerage system is not reasonably accessible, a private sewerage system shall be installed and used.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sanitary disposal for a building inside Evansville village, IL, when no public sewer is reasonably accessible

  • Only a private sewerage system built and operated under the Illinois Private Sewage Disposal Licensing Act is allowed; the code does not describe unpermitted off-grid disposal.
  • Applies only where the public sewer is more than 100 feet from the property (Section 40-3-14(a)).

  “whenever the public sanitary sewerage system is not reasonably accessible, a private sewerage system shall be installed and used.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  A new home inside Evansville village, IL, when a public sanitary sewer is reasonably accessible

  • Connection is required only when the nearest public sewer with available capacity is within 100 feet of the property.
  • If the sewer is farther than 100 feet, a private sewage system applies instead (Section 40-3-14(b)).
  • No water-main connection rule was found in the text opened, so water connection is not stated.

  distance to nearest public sewer with available capacity: <= 100 feet (Connection not required when the nearest available public sewer is farther than this distance)

  “whenever the public sanitary sewerage system is reasonably accessible (that is, when the distance from the property in question to the nearest public sewer with available capacity does not exceed one hundred (100) feet), all sewage shall be discharged into such system”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Buildings and structures used for agricultural purposes on land in the A-1 agricultural district of Evansville village, IL

  • Agricultural buildings are issued permits free of charge only while the land is used solely for agricultural purposes.
  • If the land ceases to be used solely for agricultural purposes, the zoning code applies.

  “buildings or structures used or to be used for agricultural purposes shall be issued free of any charge. in the event that the land ceases to be used solely for agricultural purposes, then and only then shall the provisions of this code apply.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Land in the village's O-FP floodplain overlay district or a special flood hazard area in Evansville village, IL

  • The overlay adds restrictions on permitted and special uses; it does not change which uses are permitted (Section 40-4-81).
  • Uses in the overlay must meet primary-district requirements and be flood-protected (Section 40-4-82).
  • Residences in a special flood hazard area are exempt from the full-perimeter-foundation rule (Section 40-2-2).

  “all uses, whether permitted or special, that are located in the area covered by the "o-fp", overlay district shall not only meet all the applicable requirements of the primary district, but shall also be adequately protected against flood damage.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for construction inside Evansville village, IL

  • Residential fees use the Appendix A fee-rate table on the total estimated cost of construction, or $60 per sq ft if greater (Section 6-1-5).
  • Commercial fees use the Appendix B table (Section 6-1-7).
  • Additional and extra inspections cost $50 each (Sections 6-1-5(e), 6-1-7(c)).
  • Zoning and water/sewer tap fees are charged separately (Section 6-1-4). The appendix tables were not in the text opened.

  minimum residential permit fee: >= 30 USD (Minimum total permit fee; see Appendix A rate table for the full schedule) · extra or additional inspection fee: 50 USD (per inspection)

  “the minimum total permit fee shall be thirty dollars ($30.00).”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit application process for construction inside Evansville village, IL

  • Before a building permit issues, the builder must pin all lot corners and mark proposed structure locations for setback verification by the zoning administrator (Section 6-2-6).
  • Permits go to the zoning administrator and/or building inspector (Section 6-2-1).
  • Permit fees must be paid before the permit is issued (Section 6-1-3).
  • No application form, timeline or appeal procedure was found in the text opened.

  “prior to the issuance of building permit, a contractor or builder must located and identify by pins all corners of lots on which improvements are proposed”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Evansville or Randolph County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for permits in Evansville village, IL
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Evansville village, IL
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Evansville village, IL
• Tiny homes — Occupancy of a tiny home inside Evansville village, IL
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling unit on a lot inside Evansville village, IL

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.