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

Claremont Township’s own rules

• Driveway accessRequired

  New or extended entrances onto township highways in Claremont township, handled by the appropriate township highway commissioner

  • The memo says there are nine township road districts and does not name the commissioner for Claremont township; confirm which road district covers the road.
  • The memo does not set a permit form or fee.

  “requests for new entrances or extensions to entrances on township highways should be made to the appropriate township highway commissioner.”

Rules another office applies inside Claremont Township

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

• Local zoningAbsent

  Unincorporated land inside Claremont township (outside the Village of Claremont). Records that the county administers no zoning there; it is not a finding that the township has zoning.

  • The county memo lists Village of Claremont as an incorporated municipality and says that by statute municipalities can extend their zoning 1.5 miles outside corporate limits; land near the village may be zoned by the village.
  • The memo also says the county has a floodplain construction ordinance, a subdivision ordinance and a setback line ordinance; those are not zoning.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Zoning districtsNot published

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land in Claremont township

  • No county zoning ordinance exists, so no zoning district map is published by the county. Township and village districts were not found.

  “richland county does not have a zoning official.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Minimum dwelling size in unincorporated Claremont township

  • No county zoning ordinance sets a minimum size. Building and health rules, where they exist, are not reviewed.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Minimum lot sizeNone

  Minimum lot size for a home in unincorporated Claremont township

  • No county zoning ordinance sets a lot size. The county subdivision ordinance (Title XV, ch. 152) may set lot standards for divided land; its text was not reviewed.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Lot coverageNone

  Lot coverage limits in unincorporated Claremont township

  • No county zoning ordinance sets lot coverage.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Building heightNone

  Building height limits in unincorporated Claremont township

  • No county zoning ordinance sets a height limit.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Living in an RVUnrestricted

  Long-term RV occupancy on private land in unincorporated Claremont township

  • No county land-use rule restricts the use: the county has no zoning ordinance.
  • Septic and sanitation rules still apply (IDPH), and Village of Claremont land may be zoned by the village under the 1.5-mile statute.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Camping on your landUnrestricted

  Temporary camping on private land in unincorporated Claremont township

  • No county zoning restricts the use. Sanitation rules still apply (IDPH), and Chapter 150 covers only mobile home parks.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Tiny homesUnrestricted

  Occupying a tiny home on private land in unincorporated Claremont township

  • No county zoning restricts the use. Septic, floodplain and subdivision rules still apply.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  A mobile home park in unincorporated Claremont township

  • A permit and a license are required before a park is established or operated.
  • Park site, water, sewage, construction and registration rules sit in sections 150.030 to 150.056 of Chapter 150; their text was not reviewed.
  • Chapter 150 history shows an adoption date of 1973-09-11; amendments were not checked.

  “it shall be unlawful for any person to establish, operate, maintain or permit to be established operated or maintained upon any property owned or controlled by him or her, any mobile home park within the unincorporated areas of the county, without first having secured a permit and/or license therefor, in compliance with provisions of this code. (ord. passed 9-11-1973)”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Unrestricted — A single manufactured or mobile home on an individual lot in unincorporated Claremont township, outside a mobile home park

    “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Accessory dwellingsUnrestricted

  A second dwelling on a lot in unincorporated Claremont township

  • No county zoning restricts the use. Septic and floodplain rules still apply.

  “richland county, illinois does not have a zoning ordinance for the unincorporated portions of the county.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems (septic tanks and seepage fields) on land inside Claremont township. The state rule applies there.

  • IDPH says about 90 local health agencies in Illinois also review sewage disposal construction plans, either by authority of a local ordinance or as IDPH's agent. Richland County's health department role in septic permits was not verified; the county code index has no sewage ordinance.
  • Any village-owned land inside the township may be governed by village rules, not verified.

  “the illinois department of public health (idph) regulates the installation of all private sewage disposal systems that have no surface discharge (such as septic tanks and seepage fields)”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing a septic system or seepage field on land inside Claremont township

  • Plans must be reviewed and approved before construction; construction may proceed only after approval.
  • Whether a county health agency reviews the plans instead of IDPH was not verified.

  “staff also review and approve plans for private sewage disposal systems and alternative private sewage disposal systems before construction.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Dividing land in unincorporated Claremont township

  • The county has a subdivision ordinance (Title XV, ch. 152, Subdivisions). Its requirements were not reviewed.

  “richland county does have a solar farm development ordinance, a floodplain construction ordinance, a setback line ordinance, a sub-division ordinance, and a trailer park operation ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for a new home inside Claremont township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building in Claremont township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for land inside Claremont township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Claremont township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Claremont 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.