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

Decker Township’s own rules

• Driveway accessRequired

  New or extended driveway entrances onto township-maintained highways in Decker township; county highways go to the county engineer instead

  • Requests go to the township highway commissioner for the road district; the county list shows David Brown as Decker's commissioner, but the list is undated and the road-district mapping was not verified.
  • The memo states no permit form, fee or standard; only the request route is documented.
  • Entrances on county highways are requested from the county engineer, not the township commissioner.

  “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 Decker Township

Decker 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

  Land inside Decker township outside the corporate limits of the five incorporated municipalities (Olney, Noble, Parkersburg, Calhoun, Claremont); the county statement covers unincorporated Richland County, which includes Decker township. No township zoning ordinance was found.

  • Source is a county engineer memorandum dated November 5, 2025, stating the county has no zoning ordinance for unincorporated areas and no zoning official.
  • By statute, incorporated municipalities may extend their zoning 1.5 miles beyond their corporate limits; parcels near Olney, Noble, Parkersburg, Calhoun or Claremont should be checked with that municipal clerk.
  • Decker township's own adoption of zoning was not found in any official source; see the township-scope unknown claim.

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

• Zoning districtsNot published

  Zoning districts for land inside Decker township, outside incorporated municipalities

  • Because the county has no zoning ordinance, no county zoning district map exists; any township-adopted districts were not found.

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeNone

  Minimum dwelling size for homes on land inside Decker township, outside incorporated municipalities

  • No county zoning ordinance sets a minimum dwelling size; building-code minimums, if any, were not located.

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

• Lot coverageNone

  Lot coverage limits for land inside Decker township, outside incorporated municipalities

  • 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 for land inside Decker township, outside incorporated municipalities

  • No county zoning ordinance sets building height.

  “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, seepage fields) installed on land inside Decker township

  • Applies statewide, including Decker township, under the Illinois Department of Public Health's regulation of private sewage systems with no surface discharge.
  • About 90 local health agencies also review sewage system plans, either by local ordinance or as IDPH's agent; whether the Richland County health agency does so was not verified in any official source.

  “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

  New private sewage disposal systems installed on land inside Decker township

  • IDPH staff review and approve plans before construction; the page does not state fees, forms or a Richland County application process.
  • Richland County's health agency permit process was not verified and may be run by a local agency acting as IDPH's agent.

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

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division and subdivision of land inside Decker township, outside incorporated municipalities

  • Ordinance text was not opened; the county code TOC lists title XV chapter 152 'subdivisions', and the county memo says the subdivision ordinance applies in unincorporated areas.
  • Platting or land-division thresholds, and any municipal subdivision rules within 1.5 miles of a municipality, were not verified.

  “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.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction in mapped flood hazard zones on land inside Decker township, outside incorporated municipalities

  • The county memo confirms a floodplain construction ordinance exists; its permit requirements and applicability were not verified.
  • Flood hazard zones are shown on the county GIS floodplain layer (richlandil.wthgis.com), which the memo cites; that GIS was not opened.

  “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 Decker Township or Richland County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Decker township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from building permits inside Decker township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for land inside Decker township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction inside Decker township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Decker 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.