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

Andalusia Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction or alteration of buildings inside the Village of Andalusia (a part of Andalusia township)

  • Fences are exempt from the permit requirement.
  • Minor maintenance repairs costing under $500 including labor and materials do not require a building permit.
  • Cosmetic improvements do not require building permits but must follow village ordinance and Rock Island County building code.
  • Permit applications go to the Rock Island County building inspector, not a village office.

  construction cost threshold for permit: > 500 USD (Fences exempt; minor maintenance repairs under $500 do not require a permit)

  “it shall be unlawful to construct or alter any building or structure in the village without having secured a permit, except for fences, when the cost of construction exceeds five hundred dollars ($500.00)”

• Off-grid sanitationProhibited

  Occupying a dwelling or business premises inside the Village of Andalusia without a sanitary sewer connection or septic tank

  • Violation is punishable by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100 per offense, with each day a separate offense (village code penalty paragraph).
  • Applies only inside village limits; unincorporated township land is not covered by this text.

  minimum fine per offense: >= 25 USD (maximum fine $100 per offense)

  “using or occupying any premises in the village, as habitations, or for business, trade, industry or meeting purposes unless such premises are equipped with sewage disposal facilities consisting of either a connection with a sanitary sewer system or proper septic tank, shall be fined not less than twenty five dollars ($25 00) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) for each offense; and a separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Premises used as habitations inside the Village of Andalusia

  • Premises must have either a sanitary sewer connection or a proper septic tank; the village code does not on this excerpt require connection to public sewer.
  • The village code has a public sewerage chapter (7-7-1 'connection required'); its operative text was not fully captured, so any mandatory-connection distance rule is unverified.

  “using or occupying any premises in the village, as habitations, or for business, trade, industry or meeting purposes unless such premises are equipped with sewage disposal facilities consisting of either a connection with a sanitary sewer system or proper septic tank”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Travel trailers and recreational vehicles kept on site inside the Village of Andalusia flood hazard area

  • Applies to units on site for more than 180 days per year; they must meet the elevation rules unless listed conditions are met.
  • Listed conditions include: self-propelled or towable by a light-duty truck, hitch kept on, not attached to external structures, designed for recreation, camping, travel or seasonal use rather than a permanent dwelling.

  days on site per year before elevation rule applies: > 180 days (exempt if listed conditions are met)

  “travel trailers and recreational vehicles on site for more than one hundred eighty (180) days per year shall meet the elevation requirements of section 7(d) unless the following conditions are met:”

Rules another office applies inside Andalusia Township

Andalusia 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 code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction on unincorporated land in Andalusia township under the Rock Island County building code; the village code also requires compliance with the county building code for work inside the Village of Andalusia

  • The Village of Andalusia code requires compliance with both village ordinance and the Rock Island County building code.
  • The county building department administers county building codes only for unincorporated land per its own page.

  “the building department is responsible for enforcement of the county's building codes, including reviewing plans for new and altered construction projects, issuing building permits and occupancy permits and on-site inspections.”

• InspectionsRequired

  New and altered construction on unincorporated Andalusia township land

  • Inspections are performed by the county building department; the page describes on-site inspections as part of its duties and does not list a stage-by-stage schedule.

  “the building department is responsible for enforcement of the county's building codes, including reviewing plans for new and altered construction projects, issuing building permits and occupancy permits and on-site inspections.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of new or altered buildings on unincorporated Andalusia township land

  • The county page names occupancy permits as a building department function; the fee, trigger and standards were not located.

  “the building department is responsible for enforcement of the county's building codes, including reviewing plans for new and altered construction projects, issuing building permits and occupancy permits and on-site inspections.”

Still unanswered

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

• Local zoning — Land inside Andalusia township limits: whether the township itself adopts a zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Andalusia township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Andalusia township, including the village main single-family residential district
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Andalusia township, including the village main single-family residential district
• Setbacks — Setbacks inside Andalusia township, including the village main single-family residential district

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.