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

Rules another office applies inside Blackhawk Township

Blackhawk 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

  Home improvements and construction on unincorporated land inside Blackhawk township

  • Carpet, paint and gutters are excepted from the permit requirement.
  • Persons not obtaining a permit prior to beginning a project shall be charged double, with no exceptions.
  • Contractors must provide proof of liability insurance when they pull a permit.

  “permits are required for all home improvements except carpet, paint and gutters.”

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Homeowners doing work on their own home on unincorporated land inside Blackhawk township

  • Contractors who do the work must provide proof of liability insurance.
  • Plumbers and roofers must be licensed with the State of Illinois.

  “a homeowner can do the work on their home, but we do require proof of liability insurance from contractors who would do the work.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New and altered construction in unincorporated Blackhawk township under Rock Island County building codes

  • The county adopts the codes with local amendments (note 1 on the page).
  • The county building department only has authority over unincorporated county property; cities and villages set their own codes.

  residential code edition: 2021 International Residential Code (with local amendments)

  “2021 international residential code (see note 1)”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Blackhawk township that is unincorporated Rock Island County (not within a city or village): county zoning, administered by the Rock Island County zoning department, applies because no Blackhawk township zoning ordinance was located.

  • The county office only has zoning information for unincorporated areas and the Village of Hillsdale; land inside a city or village is governed by that municipality.
  • The zoning resolution text itself was not opened within the research budget; its district rules are not captured here.

  “our office only has zoning information for properties in unincorporated rock island county (not within a city or village) and the village of hillsdale.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land inside Blackhawk township

  • The zoning map is a PDF on the county downloads page; the district schedule text was not opened.

  “a zoning map (pdf) is available in 11-inch-by-17-inch pdf format on our downloads page.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family residence building sites on unincorporated land inside Blackhawk township; the county page does not name the residential district, so the minimum varies by location in the county

  • The smallest parcels may be 20,000 square feet; in some outlying areas the county may require 40 acres.
  • The page does not name which district applies to Blackhawk township parcels; the district schedule was not opened.

  minimum lot size for a residence (smallest parcels): >= 20000 square feet (in some outlying areas 40 acres is required) · minimum lot size for a residence (outlying areas): >= 40 acres (applies in some outlying areas only)

  “the minimum lot size varies all throughout the county ranging from 20,000 square feet and in some outlying areas it requires a minimum lot size of 40 acres to build a residence.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems serving a new home on unincorporated land inside Blackhawk township

  • Approval is needed from Environmental Health, a division of the Rock Island County Health Department, before a building permit is issued for a new home's septic system.

  “approval from environmental health, a division of the rock island county health department for a septic system.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New home septic systems on unincorporated land inside Blackhawk township

  • Health department approval is needed before the county issues a new-home building permit.
  • The health department's permit form, fee, and inspection steps were not verified.

  “approval from environmental health, a division of the rock island county health department for a septic system.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions that change property lines on unincorporated land inside Blackhawk township

  • Cities and villages apply their own planning review to property in their limits.
  • The county subdivision resolution text was not opened; the county lists it on the Building Codes page.

  “all plat or deeds that change property lines must first be reviewed by department staff before it is recorded to verify that it meets the requirements of county codes and state statutes, specifically the illinois plat act.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Work within a road right-of-way, such as a driveway connection, on roads in unincorporated Blackhawk township

  • Work in the right-of-way requires prior approval of the highway authority that controls that road.
  • No county driveway permit or driveway-width rule was located; the new-home address step asks where the driveway lies relative to the main road.

  “it is illegal to install, place or build within the right-of-way without the prior approval of the appropriate highway authority.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for work on unincorporated land inside Blackhawk township

  • Plat review fees are separate: $50 plus $10 per lot for staff-only review; $200 plus $10 per lot for two lots or fewer with monument and development inspections; $300 plus $10 per lot for three or more lots.

  plat review fee for three or more lots: 300 USD (plus $10 per lot)

  “subdivisions of three lots or more, requiring staff review, monument and development inspection shall be three hundred dollars ($300.00) plus ten dollars ($10.00) per lot.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit applications for a new home on unincorporated land inside Blackhawk township

  • Plans must include a site layout, two sets of blueprints, engineered truss drawings with an Illinois engineer stamp, a contractor list, an erosion control plan, and REScheck or ComCheck or an equivalent energy method.
  • Septic approval from the health department is needed first.

  “the plans you submit should have enough detail to allow someone with absolutely no knowledge of your project to be able to go build your project.”

Still unanswered

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

• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area in unincorporated Blackhawk township
• Setbacks — Yard setbacks for residences in unincorporated Blackhawk township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in unincorporated Blackhawk township
• Building height — Maximum building height in unincorporated Blackhawk township
• Living in an RV — Occupying a recreational vehicle on private land inside unincorporated Blackhawk 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.