Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Buffalo Prairie Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Buffalo Prairie Township

Buffalo Prairie 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

  Structures and buildings constructed inside Buffalo Prairie township under county jurisdiction

  • Requirement is stated for unincorporated areas of Rock Island County, except as exempted.
  • Agricultural buildings are exempt from fees but a permit is still required.

  “require building permits, fees, minimum design standards with specifications and occupancy permits for all structures and buildings to be constructed in the unincorporated areas of rock island county except as exempted.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building construction inside Buffalo Prairie township under Rock Island County's adopted building codes

  • Applies to unincorporated Rock Island County; the county's building FAQ says its answers apply only to unincorporated areas.
  • The source text contains a typo ('chapter 1and') that is reproduced verbatim.

  “3-1-3 international residential code chapter 1and 3-1-4 international building code chapter 1 require building permits”

• InspectionsRequired

  Agricultural structures inside Buffalo Prairie township under county jurisdiction

  • Stated for the agricultural exemption permit; final inspection by county field personnel completes the permit.

  “this permit is not complete until field personnel have conducted a final inspection of the structure on the subject property.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Structures in unincorporated Rock Island County, including inside Buffalo Prairie township

  • Occupancy permits are listed among permits required in unincorporated areas, except as exempted.
  • Occupancy-permit procedure not detailed in captured text.

  “require building permits, fees, minimum design standards with specifications and occupancy permits for all structures and buildings to be constructed in the unincorporated areas of rock island county except as exempted.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Buffalo Prairie township outside any city or village, where Rock Island County zoning applies because no township zoning ordinance was located

  • The county zoning office states it holds zoning information for unincorporated areas and the Village of Hillsdale only; land in a city or village follows that municipality's rules.
  • No Buffalo Prairie township zoning ordinance was found on an official township page; see the separate township-adopted claim.
  • This is a county rule applied inside the township, not a township ordinance.

  “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 applicable to land inside Buffalo Prairie township under county zoning

  • Applies to unincorporated land; full text is on the county downloads page (not opened).

  “the entire zoning resolution with a full explanation of all zoning districts is available on our downloads page.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 residential district (the county's largest residential lot size) inside Buffalo Prairie township under county zoning

  • The county district summary gives 20,000 sq ft as the largest residential lot size, in the R-1 district; the R-1 ordinance text was not opened.
  • Multi-family districts require central or municipal sewer.

  minimum lot size: 20000 sq ft (R-1 district; county summary)

  “lot sizes are generally very small, the largest being 20,000 square feet in the r-1 district.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — AG-2 General Agricultural district inside Buffalo Prairie township under county zoning

    “ag-1 is a minimum 40-acre lot size and ag-2 is a minimum 15-acre lot size.”

  • District specific (with conditions) — AG-1 Agricultural Preservation district inside Buffalo Prairie township under county zoning

    “ag-1 is a minimum 40-acre lot size and ag-2 is a minimum 15-acre lot size.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agricultural structures on lots inside Buffalo Prairie township under county zoning (primary structure front and side yards shown here); the form does not split these by district

  • Accessory structures have 40 ft front, 5 ft rear and 5 ft side setbacks per the same form.
  • Form says these apply with the lot area and yard requirements of the property's zoning classification.

  primary structure front yard setback: >= 40 ft (measured from common right-of-way/property line boundary) · primary structure side yard setback: >= 15 ft (measured from property line boundary)

  “front yard - minimum 40 feet back from common right-of-way/property line boundary.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured or mobile homes on land inside Buffalo Prairie township zoned R-7 under the county zoning resolution

  • Applies only to land zoned R-7; other districts are not stated to allow manufactured homes.
  • Whether any Buffalo Prairie parcel is zoned R-7 must be checked on the county zoning map.

  “r-7 is a mobile/manufactured housing district.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic systems for homes inside Buffalo Prairie township

  • Septic approval is handled by Environmental Health, a division of the Rock Island County Health Department; the county's building page states this for new-home permits.

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

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings and uses on land inside Buffalo Prairie township under county jurisdiction

  • Agricultural buildings are issued permits free of charge under state law, but a permit is still required.
  • Exemption applies only with a completed agricultural building/use exemption form; the form must be completed in its entirety.
  • Floodplain and setback rules still apply to agricultural structures.

  “shall be issued free of any charge. however, a permit is still required.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Agricultural structures inside Buffalo Prairie township located in a special flood hazard area

  • Applies to special flood hazard area development; other land not stated.
  • Floodplain regulations apply under county code section 3-2-38 as cited on the county form.

  “all agricultural structures and buildings shall adhere to section 3-2-38 development in a special flood hazard area (floodplain regulations)”

• Permit processPartial

  New home building permit application inside Buffalo Prairie township under county jurisdiction

  • Plan list is given for new homes; fees, review timeline and full checklist were not captured.

  “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 Buffalo Prairie Township or Rock Island County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder rules for homes built inside Buffalo Prairie township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Buffalo Prairie township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage inside Buffalo Prairie township
• Building height — Maximum building height inside Buffalo Prairie township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Buffalo Prairie 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.