Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Rock Island Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Rock Island Township

Rock Island 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 new construction on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township. Land inside the City of Rock Island needs city permits.

  • Permits are required for all home improvements except carpet, paint and gutters.
  • Work started before a permit is obtained is charged double, with no exceptions stated.
  • Permits are issued by the county Zoning & Building Safety office, 1504 Third Avenue, Rock Island.

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

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable

  Homeowners doing work on their own home in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township

  • Contractors who do the work must provide proof of liability insurance to the county.
  • The county says 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

  Building construction on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township

  • The county says these codes are in use with local amendments and are not inclusive of all federal and state of Illinois requirements.
  • The county says some codes are copyrighted and available for viewing in the office, and the county directs readers to the ICC and NFPA for free viewing.
  • The county says it applies ice and water barrier requirements through its adopted codes.

  “2021 international residential code (see note 1)”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Unincorporated Rock Island County land inside Rock Island township; districts are county-zoned, not township-zoned.

  • The county publishes an 11x17 zoning map PDF on its downloads page and a parcel zoning-class lookup in its GIS mapping site.
  • The county says zoning information covers unincorporated county land only; city zoning is separate.

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

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  New residence on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township; the county says the minimum varies by location.

  • The county states the minimum varies throughout the county; the specific district and outlying-area designations were not captured.
  • The county states its information applies to unincorporated county land only.

  minimum lot size (typical): >= 20000 square feet (smallest parcels; the county says the minimum varies throughout the county) · minimum lot size (outlying areas): 40 acres (in some outlying areas, to build a residence)

  “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)

  New home septic systems in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township, administered by the Rock Island County Health Department's Environmental Health division

  • Approval from Environmental Health is part of the county building permit packet for a new home 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 in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township

  • Environmental Health approval is required before the county building permit for a new home is issued.
  • Specific septic permit fees, forms, and site-evaluation rules were not captured.

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

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township

  • The county lists a subdivision resolution among its codes; its text was not opened.
  • Land division also depends on the county's zoning and comprehensive plan consistency.

  “rock island county subdivision resolution rock island county zoning resolution”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway or access work inside a public road right-of-way in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township

  • Work inside the right-of-way needs prior approval of the appropriate highway authority, which may be the county highway department, a township road district, or a municipality depending on the road.
  • The county's address process uses a site layout showing 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.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in the floodplain on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township

  • A floodplain development authorization is required before building permits are issued for development in the regulated floodplain.
  • If the development is in the mapped floodway, authorization is withheld until the Illinois Department of Natural Resources/Office of Water Resources issues a permit.
  • Structures in the floodplain need a non-conversion agreement recorded before a building permit, and a post-construction elevation certificate before occupancy.
  • Flood protection elevation is set at two feet above base flood elevation.

  “application is hereby made for a floodplain development authorization (hereafter called authorization) as required under rock island county code of ordinances, § 154.610 - § 154.621, for development as defined in said ordinance.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township

  • Fees vary with the value of the work, using national averages that include labor.
  • The county's fee schedule was not captured.

  “fees vary with the value of the work being done using national averages, including labor.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township

  • Permit application requires a site layout, two sets of blueprints, engineered truss drawings stamped by an Illinois engineer, a contractor list, an erosion control plan, and an energy compliance report (RESCheck, COMcheck, or equivalent).
  • Septic approval from Environmental Health is part of the packet for a new home.

  “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 Rock Island Township or Rock Island County directly.

• Minimum dwelling size — New dwelling on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township
• Setbacks — Structures on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township
• Building height — Building height on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land in unincorporated Rock Island County inside Rock Island 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.