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

Rules another office applies inside Rural Township

Rural 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

  New structures built in unincorporated Rural township

  • Required before construction in unincorporated areas; exempt categories (including certain agricultural structures) are stated in the county code and the agricultural form.
  • Agricultural structure permits are issued free of charge under state law but a permit is still required.
  • The county's pages apply only to unincorporated land and not to cities or villages.

  “permits are required for construction activities.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New structures built in unincorporated Rural township

  • The form names the International Residential Code and International Building Code chapter 1; the edition is not stated on the page and was not verified.
  • State codes also apply, including the Illinois plumbing code, Illinois accessibility code and private sewage disposal code, as the agricultural form lists.
  • Exemptions exist for agricultural structures under the county's permit rules.

  “the rock island county code of ordinances sections 3-2-4 enforcement and administration, 3-1-3 international residential code chapter 1and 3-1-4 international building code chapter 1 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.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Structures permitted by the county in unincorporated Rural township

  • The final inspection rule is stated on the agricultural form; the general inspection schedule is on the county building safety page, which says inspectors are in the office 8 to 10 am and 3 to 4:30 pm.

  “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

  Structures built in unincorporated Rural township under the county code

  • County code requires occupancy permits for structures except as exempted.
  • Agricultural exemption applies to some structures.

  “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)

  Unincorporated land inside Rural township: Rock Island County zoning administers it because no Rural township zoning ordinance was found

  • No official Rural township zoning ordinance or statement was found; the county zoning department is the body that acts on unincorporated land in the township.
  • Incorporated cities and villages in the county run their own zoning and are not covered by this claim.

  “this department only has authority over properties located in unincorporated rock island county.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Rock Island County zoning districts that apply in unincorporated Rural township

  • The summary page describes the districts; the full zoning resolution with district text is on the county downloads page, which was 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)

  AG-1 Agricultural Preservation District land in unincorporated Rural township

  • Minimum lot size stated on the county's zoning districts summary page; the full zoning resolution text was not opened.
  • Applies to parcels zoned AG-1 only.

  minimum lot size, AG-1 district: >= 40 acres

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

  3 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — AG-2 General Agricultural District land in unincorporated Rural township

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

  • District specific (with conditions) — SE-1 Suburban Estates low-density district land in unincorporated Rural township (rural-residential)

    “se-1 is a minimum 5-acre lot size and se-2 is a minimum 1-acre lot size.”

  • District specific (with conditions) — SE-2 Suburban Estates medium-density district land in unincorporated Rural township (rural-residential)

    “se-1 is a minimum 5-acre lot size and se-2 is a minimum 1-acre lot size.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Primary agricultural structures in unincorporated Rural township, per the county agricultural exemption form

  • These minimums are stated on the county agricultural exemption form for agricultural structures and buildings; they are not confirmed for ordinary residential primary structures.
  • The form ties yard requirements to the property's zoning classification and says they set minimum setbacks from public and private roads.
  • Setbacks for non-agricultural homes in R-1 or SE districts were not found in the sources opened.

  front yard setback: >= 40 feet (measured from common right-of-way or property line boundary) · rear yard setback: >= 40 feet (measured from property line boundary) · side yard setback: >= 15 feet (measured from property line boundary)

  “primary structure o front yard - minimum 40 feet back from common right-of-way/property line boundary. o rear yard - minimum 40 feet back from property line boundary. o side yard - minimum 15 feet back from property line boundary.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Accessory agricultural structures in unincorporated Rural township, per the county agricultural exemption form

    “accessory structure o front yard - minimum 40 feet back from common right-of-way/property line boundary. o rear yard - minimum 5 feet back from property line boundary. o side yard - minimum 5 feet back from property line boundary.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Septic systems for structures in unincorporated Rural township: county health department Environmental Health approves them, and state private sewage disposal code also applies

  • The county health department Environmental Health division is the approving body named on the county building page.
  • State private sewage disposal code also applies, per the agricultural form.

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

• Septic permitRequired

  New home construction in unincorporated Rural township that needs a septic system

  • Approval must come before the county building permit is issued for a new home, per the county building page.

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

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural structures and buildings in unincorporated Rural township

  • Permit is still required; the exemption covers the fee only, per the state statute the form cites.
  • Exemption does not exempt state codes, including the Illinois plumbing code and private sewage disposal code.
  • The county form must be completed for the agricultural permit; the agricultural use must be the principal activity on the land, per the county's farm definitions.

  “the illinois compiled statutes (ilcs) chapter 55 section 5/5-12001 states permits with respect to the erection, maintenance, repair, alteration, remodeling or extension of buildings or structures used or to be used for agricultural purposes shall be issued free of any charge. however, a permit is still required.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Work inside a road right-of-way that serves property in unincorporated Rural township

  • The county statement covers work inside the road right-of-way only; it does not address private driveway approaches on the owner's land.
  • The approving body for right-of-way work is the appropriate highway authority, which may be the township or county road district; this was not confirmed.

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

• Permit processPartial

  New home building permit in unincorporated Rural township

  • The county lists the required documents: a site plan, plans, engineered truss drawings, contractor list, and energy compliance report, and says questions and permits are handled during office hours.
  • Contractors must register with the county before a permit is issued, per the county contractor page; that page was not opened, so the requirement is not confirmed here.

  “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 Rural Township or Rock Island County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home in unincorporated Rural township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in unincorporated Rural township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage in unincorporated Rural township
• Building height — Building height in unincorporated Rural township
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land in unincorporated Rural 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.