Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Du Bois Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Du Bois Township

Du Bois 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 construction in unincorporated Du Bois township (outside the village of Du Bois)

  • The county page states the requirement for all construction in Washington County; it does not say the village of Du Bois is excluded.
  • Construction may proceed after the permit is issued.

  “all construction in washington county requires a building permit including agricultural buildings!”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land in unincorporated Du Bois township (outside the village of Du Bois). This is Washington County's zoning ordinance, not a Du Bois township ordinance. No Du Bois township-adopted zoning ordinance was located.

  • The county ordinance applies to unincorporated areas of the county; land inside the incorporated village of Du Bois is governed by the village, not by this claim.
  • Zoning-only limits are answered as unknown below because the district dimensional chart in section 5-10 was not retrieved.

  “after the effective date of this revised ordinance no signs shall be erected in the unincorporated areas of the county except in conformity with the requirements of this section”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile and manufactured homes on private land in unincorporated Du Bois township

  • Generally, a mobile home may not be placed on a lot that already has a dwelling (section 4-11).
  • In the agricultural district, newly constructed residential dwellings, including mobile homes for residents or hired seasonal workers or tenants, must obtain a permit (section 4-13 / attachment a).
  • Mobile home parks are regulated separately under section 7-6 and state law.

  “thus, for example, it shall generally be unlawful to place a mobile home on any lot on which there is an existing dwelling.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural exemption for structures built on land in unincorporated Du Bois township

  • Structure must be solely for agricultural purposes.
  • Certificate of agricultural exemption must be completed at the county zoning office.
  • Zoning administrator may grant a variance of 5% or less to the 40-acre minimum (section 4-13.1).

  minimum land ownership for agricultural exemption: >= 40 acres (zoning administrator may grant up to 5% variance (section 4-13.1))

  “to obtain an agricultural exemption the applicant must provide proof that he or she own a minimum of forty (40) acres and must complete a certificate of agricultural exemption, at the washington county zoning office, stating that said structure being built is solely for agricultural purposes.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land in unincorporated Du Bois township

  • Plats must be approved before the county recorder may accept them.
  • Lots not served by public or private sanitary sewer or public water must meet county health department provisions.
  • Preliminary plat review fee of $500 plus additional fees (section 3-24).

  “it shall be unlawful for the county recorder of deeds of washington county to accept for recording any plat of a subdivision within the unincorporated area of washington county until the plat has been approved as required herein”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Du Bois Township or Washington County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from building permits in Du Bois township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for new construction in Du Bois township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction in Du Bois township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for completed buildings in Du Bois township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the R-1 (rural single-family) and R-2 (urban residential) districts and the agricultural district in unincorporated Du Bois 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.