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

Rules another office applies inside Irvington Township

Irvington 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 and other construction in unincorporated Washington County, including land inside Irvington township outside municipal limits; the statement covers agricultural buildings too.

  • The county zoning page states a general rule and lists no exemptions.
  • Construction may proceed only after the building permit is issued.
  • Municipalities such as the Village of Irvington may issue their own permits.

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Irvington township that is not within a municipality's limits (for example, outside the Village of Irvington), to the extent the Washington County revised zoning ordinance applies. This is a county rule, not a township ordinance.

  • The county zoning office states that zoning districts and their rules are checked before any building permit is issued.
  • The county revised zoning ordinance text (adopted 2009 per a third-party copy; the county page lists a revised version) was not reachable, so its jurisdiction clause for unincorporated township land is not verified.
  • Incorporated municipalities, including the Village of Irvington, handle their own zoning; the county flyer says a parcel within village or municipal limits follows that body's rules, not the county zoning office.

  “before a permit can be issued, the zoning of specific property and the rules that apply to the district of that zoning are examined.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts of unincorporated Washington County, including Irvington township outside municipal limits

  • The flyer names only three of the districts (AG, R-1, R-2); the full district list is in the ordinance, which was not opened.
  • Districts in villages and municipalities are set by those bodies.

  “the three most common districts and their minimum lot sizes are: ag-40 acres, r-1 (rural residential) 2 acres, and r-2 (urban residential) 1 acre.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Agricultural (AG) district land in unincorporated Washington County, including Irvington township outside municipal limits: minimum lot size of 40 acres

  • Per the county flyer, a parcel in an AG district divided below 40 acres must be rezoned, usually to R-1 or R-2, before construction is allowed.
  • Exception: an existing homesite that has existed since 1980 may be separated and built on without rezoning.
  • Exception: a buyer who is agriculturally exempt (actively engaged in agriculture and owning at least 40 acres) is another exception.
  • Lots under 40 acres in an AG district created before zoning in 1980 are grandfathered.
  • The flyer is an explanatory county handout, not the ordinance text; the ordinance itself was not opened.

  minimum lot size, AG district: >= 40 acres (existing 1980 homesite and pre-1980 grandfathered lots)

  “the three most common districts and their minimum lot sizes are: ag-40 acres, r-1 (rural residential) 2 acres, and r-2 (urban residential) 1 acre.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1 (rural residential) district land in unincorporated Washington County, including Irvington township outside municipal limits: minimum lot size of 2 acres

    “the three most common districts and their minimum lot sizes are: ag-40 acres, r-1 (rural residential) 2 acres, and r-2 (urban residential) 1 acre.”

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-2 (urban residential) district land in unincorporated Washington County, including Irvington township outside municipal limits: minimum lot size of 1 acre

    “the three most common districts and their minimum lot sizes are: ag-40 acres, r-1 (rural residential) 2 acres, and r-2 (urban residential) 1 acre.”

• Who permits septicState (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal systems installed inside Irvington township, under the Illinois Department of Public Health rule

  • IDPH regulates systems with no surface discharge (such as septic tanks and seepage fields) and systems discharging treated effluent up to 1,500 gallons per day to the ground surface.
  • About 90 Illinois local health agencies also review sewage plans, either under a local ordinance or as IDPH's agent. Whether the Washington County health department does so was not verified; the county health department page opened did not say.
  • Local health-department plan review may apply in addition to IDPH review.

  “the illinois department of public health (idph) regulates the installation of all private sewage disposal systems that have no surface discharge”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installation of private sewage disposal systems inside Irvington township

  • IDPH staff review and approve plans before construction; the system may be built only after that approval.
  • Local health agencies that review plans may add their own step; Washington County's role was not verified.

  “staff also review and approve plans for private sewage disposal systems and alternative private sewage disposal systems before construction.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Parcel splits and construction on AG land in unincorporated Washington County, including Irvington township outside municipal limits

  • Available only to a buyer who is actively engaged in agriculture and owns at least 40 acres.
  • The county zoning page says agricultural buildings still require a building permit.
  • Stated in the parcel-division flyer; the ordinance text was not opened.

  “another exception to this process is if the buyer, the one building on the property is agriculturally exempt (actively engaged in agriculture and owns at least 40 acres).”

• Subdividing landLimited

  Division of parcels in unincorporated Washington County, including Irvington township outside municipal limits

  • Per the county flyer, the county does not regulate the actual division of a parcel, but subdivision rules apply when a parcel of 5 acres or less is divided.
  • Inside a village or municipality, that municipality follows the Illinois Plat Act rather than the county zoning office.
  • The Plat Act and the 5-acre rule were not checked against the statute or subdivision ordinance text.

  “subdivision rules come into play when a parcel of 5 acres or less is divided”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning-office building permits for construction in unincorporated Washington County, including Irvington township outside municipal limits

  • The $100 fee applies to construction over 150 square feet.
  • Rezoning, if needed, costs about $150 in total and can take up to 8 weeks.
  • Stated on the county flyer; not confirmed against a current fee schedule.

  building permit fee, construction over 150 sq ft: 100 USD (applies to construction over 150 square feet) · zoning map amendment (rezoning) cost, approximate: 150 USD (approximate; process can take up to 8 weeks)

  “a fee of $100 is charged if over 150 square feet.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning-office permit process for construction in unincorporated Washington County, including Irvington township outside municipal limits

  • Zoning office: 125 W. St. Louis St., Nashville; (618) 327-4800 ext. 345; the zoning page says applications can be submitted online.
  • Rezoning requires a zoning board of appeals meeting (usually the 4th Thursday of the month) and final approval by the county board.
  • The full application steps were not published on the opened pages.

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

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether an owner-builder exemption exists for permits in Irvington township
• Building code adopted — Which building code applies to new construction inside Irvington township
• Inspections — Whether building inspections are required for construction in Irvington township
• Certificate of occupancy — Whether a certificate of occupancy is required after construction in Irvington township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for a home in Irvington township outside municipal limits

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.