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

Rules another office applies inside Nashville Township

Nashville 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 inside Nashville township outside corporate limits of the City of Nashville (county zoning office)

  • Construction may proceed only after the permit is issued.
  • Municipal permits apply inside corporate limits; the form asks whether construction is inside a municipality.
  • Agricultural buildings are included in the building permit requirement.

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

• Local zoningVaries (with conditions)

  Land inside Nashville township: county zoning administered by the Washington County Zoning Office applies to construction outside municipal corporate limits; municipal rules apply inside incorporated cities. Aggregates county zoning; no Nashville township ordinance was located.

  • The county zoning form asks whether the construction is located within corporate limits of a municipality, so city land is not covered by the county form.
  • Township-adopted zoning, if any, was not located (see separate unknown claim).

  “application is hereby made for an initial certificate of compliance, as required under the zoning ordinance of washington county, for the erection, relocation or alteration, and use of buildings and premises.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  County zoning districts applicable to unincorporated land inside Nashville township

  • Only three districts are named: AG (40 acres), R-1 rural residential (2 acres), R-2 urban residential (1 acre).
  • The full district list is in the Washington County revised zoning ordinance, which was not opened on an official page.

  “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)

  AG (agricultural) zoned parcels in unincorporated Washington County, including unincorporated land inside Nashville township; county zoning, not a township ordinance

  • Splits leaving less than 40 acres in an AG district generally require rezoning before construction (usually to R-1 or R-2).
  • An existing homesite that has existed since 1980 may be separated and built on without rezoning, per the flyer.
  • Buyer who is agriculturally exempt (actively engaged in agriculture and owns at least 40 acres) is another exception, per the flyer.

  minimum lot size: >= 40 acres (Per the county parcel division flyer; ordinance text not opened)

  “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) zoned parcels in unincorporated Washington County, including unincorporated land inside Nashville township; county zoning, not a township ordinance

    “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) zoned parcels in unincorporated Washington County, including unincorporated land inside Nashville township; county zoning, not a township ordinance

    “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.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Parcel splits of AG-zoned land in unincorporated Washington County, including unincorporated land inside Nashville township, for a buyer who will build on the parcel

  • Applies only to the buyer who is actively engaged in agriculture and owns at least 40 acres, per the flyer.
  • This is an exception to the rezoning requirement for AG splits, not a general exemption from permits.

  “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 inside Nashville township; county does not regulate the division itself, but subdivision rules apply to small splits

  • Subdivision rules come into play for splits of 5 acres or less, under the Illinois Plat Act for land inside a municipality or village, per the flyer.
  • The City of Nashville reviews subdivision compliance for property near its limits (distance stated in the flyer, text garbled).
  • Zoning office reviews splits when construction is anticipated, and may require a rezoning.

  “the actual division of a parcel is not regulated by the county.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit and application fees for construction inside Nashville township outside City of Nashville limits

  • Building permit fee of $100 applies to construction over 150 square feet, per the flyer.
  • Zoning map amendment (rezoning) costs about $150 and can take up to 8 weeks, per the flyer.
  • Fee on the zoning compliance form is payable to Washington County Treasurer and sent to the zoning office at 125 W. St. Louis St., Nashville.

  zoning compliance application fee: 100 USD · building permit fee: 100 USD (construction over 150 square feet)

  “send completed application and $100.00 application fee (made out to washington county treasurer) to:”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning compliance permit process for construction inside Nashville township outside municipal limits

  • Application needs a legal description, E-911 address or parcel number, and a site plan with measurements from property lines.
  • If the zoning administrator finds noncompliance, the applicant may request a Zoning Board of Appeals interpretation, or seek a variance, zoning amendment or special use permit.
  • Submit completed application and fee to the Washington County Zoning Office, 125 W. St. Louis St., Nashville, IL 62263, or email per the form.

  “if the proposed construction meets the zoning requirements, a permit will be issued within a few days.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permits inside Nashville township
• Building code adopted — Which building code, if any, applies to construction inside Nashville township
• Inspections — Mandatory building inspections for construction inside Nashville township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for buildings inside Nashville township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for homes inside Nashville 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.