Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Plum Hill Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside Plum Hill Township

Plum Hill 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

  Construction in unincorporated Plum Hill township, under the Washington County zoning office

  • The county page states the requirement county-wide; municipalities inside the county may have their own permit rules.
  • Permit is issued after the zoning administrator confirms the construction meets the district rules.
  • Applications are submitted online per the county zoning page.

  application fee: 100 USD (fee charged if construction is over 150 square feet, per zoning office flyer)

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

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Washington County zoning districts applying to unincorporated Plum Hill township

  • Flyer names only the three most common districts (AG, R-1, R-2); the full district list is in the revised ordinance, which was not reached 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) district land in unincorporated Plum Hill township

  • Figure is from the county zoning office flyer's list of three common districts, not the full ordinance schedule.
  • Parcels in AG divided below 40 acres generally must be rezoned before construction; an agriculturally exempt buyer owning at least 40 acres is an exception.

  minimum lot size: 40 acres (agriculturally exempt buyers owning at least 40 acres, and pre-existing homesites since 1980, per zoning office flyer)

  “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.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — R-1 (Rural Residential) district land in unincorporated Plum Hill township

    “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 septicMixed (with conditions)

  Private sewage (septic) systems inside Plum Hill township: IDPH regulates installation; local health agencies, including the Washington County Health Department, review plans under local ordinance or as IDPH agent. Washington County's own service-area statement was not opened.

  • Local health agency role (Washington County Health Department, Environmental Services, Nashville) is reported by a third-party listing and not confirmed on an official county page.
  • Systems discharging more than 1,500 gallons per day are outside the cited IDPH sentence and were not researched.

  “there are about 90 local health agencies in illinois that also review sewage disposal system construction plans, either by authority of a local ordinance or as an "agent" of the department.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Zoning split/rezoning relief for buyers actively engaged in agriculture in unincorporated Plum Hill township

  • Relief applies only to the AG-district division rule in the flyer, not to building permits generally.
  • Requires the buyer to be actively engaged in agriculture and own at least 40 acres.

  “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

  Dividing parcels in unincorporated Plum Hill township

  • The county does not regulate the division itself; subdivision rules under the Illinois Plat Act apply when a parcel of 5 acres or less is divided.
  • Zoning office becomes involved when construction is anticipated; municipalities handle their own subdivision compliance.

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

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning-office permit fees for construction in unincorporated Plum Hill township

  • The $100 figure is from a fillable form that may be dated; verify current amount with the zoning office before paying.
  • Rezoning costs about $150 per the flyer and can take up to 8 weeks.

  application fee: 100 USD (charged for construction over 150 square feet per zoning office flyer; payable to Washington County Treasurer)

  “send completed application and $100.00 application fee (made out to washington county treasurer) to: washington county zoning office 125 w. st. louis st. nashville, il 62263”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning certificate process for construction in unincorporated Plum Hill township

  • Application needs a legal description or e-911 address, a site plan with measurements, and owner consent; permit issues within a few days if zoning complies.
  • Non-compliant requests may go to the zoning board of appeals, variance, zoning amendment or special use permit.

  “before beginning any construction, a certificate of zoning compliance must be obtained from the zoning administrator.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders of residences inside Plum Hill township
• Building code adopted — New construction inside Plum Hill township
• Inspections — Inspections of new construction inside Plum Hill township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new buildings inside Plum Hill township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size on unincorporated land in Plum Hill 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.