Bolthole Index

Will County, Illinois

Building permits, zoning and septic in Frankfort Township, Illinois

Unincorporated Frankfort Township, Illinois, requires advance building permits under Will County’s building ordinance.1 Will County reviews building applications for zoning district requirements, setbacks and proposed uses; these answers apply to unincorporated township land, with separate districts possible inside incorporated municipalities.2 Septic-system oversight comes from the Will County Health Department, while the Frankfort Township Road District asks owners to call about its separate construction-related permit requirements.34

At a glance

Building permits
Required in advance for regulated work on unincorporated township land1
Zoning review
Will County reviews districts, setbacks and uses in unincorporated areas2
Septic authority
Will County Health Department Private Sewage Program3
Owner construction
Residential owners may do their own construction only at their primary residence5
Agricultural structures
Conditional no-fee agricultural exempt permits; plumbing and electrical still require permits6
Minimum dwelling size
Building ordinance refers to IRC and IBC standards rather than a single floor-area figure7
Road District review
Ask the Frankfort Township Road District about home improvements and new construction4

Who to call

Building permits

Will County Land Use Department — Building Division

Building permit applications, plan review and construction inspections for unincorporated Will County

815-727-8634

[email protected]

58 East Clinton Street Suite 100 Joliet, IL 60432

Zoning

Will County Land Use Department — Current Planning & Zoning

Zoning applications, map amendments, special use permits, variances, and zoning-compliance review of building permit applications for unincorporated Will County

815.740.8140

[email protected]

58 E. Clinton Street, Suite 100 Joliet, IL 60432

Septic permits

Will County Health Department — Private Sewage Program (Joliet Main Office)

Private sewage-system oversight and inspections of private water wells in Will County; ask about the required applications for the proposed system.

815-727-8490

501 Ella Avenue Joliet, IL 60433

Roads & driveways

Frankfort Township Road District

Road District permit inquiries for home improvements, new construction, driveways and culverts.

(708) 479-9673

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Frankfort Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Frankfort Township, IL?

Unincorporated Frankfort Township requires a building permit before regulated construction, installation, alteration, conversion, remodeling, reroofing, structural repair or moving a building or its regulated systems.1 Emergency repairs have a narrow exception: apply for the building permit on the next business day.1

For unincorporated Frankfort Township, building-permit approval also depends on compliance with sewage, water-supply, zoning, subdivision and water-resource requirements.1 Agricultural exempt permits are conditional no-fee permits, but electrical and plumbing installations still require permits and code compliance.6 Ask the Building Division to classify the proposed barn, house or improvement before choosing an application.6

Who issues building permits in Frankfort Township?

For regulated construction on unincorporated Frankfort Township land, use the Will County Land Use Department Building Division; the county ordinance’s building-permit scope excludes cities, villages and incorporated towns.1 Reach the Building Division at 815-727-8634 or [email protected].8

Will County’s SmartGov system accepts applications and documents, schedules inspections, collects fees and lets applicants print building permits and view application details.8 Use the Building Division’s official page to reach the online system.8 Separately, call the Frankfort Township Road District at (708) 479-9673 to determine whether home improvements or new construction need a Road District permit.4 Septic-system oversight remains with the Will County Health Department’s Private Sewage Program.3

Does Frankfort Township have zoning and setback rules?

Will County reviews building applications for zoning district requirements, setbacks and proposed uses on unincorporated Frankfort Township land.2 Official county zoning maps and records are available for public inspection, and incorporated municipalities may maintain separate zoning districts.2 Ask Current Planning & Zoning at 815.740.8140 or [email protected] to identify the parcel’s district and review the intended use.9

We could not confirm a separate Frankfort Township zoning ordinance or a township-specific lot-size and setback schedule; ask Current Planning & Zoning for the standards applicable to the actual address.2 For land elsewhere in the county, see the Will County building and land-use guide; keep the unincorporated-area scope in mind when using the county’s zoning answers.2

How do septic permits work in Frankfort Township?

The Will County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division administers private sewage-system review, inspection, permitting and approval in Will County, including Frankfort Township.3 Call the Joliet main office at 815-727-8490 about the proposed system and the applications needed before construction.10 The Health Department also inspects water wells and offers well and septic services in Joliet, Bolingbrook and Monee, Illinois.10

Will County’s soil data show only 0.2% of soils rated “not limited” for a conventional septic drain field; that county-wide figure calls for a site evaluation and potentially an engineered system, rather than proving septic is impossible on a particular Frankfort Township lot.11 Subdivision plat review includes state and county sewage-treatment requirements, so do not treat subdivision approval as a substitute for resolving the proposed home’s sewage arrangements.12

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Frankfort Township?

We could not confirm a township-specific RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy rule for Frankfort Township; ask the zoning authority for the parcel about the proposed living arrangement before buying or moving an RV onto the property.2 For unincorporated Frankfort Township, Current Planning & Zoning reviews proposed uses as part of building applications, making that office the place to start the land-use question.9

For residential buildings on unincorporated Frankfort Township land, the building ordinance refers minimum dwelling size to IRC and IBC standards rather than giving a single square-footage minimum in the cited provision.7 Ask the Building Division how those standards apply to the proposed small house, and resolve sewage and water-supply compliance before relying on a building permit.71

Building a home in Frankfort Township: what steps come first?

For a proposed home on unincorporated Frankfort Township land, use this order to resolve the approvals the building ordinance requires.1

  1. Ask Current Planning & Zoning to identify the district, proposed-use requirements and building setbacks.2
  2. Discuss private sewage and water-well plans with the Will County Health Department, including the applications needed for the proposed systems.310
  3. Ask the Frankfort Township Road District whether the construction needs its separate permit.4
  4. Submit the building application and supporting documents through the county’s online system before regulated work begins.81
  5. Request designated building inspections 48 hours ahead and keep approved plans on site.13

Residential owners doing their own construction in unincorporated Frankfort Township must use the property as their primary residence; owner construction does not remove the building-permit requirement.51

Watch-outs

  • Frankfort Township’s verified building and zoning answers cover unincorporated land; incorporated municipalities may have separate zoning districts.12
  • An agricultural exemption does not waive permits or code requirements for electrical and plumbing installations in unincorporated Frankfort Township.6
  • We could not confirm off-grid sanitation or a public-water or public-sewer connection threshold for Frankfort Township; ask the Health Department and the Building Division about the proposed site before relying on building-permit approval.101

Sources

  1. Will County Code § 150.003 Permits and Scope of Regulations (Frankfort Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Current Planning & Zoning (Frankfort Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Wells and Septic Systems | Will County Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  4. Frankfort Township Road District (frankforttownship.com)
  5. Will County Land Use Permit Application (Frankfort Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Will County Code § 150.004 Agricultural Exemptions (Frankfort Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Will County Building Code (Frankfort Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Will County Land Use Department — Building Division (willcounty.gov)
  9. Will County Land Use Department — Current Planning & Zoning (willcounty.gov)
  10. Will County Health Department — Private Sewage Program (Joliet Main Office) (willcountyhealth.org)
  11. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  12. Subdivision Ordinance (Frankfort Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Will County Building Code (Frankfort Township), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Frankfort Township

Rules another office applies inside Frankfort Township

Frankfort 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

    Buildings and regulated appurtenances in unincorporated portions of Frankfort township.

    • The ordinance applies outside cities, villages, and incorporated towns.
    • Emergency repairs may proceed if the permit is applied for on the next business day.
    • Manufacturing process components have separate exemptions and requirements.
    • No permit may issue unless applicable sewage, water supply, zoning, subdivision, and water-resource requirements are met.
    “A permit must be obtained in advance and all other requirements of the Building Ordinance must be complied with whenever a building or parts of appurtenance thereof, such as water supply, sewage disposal, plumbing installation, electrical installation and heating equipment located outside the limits of cities, villages and incorporated towns of this county and regulated by the Building Ordinance, is erected, installed, altered, converted, remodeled, re-roofed, structurally repaired, moved or changed, except as provided hereafter.”
  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    Owner construction in unincorporated portions of Frankfort township.

    • Residential owners may perform their own construction work only when the residence is their primary residence.
    • Qualified farmers may work on personally owned agricultural and personal-use structures if they demonstrate ability to the satisfaction of the Building Division.
    • Electrical and plumbing work may still require permits.
    “I understand that owners of residential property may only do their own construction work on the property if the residence is their primary residence. (Owner in residence)”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction in unincorporated portions of Frankfort township.

    • Required inspections include footing, slab, foundation, electrical service, backfill, rough building, and final building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, health, highway, and fire inspections when applicable.
    • The owner or contractor must request designated inspections 48 hours in advance.
    • Approved plans must be on site.

    inspection notice: 48 hours (Owner or contractor must request the designated inspection in advance.)

    “The following listed inspections are required to be made. The owner or the contractor shall request the designated inspection forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the time when such inspections is to be made. (Phone 815-727-8634) and safe access (ladder or temporary stairs) shall be provided as per OSHA rules and regulations. An individual over the age of eighteen (18) shall be present for the inspection. Approved plans shall be on site.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Will County zoning districts applicable to unincorporated portions of Frankfort township.

    • The county page states that Current Planning & Zoning reviews building permits for zoning-district requirements, setbacks, and proposed uses.
    • The county page states that official zoning maps and records are maintained for public inspection.
    • Incorporated municipalities may maintain separate zoning districts.
    “All applications for a building permit are reviewed by the Current Planning & Zoning Section to determine compliance with the Zoning Ordinance. The review includes confirming zoning district requirements, building setbacks, and proposed uses. [...] The Planning & Zoning Division also maintains for public inspection the County's official zoning maps and all official records pertaining to the Zoning Ordinance.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Residential buildings subject to the Will County Building Ordinance in unincorporated portions of Frankfort township; district-specific zoning minimums were not located.

    • The ordinance states the minimum dwelling size is governed by the 2012 IRC and IBC.
    • The source does not state a single square-footage number.
    “Minimum dwelling size as per 2012 IRC and IBC.”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agricultural structures in unincorporated portions of Frankfort township.

    • Agricultural exempt permits are no-fee unless electrical or plumbing is installed.
    • Electrical and plumbing require permits and must meet all applicable codes.
    • Qualified farmers may work on personally owned agricultural and personal-use structures if they demonstrate ability to the Building Division.
    • The source cross-references Will County Zoning Ordinance § 155-1.50.
    “Agricultural exempt permits are no fee permits unless electrical or plumbing is installed as part of the permit. See agricultural exemptions in the Will County Zoning Ordinance (155-1.50). Any plumbing or electrical will require a permit and shall meet all codes for these installations.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision plats and residential subdivisions in unincorporated portions of Frankfort township.

    • Plat review includes compliance with state and county sewage-treatment and disposal ordinances.
    • Private water supplies may require Illinois Department of Public Health permits.
    • The applicable subdivision ordinance and health requirements govern the particular subdivision.
    “THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THIS PLAT HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY THE WILL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT REGARDING COMPLIANCE WITH ALL STATE AND COUNTY ORDINANCES PERTAINING TO THE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE. APPROVAL IS HEREBY GRANTED PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS ARE MET:”

Still unanswered

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

  • Local zoning — Land inside Frankfort township.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Frankfort township.
  • Setbacks — Buildings inside Frankfort township.
  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Frankfort township.
  • Building height — Buildings inside Frankfort township.
9 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic permit
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Frankfort Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Will County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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