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

Rules another office applies inside Joliet Township

Joliet 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 buildings and alterations outside incorporated limits, including unincorporated land inside Joliet township

  • A building permit is issued only if the lot conforms to Illinois Compiled Statutes chapter 765 and Will County Health Department sewage and water requirements.
  • Manufacturing process components are exempt from the building permit and follow OSHA or NRC rules instead, per the same ordinance.

  “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”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction outside the limits of cities, villages and incorporated towns, which includes unincorporated land inside Joliet township

  • Applies only outside the limits of cities, villages and incorporated towns of Will County; land inside the City of Joliet follows the City's own building code.
  • The source text is the Will County building ordinance (Chapter 150); its adoption date was not stated in the excerpt.

  “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”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction outside incorporated limits, including unincorporated land inside Joliet township

  • Final inspections (building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, health department, highway, fire district if applicable) occur after completion and before occupancy.
  • Spot surveys are also required for new construction after the foundation is complete.

  “final building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing inspections, health department, highway, and fire districts(if applicable) ---shall be made after building is completed and ready prior to occupancy.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings in unincorporated land inside Joliet township before permanent occupancy

  • Issued by the building official after an inspection shows substantial compliance with the ordinance and the building permit.
  • Temporary certificates of occupancy are available under IBC 110.3 and IRC 110.4 as cross-referenced by the ordinance.
  • Industrial and commercial occupants also need a separate occupancy permit from the county building division (55 ILCS 5/5-1063).

  “certificate of occupancyshall be issued by the building official before a building can be permanently occupied”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning district maps for unincorporated land inside Joliet township

  • The maps cover unincorporated county land only; City of Joliet zoning maps govern land inside city limits.
  • The page states the maps are kept for public inspection; the district list itself was not opened.

  “the planning & zoning division also maintains for public inspection the county's official zoning maps and all official records pertaining to the zoning ordinance.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private wastewater (septic) systems on land inside Joliet township, administered by the Will County Health Department Environmental Health Division

  • The health department's service-area statement lists Joliet, Bolingbrook and Monee offices; the official page opened does not name Joliet township specifically, so the township's coverage is inferred from the countywide program.
  • Municipal sewer-connected properties are not covered by this private-sewage program.

  “the will county health department environmental health division provides inspections of water wells, waste water treatment systems and non-community public water supplies.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for unincorporated land inside Joliet township
• Local zoning — Whether Joliet township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside Joliet township limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the main single-family residential district and any agricultural or rural-residential district on unincorporated Joliet township land
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in the main single-family residential district and any agricultural or rural-residential district on unincorporated Joliet township land
• Setbacks — Setbacks in the main single-family residential district and any agricultural or rural-residential district on unincorporated Joliet township land

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.