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

Rules another office applies inside Washington Township

Washington 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 code adoptedAdopted

  Building construction in Washington township that Will County building review covers (the county's adopted codes); does not apply to land inside incorporated village limits that run their own codes

  • Adopted codes listed on the page include 2018 International Residential Code, 2018 International Building Code, 2017 National Electric Code, 2014 Illinois Plumbing Code, and 2021 International Energy Conservation Code with Illinois amendments.
  • Amendments are in the 2021 Will County building ordinance, which was not opened.
  • The page does not state an adoption or effective date.

  “the following codes have been adopted by will county. amendments are located within the 2021 will county building ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Will County zoning districts that apply to unincorporated land in Washington township (agricultural A-1 and A-2 and residential districts)

  • Only the 12/12/17 draft's agricultural and residential dimensional tables were opened; the adopted district map and full district list were not verified.
  • The county maintains official zoning maps for public inspection per the Current Planning page; the map itself was not opened.
  • Districts do not apply inside incorporated village limits with their own zoning (draft s155-1.40(b)).

  “legend lot and building standards a-1 a-2 l1 minimum lot area (acres) 10[1] 2.5”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  A-1 agricultural district lots in unincorporated Washington township

  • Source is the 12/12/17 draft amendment table, not the adopted code; current figures not verified.
  • Footnote [1] cross-references the farmstead split provisions of § 155-2.40(h) for exceptions.
  • Scope limited to unincorporated land under county zoning (draft s155-1.40); incorporated village land is excluded.

  minimum lot area: >= 10 acres (Footnote [1]: see the farmstead split provisions of § 155-2.40(h) for exceptions to this minimum lot area regulation.)

  “l1 minimum lot area (acres) 10[1] 2.5 l2 minimum lot frontage (feet) 300 300”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — A-2 agricultural district lots in unincorporated Washington township

    “l1 minimum lot area (acres) 10[1] 2.5 l2 minimum lot frontage (feet) 300 300”

  • Specified — R-1 residential district lots in unincorporated Washington township

    “minimum lot area (square feet) e-1 e-2 r-1 r-2 r-2a r-3 r-4 r-5 r-6 215,000 105,000 60,000 40,000”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A-1 agricultural district lots in unincorporated Washington township

  • Source is the 12/12/17 draft amendment table, not the adopted code; current figures not verified.
  • Street setback is measured from the centerline of the road (cl of road).
  • The first value in each pair is A-1 and the second is A-2; A-1 values are 100 ft street, 50 ft side and 50 ft rear.
  • Animal confinement buildings have a separate 50-foot setback (s4) in the same table; not applied here.

  street setback (from centerline of road): >= 100 feet · side setback: >= 50 feet · rear setback: >= 50 feet

  “s1 street (from cl of road) 100 100 s2 side 50 20 s3 rear 50 50”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

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

  • The page names the Joliet, Bolingbrook and Monee offices but does not list townships or service areas.
  • Village or city sewer connections are outside this county program (not verified).

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

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning and building permit process for land in unincorporated Washington township

  • The planning page describes the county's role in zoning applications and building permit review but does not give step-by-step steps, timelines, or forms for a homeowner.
  • Health permit process is separate (see septic_permit).

  “acceptance and processing of zoning applications. staff members assist applicants in understanding the procedure for applying for map amendments, special use permits, and variances.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building their own home in Washington township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction in Washington township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home in Washington township
• Local zoning — Whether Washington township itself adopts and administers a zoning ordinance for land inside its limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for a home in unincorporated Washington 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.