Zoning, building permits and septic rules in El Paso Township, Illinois

Rules another office applies inside El Paso Township

El Paso 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 dwellings and other structures on unincorporated land inside El Paso township, obtained from the Woodford County zoning administrator

  • A zoning permit is the county's permit; no county building code is adopted, so no building-code permit is issued.
  • Zoning permits for dwellings cannot be processed until a septic permit and soil erosion permit is acquired.
  • The county FAQ says the permit requirement applies to permanent, temporary and movable structures unless exempted in the zoning ordinance.

  “no building or other structure shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, converted, removed, added to, used or the use therein changed unless and until a zoning permit is obtained from the zoning administrator.”

• Building code adoptedNot adopted

  Construction in unincorporated El Paso township; Woodford County has adopted no building code

  • Statement is from the county building and zoning department page; the City of El Paso applies its own rules inside city limits.

  “woodford county is a non-building code jurisdiction, no building code is adopted.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Unincorporated land inside El Paso township is zoned by Woodford County under Chapter 154. This is county zoning, not a township ordinance; it applies only because no El Paso township zoning ordinance was located.

  • Applies only to the unincorporated portion of Woodford County; land inside the City of El Paso is governed by the city.
  • A zoning permit is required before structures are erected or uses changed.

  “the primary functions of this department are interpretation, administration and enforcement of the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, floodplain ordinance, erosion, sediment and storm water management and rural addressing in the unincorporated areas of woodford county.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for unincorporated land inside El Paso township; the district map is the county's official map

  • Zoning district map is the official county map; GIS instructions for zoning districts are linked from the county zoning page but were not opened.

  “zoning district: an area or areas within the unincorporated portions of woodford county, illinois, that have been designated as set forth on the zoning district map.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agriculture district of unincorporated Woodford County, including parcels inside El Paso township

  • Applies except as provided by special use permit.

  minimum lot size: >= 2 acres (except as provided by special use permit)

  “except as provided by special use permit, all uses and structures in the agriculture district shall have a minimum lot size of two (2) acres.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Non-agricultural uses in the agriculture district of unincorporated Woodford County, including parcels inside El Paso township; front yard setback follows section 154.04.7.c, which was not opened

  • Side and rear setbacks in the agriculture district apply to non-agricultural uses only.
  • Front yard setback follows section 154.04.7.c, which was not opened in this run.

  principal structure side setback: >= 30 feet (non-agricultural uses only) · principal structure rear setback: >= 50 feet (non-agricultural uses only) · accessory structure side setback: >= 15 feet (non-agricultural uses only) · accessory structure rear setback: >= 15 feet (non-agricultural uses only)

  “b. non-agricultural uses, only. 1. side yard. a. principal structures shall have a side setback of not less than 30 feet. b. accessory structures shall have a side setback of not less than 15 feet. 2. rear yard. a. principal structures shall have a rear setback of not less than 50 feet. b. accessory structures shall have a rear setback of not less than 15 feet.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Agriculture district of unincorporated Woodford County, principal structures, including parcels inside El Paso township

  • Accessory structure height limit in the agriculture district was not captured in this run.

  principal structure height: <= 45 feet

  “a. principal structures not to exceed 45 feet to the peak of the roof.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage systems on lots inside El Paso township that have no public water supply and no public sanitary sewer system

  • Lots without public water and sewer must conform to the Woodford County private sewage disposal ordinance and Woodford County Health Department review.
  • Lots served by a public water or sewer system conform to the standards of the jurisdiction in which they lie.

  “zoning permits for dwellings cannot be processed until a septic permit and soil erosion permit is acquired.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New or replacement private sewage systems for dwellings on unincorporated land inside El Paso township, permitted by the Woodford County Health Department

  • Application fee: the county form states a non-refundable fee of $225.00.
  • The septic application asks whether the property is within 300 feet of a public sewage system; if within a 100-year floodplain, the applicant must contact county zoning before submitting.

  application fee: 225 USD (non-refundable)

  “application/permit for private sewage disposal system non-refundable fee: $225.00”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division into two or more parcels on unincorporated land inside El Paso township

  • Chapter 153 Land Subdivision Ordinance applies; plat approval is handled by the zoning office.

  “the primary functions of this department are interpretation, administration and enforcement of the zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, floodplain ordinance, erosion, sediment and storm water management and rural addressing in the unincorporated areas of woodford county.”

• Driveway accessNot required

  Zoning permit for a driveway on unincorporated land inside El Paso township; access approval from the road authority was not checked

  • This is a zoning-permit answer only; road-authority or entrance permits were not checked.

  “do i need a permit for a driveway, landscape/retaining wall or sidewalk? a: no.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit fees for unincorporated land inside El Paso township

  • The fee schedule itself was not opened in this run; the amounts are not recorded here.

  “the fee schedule is located under "zoning resources" on the county website or contact the office for more information.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit application process for unincorporated land inside El Paso township

  • Dwelling permits wait for the septic permit and soil erosion permit.
  • Permit applications are taken at the zoning office on the first floor of the Woodford County courthouse, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, per the FAQ.

  “information needed to process the permit includes dimensions of the structure, location, use, construction cost and elevation drawing or picture similar to appearance of proposed structure.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for construction on unincorporated land inside El Paso township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new construction on unincorporated land inside El Paso township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings on unincorporated land inside El Paso township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for single-family homes on unincorporated land inside El Paso township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage on unincorporated land inside El Paso 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.