Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Paw Paw, Illinois

Village of Paw Paw’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Inside Paw Paw village limits: building permits for the listed work, as stated on the village's own website

  • Permits are required for new roofs (per ordinance only one overlay is allowed), fences, sheds, accessory buildings, remodeling of plumbing/electrical, and new construction.
  • Building permits are not needed for windows, unless enlarging the size of the windows, and siding, per the same village page.
  • This is the village website summary, not the ordinance text; the code's building chapter was not read.

  “building permits are required for the following: new roofs (per ordinance only one overlay is allowed); fences; sheds; accessory buildings; remodeling of plumbing/electrical; and new construction. building permits are not needed for windows, unless enlarging the size of the windows, and siding.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Paw Paw village limits; the village's own zoning chapter applies to use and development there

  • The village's eCode360 table of contents lists chapter 290, Zoning (sections 290-1 through 290-58) as part of its adopted code.
  • Chapter 290 text was not opened, so district rules, use tables and permit steps under it are unverified and are answered as unknown elsewhere.

  “chapter 290 zoning (§ 290-1 – § 290-58)”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Paw Paw

Village of Paw Paw does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic tanks and sewage disposal systems inside Paw Paw village (Lee County) that are not connected to a municipal sewer

  • Lee County code 8-2-9(a) requires a permit from the county board of health for septic systems in the county.
  • Where the connection is to be made to a public sewer, arrangements are made with the municipality owning the sewer instead of the county board of health.
  • Whether the village owns a sewer that a new home must join was not established; village chapter 280 (Water and Sewers) was not readable.

  “no septic tank, privy vault, sink drain, or sewage disposal system shall be erected, constructed, or repaired in this county, except in accordance with this chapter, and it shall be unlawful to proceed with such work unless a permit has first been obtained from the county board of health; provided, however, that where the connection is to be made to a public sewer, arrangements shall be made with the municipality owning the sewer rather than the county board of health.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New or repaired septic tanks and sewage disposal systems inside Paw Paw village not connected to a public sewer

  • A permit must be obtained from the county board of health before the system is erected, constructed or repaired, and before the building permit is issued (section 8-2-9(b)(3)).
  • Application must be in writing with a plat showing all existing and proposed wells, sewers, septic tanks, seepage systems and privy vaults, plus plans and specifications, and soil classification results.
  • Permit application fee: $125 tank-only, $225 residential and $325 commercial (2024 column). The fee table shows tank/field-only residential at $225.00 (2024), $250.00 (2027) and $275.00 (2030), rising every three years by $25.00.
  • An owner installing a septic system on their own residential property pays twice the contractor-installed residential fee.
  • Where connection is made to a public sewer, the municipality owning the sewer handles arrangements instead of the county board of health.

  residential septic permit application fee (tank/field): 225 USD (2024 amount; table shows $250.00 (2027) and $275.00 (2030); owner-installed systems pay twice the contractor-installed fee)

  “no septic tank, privy vault, sink drain, or sewage disposal system shall be erected, constructed, or repaired in this county, except in accordance with this chapter, and it shall be unlawful to proceed with such work unless a permit has first been obtained from the county board of health”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Alternative septic systems installed inside Paw Paw village; general septic inspection rules were not read

  • Alternative systems must be inspected after installation and before backfilling, per section 8-2-8 item 8.
  • Alternative systems also require a septic permit before installation (item 7).

  “8. inspection prior to backfill: all new alternative septic systems must be inspected after installation prior to backfilling.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Septic system permit fees for systems inside Paw Paw village that are permitted by the county board of health. Village building permit fees are not published in the readable sources.

  • Fee for tank-only installation is $125, residential $225 and commercial $325 (2024 column), with a $25 increase every three years per the fee table.
  • Owner-installed residential systems pay twice the contractor fee; a late filing fee is set by the county board of health.

  residential septic permit application fee: 225 USD (submitted by licensed septic contractor; 2024 amount)

  “a fee of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125.00) for tank-only installation, two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225.00) for residential properties, and three hundred twenty-five dollars ($325.00) for commercial properties must accompany each sewage application submitted by a licensed septic contractor.”

• Permit processPartial

  Septic system permit process for systems inside Paw Paw village; village building permit process is not published in the readable sources

  • Application goes to the county health department with a plat, soil classification results and fees.
  • Septic approval and permit must come before the building permit is issued and before construction or repair begins.

  “applications shall be approved by the county health department and permits shall be issued before any construction or repair is undertaken and before the building permit is issued.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Paw Paw or Lee County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Inside Paw Paw village limits: owner-builder permit exemption
• Building code adopted — Inside Paw Paw village limits: which building code the village adopts
• Inspections — Inside Paw Paw village limits: inspections for permitted construction
• Certificate of occupancy — Inside Paw Paw village limits: certificate of occupancy for new dwellings
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and schedule for land inside Paw Paw village

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.