Off-Grid Living in McDonough County, Illinois

If you're eyeing raw land in McDonough County, Illinois for an off-grid setup, here's what I've been able to confirm and what still needs a phone call.

Zoning is the messiest piece here. I could not find a countywide zoning ordinance for McDonough County. There's a county Comprehensive Plan (put together with the Western Illinois Regional Council), but a comprehensive plan is advisory, not a regulating document, unless a local ordinance actually implements it. Incorporated towns like Macomb run their own zoning (with districts like B-3 and M-1), so if your land sits inside a city or village limit, that town's zoning office governs you. For unincorporated county land, I'd call the County Clerk's office or County Board to confirm who currently administers land use, since I couldn't verify a dedicated county planning department page.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs: I found nothing official at the county or municipal level specifically addressing minimum dwelling size, tiny homes, or living in an RV. Treat this as genuinely open and ask the local building/zoning office directly before you commit to a structure.

Building permits are handled at multiple levels in this county. Various Building Departments issue and file permits, and Town/City Halls may issue related land-use permits (boundary lines, private roads, addresses, water systems, utility access). Macomb has its own zoning office for in-city projects. I did not find a verified countywide building code adoption, so assume Illinois's statewide code baseline applies unless your specific municipality says otherwise.

Septic is on solid ground: the McDonough County Health Department is the confirmed permitting authority countywide, administering the private sewage program under the state's Illinois Department of Public Health Private Sewage Disposal Code. They do plan review, site evaluation, and inspection for new or renovated systems. Composting toilets aren't addressed separately on their site, so ask the Health Department how they'd treat one.

Greywater and rainwater harvesting: no official county or state page speaks to either directly. I'm marking both unclear, and the Health Department (same office that handles septic) is your best point of contact.

Private wells are also county-administered by the Health Department under the statewide Illinois Water Well Construction Code, covering new well permits, plan review, site evaluation, and abandoned well sealing.

Full utility disconnection: I found no ordinance explicitly banning or blessing going off-grid on utilities. This falls back to whatever zoning and building rules apply to your specific parcel, which, again, depends on whether you're inside a town or out in unincorporated township land.

Bottom line: septic and wells are clearly handled by the County Health Department under state code. Everything else, especially zoning and building permits, depends heavily on whether you're inside Macomb, another incorporated town, or unincorporated county/township land, so a phone call before buying is worth it.