Boone County, Iowa Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Boone County, Planning & Development at the courthouse, 201 State St. in Boone (515-433-0550), issues the non-agricultural zoning permit needed before a non-farm structure is built, moved, enlarged or converted, and assigns rural 911 addresses. Fees under Resolution 26-12 run from $40 to a $1,500 cap, septic permits come from Health & Sanitation in the same building, and none of the ordinances the county posts is a building code.

What requires a permit in unincorporated Boone County?

Boone County Zoning Ordinance No. 88, adopted July 1, 2008 and amended since, applies to all unincorporated territory. A non-agricultural zoning permit is required whenever a structure or part of one is located, erected, moved, reconstructed, extended, enlarged, converted or structurally altered on a non-farm property outside city limits.

To qualify for the farm exemption, an owner must show that the principal use of the land and the proposed buildings, including a house, is farm related and that the people living there are primarily engaged in agriculture; the ordinance describes a farm as an operation of the usual local kind, raising crops or livestock, with animals raised, housed and fed on the same farm. The exemption covers county zoning only, so floodplain and county tile development, well, septic, 911 address and driveway permits still apply, which is why farm projects file the agricultural permit for a floodplain and tile review.

A non-farm house in the A-1 Agricultural Conservation District is allowed as a residential acreage only on at least 3 acres, with no more than four non-farm homes per quarter-section, on cropland with a Corn Suitability Rating of 61 or less, and along a gravel or hard-surfaced county road or a state or U.S. highway. Homes may not be built below a detention or retention dam where an engineer finds they would be damaged if it failed, and they must keep the separation from existing confinement feeding operations required by state rule 567 IAC chapter 65. Commercial kennels in A-1 are conditional uses that must sit 200 feet from any property line and 500 feet from any residential district or residentially used property line.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Boone County’s Planning & Development office administers the subdivision, zoning and uniform rural addressing ordinances; none of the ordinances the county posts is a building code, and the zoning permit checks location, district and use rather than construction details. The zoning ordinance includes districts from A-1 Agricultural Conservation to I-2 Heavy Industrial, stormwater management standards and rules for wind, utility-scale solar, mineral extraction and towers, and the county reviews confinement feeding operation applications under the state master matrix. Septic rules follow state chapter 69 with no county additions, and electrical permits, trade licenses and the energy code are state matters.

Boone County building department: who handles permitting

Mike Salati is both Planning and Development Director and County Sanitarian, so zoning and septic permits share one second-floor courthouse office with separate phone lines. The County Engineer on the first floor issues entrance and right-of-way permits, and the Secondary Roads Department, with shops in Boone, Ogden and Madrid, maintains 197 miles of paved and 788 miles of granular-surfaced roads outside the cities and off U.S. 30 and 169 and Iowa 17, 144 and 210.

Cities in Boone County

Each city controls building inside its own limits. The county’s rural addressing ordinance also covers the cities of Fraser and Berkley.

Boone County permit types

Zoning permits, agricultural reviews, conditional uses and land divisions are applied for through the county’s online permitting system (GeoPermits), linked from the county’s Apply page; septic permit applications are also filed online with Health & Sanitation.

Residential permits

A rural home site typically needs the non-agricultural zoning permit, a septic permit, a well permit if it is on a private well, a county entrance permit and a 911 address. The address can only be assigned once the zoning permit is issued and the driveway location is known; it comes with a reflective green sign and galvanized post, which must be installed within 15 days on the owner’s side of the road near the left side of the driveway, visible from both directions and not on the mailbox. Land that will be split off first needs a land division application.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles home building permits, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Commercial and industrial buildings, including farm-related businesses, are valued at $90 a square foot for the permit. Uses that need a conditional use permit require public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission, which meets on the last Monday of the month at 5:30 pm, and then the Board of Adjustment, which meets on the second Thursday at 5:30 pm; the application must be in 15 working days before the commission meeting. Projects inside a drainage district that need engineering review pay the district engineer’s costs directly.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the zoning permit

• Zoning relief. Variances, conditional uses and appeals of the Zoning Administrator ($200 each) go to the five-member Board of Adjustment; rezonings ($300) go to the nine-member Planning and Zoning Commission, which advises the supervisors and checks proposals against the 2023 comprehensive plan.
• Floodplain and tile. A floodplain review, which includes county tile review, costs $30.
• Septic and well. Permits from Health & Sanitation before construction.
• Entrance. A new entrance or extension on a county-maintained road needs the Engineer’s permit.

Boone County permit costs and fees

Fees are set by Resolution 26-12 of the Board of Supervisors, whose schedule is headed “Last Amended on May 8, 2026”; the posted copy leaves the signing date blank. The zoning permit is figured from a rough construction valuation: the county multiplies the square footage by the valuation rate for the type of building, then works out the permit fee, with a minimum of $40 and a maximum of $1,500 for construction. The posted resolution does not print the rate applied to that valuation, so no house example is given here.

The Health & Sanitation septic page still quotes the 2012 fees of $200 with a perc test and $125 without; the 2026 resolution is the newer adopted schedule. County entrance permits are free, although a county-built entrance or extension is paid for online when it is ordered.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The county’s fee resolution lists no electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits, and its pages describe no building inspection program. Electrical permits and inspections on rural land are handled through the state electrical program run by DIAL, and plumbers, electricians and mechanical contractors hold state licenses.

• Septic: a permit is required for a new system or to renovate the soil treatment part of an existing one. The online application is filed with the fee; if a perc test is needed, the site is prepared following the county’s instructions and the Sanitarian conducts the test before issuing the permit.
• Wells: new private wells need a $100 county permit, and Health & Sanitation runs the Grants to Counties well program and private well water testing.
• Time of transfer: homes on septic systems need an inspection before sale, handled through Health & Sanitation.

Health & Sanitation also runs the Keep Boone County Healthy program, handles nuisance and illegal dumping complaints and permits and inspects salvage yards.

How to apply for a Boone County permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Routine zoning permits are issued by staff, but conditional uses, variances and rezonings wait for monthly hearings, and the Planning and Zoning Commission’s 15-working-day deadline means a late application slips a month. Sites inside drainage districts can need engineering review billed by the district engineer. Starting before the permit doubles the fee.

Inspections in Boone County

The county pages describe no framing, plumbing or mechanical inspections. The county’s field work is the Sanitarian’s perc test and final inspection of each septic system, which the $250 septic fee includes, the Secondary Roads Department’s on-site evaluation of each proposed entrance, which sets the size of any drainage structure, and code enforcement on nuisance and zoning complaints. Wiring is inspected by the state under its permit.

The rural addressing ordinance carries a penalty of up to $100 per violation for a missing or wrong 911 sign until it is corrected, and a replacement sign with post costs $50 (county FAQ), while the fee resolution lists $20 each for a flag-mount sign or hardware replacement. Septic owners are advised to pump the tank when solids reach a third of the operating depth, rinse the effluent filter twice a year and keep sump pump and floor drain water out of the system.

Iowa building code

Boone County administers its zoning, subdivision and rural addressing ordinances and septic Ordinance No. 142; none of the ordinances it posts is a building code for the unincorporated area. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Boone County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective October 21, 2021.

Iowa lets most cities and counties adopt the state building code, another code or none (a city of more than 15,000 must enforce at least the state code), but the energy, accessibility, fire, plumbing, mechanical and electrical rules apply statewide. Iowa rules

Boone County permit search and official resources

Zoning permit records are kept by Planning & Development and can be requested from the office or under Iowa Code chapter 22. Board of Adjustment and Planning and Zoning Commission agendas and minutes are posted on their pages, and the zoning ordinance is published article by article on the county site.

• Boone County Planning & Development
• County applications (zoning, agricultural, conditional use, land division)
• County permitting portal (GeoPermits)
• Fee schedule, Resolution 26-12
• Zoning Ordinance No. 88
• Zoning ordinance Article I, farm exemption
• Planning and 911 address FAQs
• Uniform Rural Address System Ordinance No. 10
• Board of Adjustment
• Planning and Zoning Commission
• Health & Sanitation
• Septic permitting and maintenance
• Engineer permits and policies
• State electrical permits (DIAL)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Iowa

Boone County permit FAQs

Does Boone County issue building permits?

It issues non-agricultural zoning permits for structures outside city limits; its posted ordinances include no building code, and its pages describe no county construction inspections.

How much is a Boone County zoning permit?

It is figured from square footage and valuation rates, such as $100 per square foot for a house, with a $40 minimum and a $1,500 maximum.

Do farm buildings need a zoning permit?

No, if the land and buildings are primarily used for farming, but farm projects still file the agricultural permit for a $30 floodplain and county tile review.

How do I get a rural 911 address?

Get the zoning permit, fix the driveway location and pay $50 for the address, sign and post; the sign goes up within 15 days.

How much is a septic permit?

$250 under the 2026 fee resolution, covering the perc test, permit and final inspection.

Is there a fee for a driveway entrance?

No. The County Engineer’s entrance permit is free; you pay only if you ask the county to build the entrance.

Can I build a house on a rural acreage in Boone County?

In the A-1 district, yes, on at least 3 acres with cropland rated 61 or lower on the Corn Suitability Rating scale, on a gravel or paved public road, and only if the quarter-section has fewer than four non-farm homes already.

Who issues permits in the City of Boone?

The city’s own Building Department at City Hall, not the county.

Simplify Boone County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Iowa. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Boone County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.