Burlington, Iowa Building Permit Guide

Inside Burlington city limits, the Community Development Department (its forms call it the Development Department, 319-753-8131) on the first floor of City Hall, 400 Washington Street, issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, demolition, fence and sign permits, and you apply and pay through the city’s OpenGov portal. A building permit costs $25 plus $9 for every $1,000 of valuation under the schedule revised June 27, 2024, and the city has enforced the 2024 International codes since January 1, 2026.

What requires a building permit in Burlington?

Burlington asks for a permit whenever a building or structure is built, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved or demolished, and whenever electrical, heating, air conditioning or plumbing equipment is installed or altered. The city’s advice is to call the Development Department before starting anything, because some projects also need a board or commission decision before the permit can be issued.

Fences follow section 170.30.209 of the zoning code: six feet at most in side and rear yards, four feet in front of the house, and a front-yard fence no more than 75% solid. Dog kennels under 150 square feet outside the front yard are exempt from the fence rules. The city’s pool handout sets a barrier at least 48 inches high around any pool deeper than 24 inches.

What Burlington decides and what the state holds

The City Council adopts each code by ordinance in chapters 154 to 162 of the municipal code. On December 1, 2025 it gave final approval to ordinances moving the residential, building, existing building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire chapters from the 2021 to the 2024 editions, to keep pace with the state code, and a separate amendment to section 155.03 follows the state’s change to the IBC storm shelter rules. The Building & Construction page now lists the 2024 IBC, IRC, IMC, IFC and Uniform Plumbing Code, the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2009 energy code; an older “Adopted Building Codes” sheet on the city site still shows the 2015 editions and is out of date. Trade licenses and contractor registration stay with the state.

Burlington building department: who handles permitting

Community Development is led by the Development & Parks Director, Eric Tysland. Its Building Inspection Division reviews and inspects every building project, the Planning and Zoning Division handles site plans, setbacks, landscaping and historic review, and separate divisions run rental and nuisance inspections. Unincorporated land outside the city belongs to Des Moines County, whose land use office covers a zoned ring within two miles of the city.

Three bodies make the decisions staff cannot: the Planning Commission (subdivisions, rezonings, right-of-way vacations), the Zoning Board of Adjustment (variances, special use permits, home occupations and appeals) and the Historic Preservation Commission (certificates of appropriateness and local designation).

Burlington permit types

The OpenGov portal carries the building, fence, sign and trade applications (mechanical, plumbing, electrical and demolition) and takes payment. Paper forms on the Permits & Applications page cover the zoning and board approvals, encroachments, sidewalk use, floodplain development, annexation and the urban revitalization tax exemption.

Residential permits

A house project is priced on its valuation rounded to the nearest $1,000, with separate trade permits for the service entrance, wiring, plumbing, sewer and HVAC. Decks, fences and small detached structures carry a flat $25 permit, and demolition follows the city’s demolition checklist. New rental units, and rentals changing hands, also go through the Rental Inspection Division: the request form is left with Development Department staff on the first floor or filed online, and an inspector calls to arrange a visit.

Running a business from home is a zoning matter. Quiet home occupations such as tutoring up to four students, offices, crafts and small in-home childcare registered with the state are allowed once registered with the Development Department, while barber and beauty shops, small repair shops, catering, private construction contractors and bed and breakfasts need a special use permit from the Zoning Board of Adjustment first.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building permits use the same $25 plus $9 per $1,000 formula as houses, dropping to $7 per $1,000 on valuation above $5 million. New commercial construction, multifamily projects and subdivisions start with the Development Review Coordinator, who circulates the plans to every city department and local utilities and returns combined comments after two weeks; single-structure residential construction skips this step.

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 building permit

• Zoning. Staff check setbacks, landscaping and materials; rezonings go to the Planning Commission and variances, special exceptions and conditional or special uses to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
• Historic review. Locally designated properties and the Heritage Hill Historic District need a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.
• Floodplain. Any development in a mapped floodplain, including fill, paving and factory-built homes, needs a floodplain development permit under chapter 17.65 of the zoning code (see Code section).
• Driveways and the right of way. The City Engineer must approve a driveway before construction (10 to 24 feet wide at the property line for houses), and encroachments into the right of way need an encroachment permit.

Burlington permit costs and fees

Burlington’s Development Department fee schedule was revised on June 27, 2024; the city asks applicants to confirm the current version at 319-753-8131. Values are rounded to the nearest $1,000.

Example from the schedule: a new house valued at $200,000 pays $25 plus 200 × $9, or $1,825, for the building permit, with the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits priced separately. The same arithmetic applies to a $200,000 commercial alteration.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: a city permit under Burlington’s own electrical chapter (157), inspected by city inspectors, so the state electrical permit system does not apply inside the city.
• Plumbing, sewer and mechanical: city permits under chapters 158 and 159, filed in the OpenGov portal as trade permits.
• Licenses: state licenses for electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors; contractors who earn at least $2,000 a year from construction register with the state (the fee schedule prints the state line, 800-562-4692).
• Before digging: Iowa One Call, 800-292-8989.

The city publishes lists of general, plumbing, mechanical and electrical contractors who pulled permits in Burlington in the past year, compiled from the portal.

How to apply for a Burlington building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The city asks applicants to leave enough time for staff and, where needed, a board or commission to consider the request, and it will not schedule a hearing until every document and fee is in. Projects that need the Planning Commission or Zoning Board of Adjustment wait for that meeting; floodplain lots need elevation data before the permit issues; and solar arrays need a plan review conversation before installation. Starting early brings a stop work order and a doubled fee.

Inspections in Burlington

Burlington’s building code inspectors (319-753-8172 and 319-753-8135) will go over a project before work begins and inspect it through to the final. The contractor or homeowner must set up the final inspection; the city issues a certificate of occupancy for every building only after that final has been held and all work meets the code, and the City Council will not approve a tax abatement application until the certificate exists. Trade work has its own inspections, and the fee schedule charges $20 for re-inspections of electrical, mechanical and plumbing work.

Demolition has its own checklist. Before backfilling, call for an inspection: the sewer must be cut near the property line with a cleanout 4 to 6 inches above grade and an approved cap (concrete plugs are no longer accepted), cisterns sand-filled, foundation walls removed to at least 24 inches below grade and the basement floor broken up. Clean fill may come to within 24 inches of grade, with the last 24 inches dirt, graded and seeded, and landfill receipts go to the Inspection Department at City Hall when the job is done.

Rental properties are inspected on a three-year cycle under the Chapter 161 housing code. A third or later inspection costs $90 plus $10 per unit, and the same charge applies when the owner does not show or inspectors cannot reach every unit.

Iowa building code

Burlington, a city of more than 15,000, enforces the 2024 International codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code listed on its Building & Construction page and adopted by the council on December 1, 2025; the older Adopted Building Codes sheet on the city site still lists the 2015 editions. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Burlington as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective October 21, 2021; on mapped floodplain lots along the Mississippi River, the city’s floodplain development permit asks for the 100-year flood elevation, the lowest floor elevation and, for improvements, the building’s market value, and an elevation certificate may be required when the work is finished.

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

Burlington permit search and official resources

The OpenGov portal shows the status of permits you have applied for, and the city posts monthly and fiscal-year building permit reports. For older permits, plans or inspection records, use the city’s Request Open Records page.

• Community Development
• OpenGov building and zoning permit portal
• Building & Construction: adopted codes and certificates of occupancy
• Permits & applications
• Permit fee schedule (revised June 27, 2024)
• When a permit is and is not required
• Fence regulations
• Swimming pool requirements
• Driveway specifications
• Floodplain development permit
• Development review
• Planning & Zoning
• Rental housing
• Building permit reports
• Council minutes, December 1, 2025 (2024 code adoption)
• Request open records
• FEMA Community Status Book, Iowa

Burlington building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Burlington?

$25 plus $9 per $1,000 of valuation, rounded to the nearest $1,000; a $200,000 house pays $1,825 before trade permits.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or siding?

No. Roofing, siding, replacement windows, soffit and fascia are on the city’s permit-exempt list.

Do I need a permit for a shed or deck?

Storage buildings of 150 square feet or more need a permit, and decks of 25 square feet or more need the $25 deck permit. Smaller sheds still have to meet zoning setbacks.

Does a fence need a permit?

Yes. Every fence needs a $25 fence permit and a minor site plan, and heights are limited to six feet in back and four feet in front of the house.

Who inspects electrical work in Burlington?

The city does, on a city electrical permit, not the state.

Which codes does Burlington enforce?

The 2024 International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Fire codes, the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted December 1, 2025 and in force from January 1, 2026.

Can I run a business from my Burlington home?

Many low-impact home occupations only need to be registered with the Development Department; uses with more traffic, such as a barber shop or repair shop, need a special use permit ($225) from the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

The city issues a stop work order, and the permit fee is doubled when you apply.

Simplify Burlington 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 Burlington permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.