Delaware County, Iowa Building Permit Guide

Outside the cities of Delaware County, the Zoning Administrator at the courthouse, 301 E. Main St., Manchester (563-927-5925), issues zoning permits that check setbacks and land use: $150 for a new house or business and $75 for a garage, deck, shed or addition. The county states plainly that it has no building code inspections, and the same office issues septic and well permits as Water and Sanitation.

What requires a permit in unincorporated Delaware County?

Zoning Ordinance No. 46 requires a zoning permit before any building or structure is put up, rebuilt or structurally altered in a way that increases its outside dimensions, height, floor area or number of dwelling units, or to change the use of a building or property. No work may start until the permit is issued.

The farm exemption follows Iowa Code 335.2. Properties over 5 acres zoned A-1 are treated as exempt, and the ordinance presumes a tract under 5 acres is not primarily agricultural unless the owner shows the farm use on a site plan. The exemption does not reach farm structures, fill or excavation in the floodplain, which fall under the county floodplain management ordinance.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Delaware County’s zoning ordinance, Ordinance No. 46, was adopted on September 6, 2022 and took effect on January 1, 2023. It sets nine districts, from A-1 Agricultural to I-2 Heavy Industrial, including an R-4 Lake Delhi Residential/Recreational district where building also has to meet the deed restrictions, covenants and Iowa DNR rules of the Lake Delhi recreational and water quality district. The county’s zoning office answers the building code question directly: there are no building code inspections in Delaware County, and its permits deal with setbacks and land use. The county has adopted the state onsite wastewater rules (Iowa Administrative Code chapter 69) for septic systems; energy code, trade licensing and electrical inspections are state matters.

Delaware County building department: who handles permitting

Zoning Administrator Alex Linderwell runs both the zoning office and Water and Sanitation, so zoning, septic and well permits go to the same courthouse office. The County Engineer approves entrances and work in county road right of way, floodplain questions go to the county’s floodplain administrator at Secondary Roads, and the 911 office assigns rural addresses.

Cities in Delaware County

The county ordinance covers only unincorporated land; each incorporated city handles building and zoning inside its own limits. Dyersville and Edgewood lie mostly in neighboring counties, with only part of each city in Delaware County.

Delaware County permit types

The zoning site posts printable applications for the zoning permit, sign permit, communication tower, special exception, variance, rezoning, ordinance amendment and plan amendment, plus the 2026 meeting schedule and filing deadlines. Fees are paid by cash or check to Delaware County.

Residential permits

The zoning permit application lists the owner and applicant, the site address, zoning, estimated cost, legal description and parcel number, the existing and proposed uses and a description of the project. New structures and additions need a site plan showing the property lines and the existing and new buildings with their distances; the county’s sample shows a new front porch held to a 35-foot front setback. The application leaves it to the owner to locate the property lines, check the abstract for easements and restrictive covenants, and contact the county about well and septic permits, a 911 rural address and a driveway permit for a new home.

In the Lake Delhi district, permitted uses include single-family homes, summer cabins, manufactured homes on permanent foundations, camping trailers and motor homes, marinas, boat storage, ramps and docks, resorts and campgrounds, and bed and breakfasts.

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

Commercial permits

Businesses pay the $150 primary-use permit, or $75 for a change in use, and new communication towers $250. Commercial and industrial buildings also need a driveway permit for a new access, and uses listed as special exceptions go to the Board of Adjustment.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning hearings. The Board of Adjustment hears special exceptions, variances and appeals on the third Tuesday of each month at 1:00 pm, and the Zoning Commission takes rezonings, planned unit developments and ordinance and plan amendments on the third Wednesday at 1:00 pm, both in the courthouse basement conference room; complete applications and fees are due by 4:00 pm on the posted deadline.
• Septic and well. Water and Sanitation issues onsite wastewater and private well permits.
• Floodplain. Floodplain questions go to the county’s floodplain administrator at Secondary Roads, 563-927-3505.
• Entrances. The County Engineer reviews and approves entrance permits for new driveways and extensions.

Delaware County permit costs and fees

The zoning office posts a flat fee for each type of application, payable by cash or check to Delaware County. The fee is not based on project value, so a large house pays the same $150 as a small one.

Example: a new rural house with a detached garage files a $150 primary structure permit and, if the garage is applied for separately, a $75 accessory permit. Septic and well permit fees are set by Water and Sanitation and are not posted on the zoning site; ask the office when you apply.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Delaware County says it has no building code inspections, and its pages describe no county electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit. Electrical work outside the cities is permitted and inspected through the State of Iowa electrical program at the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing; trade licenses are state licenses, and contractors earning $2,000 or more a year from construction register with that department.

• Septic systems. Water and Sanitation permits and inspects private septic systems under chapter 69 of the state rules, which the county adopted and enforces.
• Wells. The same office issues private well permits, tests private well water on Mondays and Wednesdays through a state DNR grant, and helps with plugging old wells.
• Applicant’s certification. Signing the zoning application certifies that the new construction and use will comply with the zoning ordinance and the county’s other building and health ordinances.

No county inspector reviews framing, wiring or plumbing in rural Delaware County; on a typical rural house the county inspects the septic system and the state inspects the wiring. The county publishes a Guide to Rural Living for people building or buying in the countryside.

How to apply for a Delaware County zoning permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The ordinance encourages a pre-application conference with the Zoning Administrator, who reviews each application and either approves it or sends a written list of corrections within 10 days of the first submittal. Before approving, the Zoning Administrator may ask Water and Sanitation or the County Sanitarian, the County Engineer (or the Iowa DOT for access to a state highway), the floodplain administrator and other agencies for written comments, and gives a final written decision within 10 days once corrections and comments are in. No action is taken until every fee is paid, fees are not refunded if a request is denied, and a denied application for the same use on the same site cannot be refiled for six months without the administrator’s written approval; denials can be appealed to the Board of Adjustment. A missing site plan, an unsigned application or an unpaid fee stops processing, and projects needing a variance, special exception or rezoning wait for the monthly board or commission meeting after the filing deadline. A permit expires if work has not started within a year or is not finished in that time; the Zoning Administrator may extend it once, for up to a year.

Inspections in Delaware County

There are no building code inspections in Delaware County. The inspection that does happen is the Zoning Administrator’s check of the finished work: no new or altered building may be occupied, and no change of use made, until a certificate of compliance is issued, which the ordinance says happens within 10 days after the work is completed and inspected.

Violations are county infractions punishable by civil penalty, or may be prosecuted as simple misdemeanors, and the ordinance can be enforced against the titleholder, a contract buyer or anyone lawfully in possession of the property. Septic systems are inspected by Water and Sanitation, and wiring by the state electrical inspector under the state permit. In the R-4 Lake Delhi district, dwellings and accessory buildings must stay 25 feet from the ordinary high-water line, and accessory structures in the A-1 and R-4 districts may not be built in a required front yard.

Iowa building code

Delaware County enforces Zoning Ordinance No. 46, its floodplain management ordinance and the state septic rules it adopted; it has no building code inspections in the unincorporated area. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Delaware County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective March 8, 2022.

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

Delaware County permit search and official resources

The ordinance has the Zoning Administrator keep every zoning permit and certificate of compliance on file and give copies to anyone with an ownership or tenancy interest in the property on request. Parcel maps are on the county’s Beacon site, and meeting dates are on the zoning site.

• Delaware County Zoning
• Zoning fees
• Zoning forms and permits
• Zoning permit application
• Zoning Ordinance No. 46
• 2026 meeting dates and filing deadlines
• Variance application
• Special exception application
• Rezoning application
• Sign permit application
• Zoning FAQ
• Comprehensive land use plan
• Water and Sanitation: septic and well permits
• County Engineer and entrance permits
• 911 and rural addressing
• FEMA Community Status Book, Iowa

Delaware County permit FAQs

Does Delaware County have building code inspections?

No. The county says there are no building code inspections; its zoning permits deal only with setbacks and land use.

How much is a zoning permit for a new house?

$150 for a primary structure such as a house; garages, decks, patios, sheds and additions are $75.

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

No. New roofs, windows, siding, doors and other repairs that do not enlarge the building or change its use need no zoning permit.

Is my farm exempt from zoning?

Land over 5 acres zoned A-1 is treated as exempt; smaller tracts may qualify if a site plan shows the farm use. There is no fee for a farm exemption.

Who issues septic and well permits?

Water and Sanitation, run by the same courthouse office as zoning (563-927-5925).

Who handles electrical permits outside the cities?

The State of Iowa electrical program; the county pages list no county electrical permit or inspector.

When does the Board of Adjustment meet?

On the third Tuesday of each month at 1:00 pm in the courthouse basement conference room; the Zoning Commission meets the next day.

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