Harrison County, Iowa Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Harrison County a permit to build is required for any new construction, reconstruction or moving of a structure, and Harrison County Environmental Health, Planning & Zoning, on the second floor of the courthouse at 111 N. 2nd Ave., Logan ((712) 644-2302), sites, reviews and approves every one. The same office issues the septic and well permits that a rural home needs before its building permit, assigns E911 addresses and keeps the county’s flood maps.

What requires a permit in rural Harrison County?

The county’s zoning page says permits to build are required for any new construction, reconstruction or movement of any structure on a piece of property, and that the office’s application forms cover new construction, remodeling and repairs. The Zoning Administrator issues a building permit, an occupancy compliance certificate or both for proposed construction, reconstruction, alteration, location or use, under the zoning ordinance the supervisors adopted in February 1996.

Before applying, the office can tell an owner a parcel’s zoning, building setbacks and subdivision rules. All rural land inquiries go to Planning and Zoning with a legal description or plat of survey, and the area must be marked on a digital photo; the Zoning Administrator then makes a determination under the ordinance.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county describes the 1996 zoning ordinance as the rules and procedures for zoning and building, and changes to zoning go through the Zoning Commission. The county’s web pages name no building code and describe no construction inspections other than those for septic systems and wells. District lot sizes and setbacks are set in the ordinance, which the zoning page offers for download with its amendments, the subdivision ordinance, the comprehensive plan and the county’s booklet “A Guide to Country Living in Harrison County, Iowa”.

The ordinance’s stated objectives explain how it is applied. It aims to carry out the county’s land use plan, prevent overcrowding of land with structures, protect property values and conserve the county’s terrain, soils, vegetation and waterways, and it is meant to be coordinated with the cities so that land developed in the county and later annexed passes smoothly into city jurisdiction while farming is protected in areas planned for urban expansion. The Zoning Commission and the Board of Adjustment each have five citizen members appointed by the supervisors for five-year terms, and a majority of each must live in the unincorporated county.

Harrison County building department: who handles permitting

Matt Pitt is the Administrator of the combined Environmental Health, Planning and Zoning department. That one office handles permits to build, zoning determinations, E911 rural addresses, flood plain map questions, private well and septic permits and inspections, and enforcement of the county nuisance codes, and its Administrator acts as chief advisor to the Zoning Commission and advisor to the Board of Adjustment. Road access belongs to the County Engineer, who issues every permit for use of the roadway.

The Engineer’s office keeps seasonal hours: from the start of daylight saving time it is open Monday to Thursday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and when daylight saving ends it returns to Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The county road system covers 144 miles of paved road, 792 miles of gravel and more than 160 miles of earth road.

Cities in Harrison County

County zoning covers the unincorporated area only; each of the ten cities runs its own permits.

South of the county line, rural land is permitted by Pottawattamie County’s Office of Planning and Development.

Harrison County permit types

Permit-to-build applications for new construction, remodeling or repairs are available from the department, and the forms carry the information the office needs to process the request. The zoning ordinance directs the Zoning Administrator to issue a building permit, an occupancy compliance certificate, or both, for each project that complies.

Residential permits

A new home away from city sewer needs a septic permit and, on a private water supply, a well permit before the building permit can be issued. The office reviews the site for septic suitability under state and county standards and must review and approve every new well site on the ground. A new home also needs an E911 address, which Planning and Zoning assigns from the countywide addressing grid; the county notes that an address is needed to get telephone and other services. Homes in areas zoned F-1 Floodplain face special regulations meant to minimize danger to life and property and to keep development from obstructing or diverting flood waters.

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

Commercial permits

Businesses use the same permit-to-build process. Uses that the ordinance lists as special exceptions in a district need Board of Adjustment approval after a written application, at least 15 days’ published notice and a public hearing. The board weighs access for vehicles, pedestrians and emergency services, parking and loading, noise, dust, glare and odor, utilities, screening and buffers, compatibility with neighbors and required yards, and must find that the use will not adversely affect the public interest.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning determination. A legal description or survey and a marked photo of the area, for the Zoning Administrator’s ruling on zoning, setbacks and subdivision rules.
• Septic and well permits. From the same office, issued before the building permit.
• Driveway or field entrance. Approval from the County Engineer, who also authorizes other work in the right-of-way and underground utilities.
• E911 address. Assigned by Planning and Zoning.
• Rezoning or subdivision. Through the Zoning Commission, whose recommendations the supervisors may overturn.
• Variance. From the Board of Adjustment, for physical rather than economic hardship.

Harrison County permit costs and fees

A filing fee is charged with every application to help cover administrative review and legal publication, and the office takes no action until it is paid in full. The fee is not refunded whether the request is granted or denied by the Commission, the supervisors or the Board of Adjustment. The county’s page does not print the amounts and asks applicants to contact the Zoning Administrator for current fees, so this guide cannot give the permit-to-build fee: ask the Zoning Administrator at (712) 644-2302 before filing.

Water tests for private wells are paid through the state Grants to Counties program, which the department also uses for well plugging and well rehabilitation; samples are sent to the State Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa. Parcel data can be viewed free on the county’s online real estate map, and the GIS office sells printed and digital maps at the rates above.

Building and demolition debris goes to the Harrison County Landfill, 2812 E. Hwy. 30, one mile east of Logan ((712) 644-3093), run by a 28E landfill commission of the county’s governments. Its posted rates are $54 a ton for solid waste with a $15 minimum per load, and clean brick, rubble and asphalt are taken free from residents but at $25 a ton from commercial, industrial, contractor and government loads; uncovered loads pay a penalty, and asbestos is not accepted.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Harrison County’s pages describe no county electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits. Electrical permits and inspections in the rural county therefore come from DIAL, and plumbers and heating contractors work under their state licenses.

• Septic systems. The Environmental Health side of the office issues the permit and inspects the work; homeowners building away from city sewer can ask it about the licensing and inspection of septic construction.
• Wells. Permits are needed for new and reconstructed wells, and the office handles the water well certification tied to property transfers.
• Utilities in the road right-of-way. Underground utility permits come from the County Engineer’s office.
• Oversize loads. Oversize and overlength truck loads on county roads need the Engineer’s moving permit.

Public swimming pools, motel pools, spas and tattoo parlors in Harrison County are inspected by Shelby County Environmental Health in Harlan, which lists Harrison among the counties it serves for those inspections. Buyers of rural property can also ask the office for an on-site evaluation of an existing septic system against public health standards before the purchase.

How to apply for a Harrison County permit to build

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Nothing moves until the filing fee is paid. A permit to build that depends on a private septic system or well waits for those permits. Projects that need a special exception or variance add a Board of Adjustment hearing with 15 days’ published notice, and a variance cannot be granted for economic reasons, to create a new nonconforming lot, or because removing an illegally built structure would be costly. An owner who disagrees with the Administrator’s final decision has 30 working days to file a written appeal with the $100 fee; the board then sets a hearing and notifies owners within 500 feet.

Inspections in Harrison County

The inspections the county describes are environmental-health inspections. For a new septic system three are required:

• Site review. Before construction, to confirm the location meets state and county standards.
• During construction. Before any part of the system is covered.
• Final. The Administrator inspects the finished system and draws a diagram of its exact location for the department’s files.

Every new well needs on-site review and approval, and the office offers free water tests afterward. The county pages describe no framing, plumbing or other building inspections; wiring is inspected by the state electrical inspector. A septic diagram kept on file is also what a later buyer’s evaluation relies on, so ask for a copy when the final inspection is done.

Iowa building code

Harrison County regulates rural building through its February 1996 zoning ordinance and its subdivision ordinance, administered with the county’s septic, well and nuisance rules; the county’s web pages name no building code. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Harrison County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current flood insurance rate map dated January 29, 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

Harrison County permit search and official resources

Permit records, septic diagrams and well files are kept by the Environmental Health, Planning and Zoning office in the courthouse, so call (712) 644-2302 for a parcel’s history. The office holds FEMA flood maps for the whole county for reference (they are not for distribution), and the GIS office’s online map shows parcels, municipal boundaries, zoning and hydrology. A new building also reaches the County Assessor in the courthouse ((712) 644-3101), who values new construction fully or partly according to its state of completion on January 1. Supervisors meet on Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. on the courthouse’s second floor, and their minutes are available in the Auditor’s office.

• Harrison County Environmental Health, Planning & Zoning
• County Engineer and Secondary Roads
• GIS and mapping
• Board of Supervisors
• County Assessor
• Harrison County Landfill
• State electrical permits (DIAL)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Iowa

Harrison County permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to build in rural Harrison County?

Yes. The county requires a permit to build for any new construction, reconstruction or moving of a structure, issued by Environmental Health, Planning & Zoning in Logan.

How much does a Harrison County building permit cost?

The county charges a filing fee but does not publish the amount; call the Zoning Administrator at (712) 644-2302. An appeal to the Board of Adjustment costs $100.

Do I need a septic permit before the building permit?

Yes. If the home will use a private sewage system or well, those permits must be issued before the building permit.

How many septic inspections are there?

Three: a site review, an inspection during construction before the system is covered, and a final inspection with a diagram kept on file.

Who assigns a rural address in Harrison County?

Planning and Zoning, using the county’s E911 addressing grid.

Who approves a new driveway?

The County Engineer at 301 N. 6th Ave., Logan ((712) 644-3140), which issues all permits for use of county roads.

Is my well water test free?

Yes. The department tests private well water free of charge through the Grants to Counties program.

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