Madison County, Iowa Building Permit Guide

Madison County’s Zoning Department (201 West Court, Winterset; 515-462-2636) administers building permits, addresses, floodplain management and the zoning and subdivision codes for the unincorporated county, and takes applications through GeoPermits. Septic and well permits come from the county’s Environmental Health Officer in the same office, and Winterset, Earlham and the other cities handle permits inside their own limits.

What requires a building permit in Madison County?

The Madison County zoning ordinance sets the basic rule in Section 6: no building, structure or land may be used or occupied, and no building or part of one may be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered, unless it conforms to all the regulations for its zoning district, except that agricultural uses are exempt. Section 15 of the ordinance covers zoning certificates.

Section 6 also limits what a permitted building may do: it may not exceed the district’s height limit, house more families, cover a larger share of the lot, or have smaller front, side or rear yards than the district allows, and a yard counted for one building cannot be counted again for another. Lots that existed when the ordinance was passed may not be reduced below the minimums, and lots created afterwards must meet them. Off-street parking and loading space required for one building likewise cannot be counted toward another building’s requirement.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county adopts its zoning, subdivision and signage codes and its floodplain and 9-1-1 ordinances under the county zoning powers in Iowa Code chapter 335, guided by the Madison County Comprehensive Plan. Section 1 of the zoning ordinance lists what the rules are for: orderly growth and the beauty of the county’s natural resources, protecting farmers’ interests, attracting industry, easing road congestion, safety from fire and other dangers, health, light and air, and the adequate provision of roads, water, sewage, schools and parks. The Zoning Department’s duties center on those land-use codes and the location and use of buildings. The energy, accessibility, fire, plumbing, mechanical and electrical requirements set by the state apply to construction regardless of the county’s land-use rules.

Madison County building department: who handles permitting

The Zoning Department, led by Zoning Administrator Ryan Hobart, serves the unincorporated areas: building permits, zoning and code enforcement, subdivision and site plan review, rezonings, conditional use permits, floodplain management and address assignment. It also coordinates review by other county departments and outside agencies and prepares staff reports for the Zoning Commission, Board of Adjustment and Board of Supervisors. The County Engineer’s office is separate, on East Court Avenue: it plans, builds and maintains the secondary road system of 916 miles (114 of them paved) and 208 bridges, including its culverts and ditches.

Cities in Madison County

The county’s rules stop at city limits; each incorporated city handles its own permits.

Madison County permit types

Building permits and the county’s other zoning applications are filed online through the GeoPermits link on the Zoning Department page. Staff meet with owners, builders, realtors, consultants and developers to guide applications for zoning, platting or subdivision, site plans and conditional use permits before they are filed, and its staff report goes with each case to the board that decides it.

Residential permits

A new rural house typically involves the Zoning Department (the building permit, setbacks for the district and a new address under the 9-1-1 ordinance), Environmental Health (a septic permit and, for a private water supply, a well permit) and, where the lot fronts a county road, the County Engineer’s office, which maintains the county’s 916 miles of roads and their culverts. Lots and yards must meet the district minimums.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and other non-agricultural projects are checked against the rules of their zoning district, and a use the district does not allow outright goes before the county boards. Conditional use permits are reviewed by the Zoning Commission, which makes a recommendation, and decided by the Board of Adjustment; rezonings and ordinance amendments go from the Commission to the Board of Supervisors. Site plans are part of the department’s review, and signs fall under the county signage code.

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

Reporting the work to the Assessor

A county permit is not the end of the paperwork. The Madison County Assessor (515-462-4303) asks owners to report new houses, buildings and mobile homes, basement or attic finishing, additions, interior or exterior remodeling, decks, patios and garages, fireplaces, and buildings removed or damaged by fire or flood, and reminds them that reporting is a legal responsibility. Under Iowa Code section 441.24(1), quoted on the Assessor’s page, a property that is not reported can be listed from the best information available with a penalty of 100% added to the taxable valuation. New construction is valued in full or in part according to how complete it is on January 1, and all real property in the county is revalued every two years.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning Commission. Seven members appointed by the Board of Supervisors; it meets on the third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. when there are requests and needs four members present to act. It reviews preliminary and final plats, conditional use permits, rezonings, ordinance amendments and comprehensive plan changes.
• Board of Adjustment. Five members; it meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. in the lower level of the Annex when there are requests, and decides variances, conditional use permits, special exceptions and appeals from the Zoning Administrator’s decisions.
• Board of Supervisors. The three-member board makes the final decision on rezonings, plats and ordinance amendments after the Zoning Commission’s recommendation. Its regular meeting is on the second Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Annex’s lower-level conference room, and items must reach the Board Office by the Thursday before. The board also posts public notices of construction permit applications for confinement feeding operations.
• Floodplain. The Zoning Department administers the Madison County Flood Plain Regulations and floodplain management.
• Septic and well. Environmental Health permits and inspects septic systems and wells.

Madison County permit costs and fees

The Zoning Department (515-462-2636) quotes the county’s building permit, zoning and subdivision fees for a specific project when it is discussed or filed. The costs a rural build in Madison County typically involves are:

• Zoning Department: the building permit or zoning certificate, plus a fee for any variance, conditional use permit, rezoning or plat the project needs.
• Environmental Health: septic and well permits and their inspections.
• State electrical permit: DIAL’s published state fees start at $25 for a service rated up to 100 amps ($35 for 101 to 200 amps), plus $5 per branch circuit or feeder and $25 per inspection, with at least one inspection on every permit.
• Radon: Madison County Public Health offers free radon test kits.
• Private well testing: the county’s Grants-to-Counties program, funded under the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act, provides financial help to residents for private well water services through Madison County Public Health.

On the electrical side, a typical new house with a 200-amp service, 20 branch circuits and three inspections would pay the state $35 + 20 × $5 + 3 × $25, or $210, at DIAL’s published rates; the state adds a convenience fee for online payment.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical: the Zoning Department’s services do not include electrical permits. Iowa’s Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing issues electrical permits and inspects wherever there is no local electrical inspection program, through iowaelectrical.gov; homeowners and farmers can open their own account there. The permit is chosen and paid for online by card or electronic check, and the inspection is then requested against the permit number; it shows as unscheduled until the state inspector puts it on the calendar.
• Plumbing and mechanical: no county permits are listed; the state plumbing and mechanical codes apply and the work is done under state licenses.
• Septic: installed under an Environmental Health permit and inspected by the Environmental Health Officer.

Contractors earning $2,000 or more a year in Iowa register with DIAL, and electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors hold state licenses.

How to apply for a Madison County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A plain building permit for a conforming house is handled by staff; anything needing a board waits for its monthly meeting. A conditional use permit needs both a Zoning Commission recommendation (third Thursday) and a Board of Adjustment decision (first Tuesday), so it spans at least two meetings, and notices of pending variance applications are posted on the Zoning Department page. Both boards meet only when there are requests, and special meetings can be called by the Commission or by the Board of Adjustment’s chair when needed. The Zoning Commission cannot act without four of its seven members present. Floodplain sites and septic designs add their own reviews before the building permit can be issued.

Inspections in Madison County

The Environmental Health Officer inspects septic systems and wells under the permits that office issues, working from the same Annex office as the zoning staff. Electrical work is inspected by the state once the permit is bought: a state electrical inspector has three business days from receiving the request to carry out the inspection, and later dates can be requested. The Zoning Department’s code enforcement covers compliance with the zoning, subdivision, signage, floodplain and 9-1-1 rules, and the Environmental Health Officer also investigates nuisance complaints involving septic systems, trash, open burning and unsanitary conditions.

Iowa building code

Madison County regulates rural building through its zoning, subdivision, signage, floodplain and 9-1-1 ordinances, administered by the Zoning Department. Its zoning page names no building code and no building inspections; the ordinance texts could not be read online, so ask the Zoning Department whether any construction code applies to a project. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Madison County (community 190887) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective map dated June 21, 2017, which FEMA marks as a map with no elevations.

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

Madison County permit search and official resources

Records of permits, zoning certificates and septic or well permits for a rural parcel can be requested from the Zoning Department and Environmental Health in the Annex; they are public records under Iowa Code chapter 22. Agendas and minutes for the Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustment are linked from the Zoning Department page.

• Madison County Zoning Department
• GeoPermits portal for Madison County
• Madison County Environmental Health
• Madison County Engineer and Secondary Roads
• Madison County Assessor (reporting improvements)
• Madison County Board of Supervisors
• Madison County Public Health
• Iowa electrical permits (iowaelectrical.gov)
• DIAL electrical permits and inspections
• How to apply for a state electrical permit
• DIAL contractor registration
• FEMA Community Status Book, Iowa

Madison County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in rural Madison County?

The Zoning Department in the lower level of the county Annex, 201 West Court, Winterset (515-462-2636), through GeoPermits.

Do farm buildings need a county permit in Madison County?

Agricultural uses are exempt from the county zoning regulations under Section 6 of the zoning ordinance.

Who handles septic and well permits?

The county’s Environmental Health Officer, in the same Annex office and on the same phone number as zoning.

Does the county issue permits in Winterset or Earlham?

No. Each incorporated city handles permits inside its own limits; the county covers unincorporated land.

When do the Madison County zoning boards meet?

The Zoning Commission on the third Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and the Board of Adjustment on the first Tuesday at 7 p.m., when there are requests.

How do I get a rural address in Madison County?

From the Zoning Department, which issues addresses under the county’s 9-1-1 ordinance and maps.

Do I have to tell the Assessor about a new building?

Yes. The Assessor (515-462-4303) asks owners to report new buildings, additions, remodeling, decks, garages and similar improvements; unreported property can be assessed with a 100% penalty under Iowa Code 441.24(1).

Who issues electrical permits for rural Madison County?

The county does not list one; DIAL issues electrical permits through iowaelectrical.gov where no local inspection program exists.

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