Mills County, Iowa Building Permit Guide

Mills County enforces a building code outside its cities: Mills County Building & Zoning, 403 Railroad Ave., Glenwood (712-527-4347), issues building permits for the unincorporated county under Chapter 24 of the county code, which adopts the state building code. Fees are flat by project type (a new single-family house is $1,050 from January 1, 2026), but for permits issued after July 16, 2021 the county does not inspect; licensed and certified contractors or inspectors certify each phase before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

What requires a building permit in rural Mills County?

Chapter 24 has the Building Official review construction documents and issue permits for the erection, alteration, demolition and moving of buildings and structures anywhere in the unincorporated county. The fee list attached to the county’s permit application shows how wide that net is.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Section 24.2.1 adopts the State of Iowa Building Code by reference, and the chapter does the same for the state residential, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, energy, existing building and historic building codes; the posted chapter still cites the old Title 661 rules and adopts the 2006 fuel gas and property maintenance codes. The Building & Zoning page lists the editions the department works to: the 2024 International Building and Residential Codes, the 2021 International Mechanical Code, the 2018 fuel gas, existing building and property maintenance codes, and the state plumbing, electrical and 2012 energy codes. The posted chapter and the page list different fuel gas and property maintenance editions (2006 against 2018), so ask the department which edition it applies. The page’s design criteria include a 42-inch frost line and a 30-pound ground snow load. As the ordinance itself states, the county code does not apply to farmhouses or farm buildings primarily used for agriculture, and it applies inside a city only at the city’s option and not within a city’s two-mile area where that city has adopted a building code there.

Mills County building department: who handles permitting

Chapter 24 creates a Building and Safety Department under a Building Official appointed by the supervisors, with administrative authority delegated by the County Engineer; on the county site it appears as the Building & Zoning Department, which handles building permits, zoning, conditional uses and variances. If no one answers, the page asks callers to leave a message.

The Zoning Board of Adjustment hears conditional uses, variances and soil extraction permits.

Cities in Mills County

The county code stops at city limits, and the Building & Zoning page tells city residents to check with their own city; each city handles permits inside its limits.

North of Mills, rural land in Pottawattamie County is permitted by that county’s Office of Planning and Development, and Council Bluffs permits through its own Building Division.

Mills County permit types

The county posts a residential Building Permit Application and a separate Commercial Construction Permit Application, and its site links an online permit portal. The residential form combines the building permit (Section A), zoning information for the district (Section B) and flood plain development data (Section C) with a checklist of what to attach and what is needed to close the permit.

Residential permits

A house application needs engineered, approved building plans with a cover sheet giving the square footage of the main living space, the basement, the garage and decks or porches; a site plan meeting the setbacks; proof of an E-911 address; a REScheck energy report; a copy of the state electrical permit; proof of sewer or a permitted septic system and of public water or a permitted well; and, in a flood plain, an engineer’s or surveyor’s letter that the home will be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. In the AG, AR and LH districts the front yard is 75 feet (25 feet in a major subdivision with public water and sewer), side yards 10 feet and rear yards 25 feet; buildings may cover 5 percent of an AG or LH lot and 15 percent of an AR lot. In the LH Loess Hills Conservation Development district, conservation development rules apply, though land with a crop history shown on Farm Service Agency maps may use the AR standards.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial applications need complete architectural plans, signed and sealed structural calculations with soils data, plumbing, mechanical and energy plans, and fire protection details; electrical plans go to the State of Iowa. The fee is 1 percent of valuation, at least $300, using current building valuation data. Utility-scale solar needs a $1,500 conditional use permit, and on September 15, 2026 the Zoning Board of Adjustment approved, with conditions, conditional use permit 26-09 for a utility-scale solar farm in St. Mary’s and Oak townships.

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

• 911 address. From the County Engineer’s office; the well permit cannot be processed for new construction without it.
• Septic and well. Environmental Health permits for every new septic system and well.
• Entrance. A $100 entrance permit from Secondary Roads.
• Grading. A county grading permit from the Engineer; moving more than 1 acre of soil also needs a Soil Extraction Permit from the Board of Adjustment.
• Flood plain. A $100 Flood Plain Development Permit; no new homes may be built in the floodway.
• Zoning relief. Variances, conditional uses and district amendments, at the zoning fees below.

Mills County permit costs and fees

Building permit fees come from Attachment A to the county’s application, effective January 1, 2026; zoning fees from the schedule effective May 9, 2023. Every building permit also carries a $17 Recorder fee.

A worked example: a new house with a finished basement holding a bathroom and a recreation room pays $1,050 plus two finished areas at $105, or $1,260, plus the $17 Recorder fee, for $1,277; a new septic system adds $500, and the driveway entrance $100. Work begun before a permit is issued can bring an investigative fee for the county’s costs, and up to 80 percent of a permit fee may be refunded if no work has been done and a written request is filed within 180 days of payment.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Mills County does not issue electrical permits or collect electrical fees; section 24.1.69 sends applicants to the state, and the residential checklist asks for a copy of the state electrical permit up front and proof of the state’s final electrical inspection at the end. Plumbing and mechanical work falls under the county building permit and is certified by the contractors who did it, working under their state licenses.

• Septic. Every septic system needs a permit to construct or repair; the fee covers a pre-site inspection and a final inspection with a certification report.
• Wells. Every well needs a permit and must be drilled by a certified well contractor; wells have been inspected during construction since 2003, and permits expire one year after issue. Online permits are not offered for either program.

The grading permit application asks for the contractor’s state registration number, and the residential permit application asks for the general contractor’s state license number.

How to apply for a Mills County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Work must start within 90 days of issue, and permits expire after 12 months for a house or accessory building, 18 months for commercial work and 6 months for a deck or pool. Missing checklist items, especially the 911 address and the state electrical permit, hold up applications. Sites in the flood plain need certified elevations, and a project that moves more than an acre of soil needs grading approval first, with added grading rules in the Loess Hills district. The Building Official may waive sealed plans for very minor work under $5,000 that does not affect life safety. Zoning fees are not refunded once an application is submitted.

Inspections in Mills County

Section 24.1.11 says that for all permits issued after July 16, 2021, the Building Official will not conduct inspections. Each phase of construction must be inspected by licensed and certified agencies, contractors or individuals, who ensure the work complies with the state building code in Iowa Code chapter 103A, and a Contractor Certificate of Compliance must be returned to the Building Official before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

• Houses. The certificate includes the name and signature of each person who did the required inspections; the application checklist has the contractor and all subcontractors sign for their part, such as footings, plumbing, mechanical and framing.
• Commercial buildings. Each phase is inspected by an approved and certified inspection agency, architect or engineer, and the permittee submits a written inspection report to the Building Official.
• Electrical. State inspectors; proof of the passed final is required.
• Septic. Environmental Health inspects before and after construction.
• Wells. Inspected during drilling.

A certificate of occupancy is issued on request once the permittee provides all of the checklist items, the certificate of insulation, the electrical final and the signed compliance certificate.

Iowa building code

Mills County adopted the state building code by ordinance in Chapter 24 of its code, and it adds its own zoning, flood plain, grading and subdivision chapters for the unincorporated area. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Mills County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current flood insurance rate map dated April 17, 2020.

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

Mills County permit search and official resources

Chapter 24 requires the Building Official to keep records of applications, permits, certificates, fees and inspection reports for five years, so permit history for a rural parcel can be requested from Building & Zoning. Zoning board agendas and minutes are in the county’s Agenda Center, and the full code of ordinances is posted chapter by chapter, with 2025 and 2026 amending ordinances (including accessory dwelling units and residential care facilities) listed alongside.

• Mills County Building & Zoning
• Building permit application and 2026 fee list
• Commercial construction permit application
• Building guides
• Mills County ordinances
• Chapter 24, Building and Property Maintenance
• Chapter 27, Zoning Ordinance
• Chapter 26, Flood Plain Regulations
• Chapter 4, Entrance and Driveway
• Planning & Zoning Commission
• Engineer / Secondary Roads
• Entrance permit application
• Grading permit application
• Flood plain development application
• Environmental Health
• Septic permit application
• Well permit application
• Agendas and minutes
• State electrical permits (DIAL)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Iowa

Mills County permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in Mills County?

$1,050 for a single-family residence under the fee list effective January 1, 2026, plus $105 for each additional finished area and a $17 Recorder fee.

Does Mills County inspect construction?

No, not for permits issued after July 16, 2021. Licensed and certified contractors or inspectors inspect each phase and sign a Contractor Certificate of Compliance before the county issues a certificate of occupancy.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Not for a one-story detached shed of 200 square feet or less. Accessory buildings from 201 to 1,000 square feet cost $320, and larger ones $525.

What building code does Mills County use?

The state building code, adopted by Chapter 24; the department lists the 2024 International Building and Residential Codes among the editions it enforces.

Who issues electrical permits?

The State of Iowa. Mills County does not issue electrical permits, but it needs a copy of the state permit with a house application.

How much is a septic permit?

$500 for a full system, $300 for a lateral replacement or addition and $150 for a tank only, including the pre-site and final inspections.

Are there extra rules in the Loess Hills?

Yes. The LH Loess Hills Conservation Development district has conservation development standards, and the county grading permit rules carry added requirements there.

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