Inside Storm Lake, the Building and Code Compliance Department at City Hall, 620 Erie St. (712-732-8002), issues building, electrical and plumbing permits and inspects the work under the 2024 International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Fire Codes, the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and the 2023 National Electrical Code. A $300,000 house pays a $1,348.72 building permit on the city’s fee table, and residential plans take about five working days to review.
What requires a building permit in Storm Lake?
Storm Lake’s Building Permits page lists the common projects that need a city permit, and exterior work such as roofing, siding, fences and driveways is on it. Projects are submitted with a complete application and a drawing of the work.
Permit needed
- New buildings and dwellings
- Additions and alterations, including egress windows and remodels with structural changes
- Interior remodels that involve drywall, moving or building walls, or changing windows or doors
- Wood decks and porches, including repairs and replacements
- Roofing and siding
- Fences, sheds, garages and carports
- Demolition of all or part of a structure, and moving a structure
- Driveways, sidewalks and patios (hard surface permit)
- Signs
- Repairs after fire or natural damage
- Work in the city right of way, streets, alleys, parking or sidewalks (right-of-way permit)
Code exemptions
- One-story detached tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar structures of 200 square feet or less, under the city’s amendment to IBC section 105.2
- Electrical work with materials under $100
- Small electrical jobs by a licensed contractor of 30 amps or less at 277 volts or less, single phase, with no work in a panel
The Building Permits page still lists sheds among common permit projects, so call 712-732-8002 before building a small shed. Fences need a building permit: on interior lots they may be 4 feet high in front and side yards and 7 feet in the back yard, with the decorative side facing the neighbor, and corner lots have extra limits. The city points owners to the Buena Vista County Assessor for lot dimensions and to a survey for the exact lot lines.
What Storm Lake decides and what the state holds
Ordinance 01-O-2025-2026 updated the city’s building regulations in 2025 to the 2024 International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Fire Codes, the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and the 2023 National Electrical Code. Its local amendments require a concrete foundation at least 48 inches below grade, 8 inches thick, with four #4 bars and 3,000 psi concrete for most buildings (private garages, carports, sheds, farm and storage buildings and warehouses excepted, and accessory buildings of 600 square feet or less may sit on a floating slab); ban shipping containers as buildings; and require fire sprinklers in any dwelling unit over 5,000 square feet including basements and in townhouse buildings with more than six units or over 14,000 square feet. Energy rules follow the code as adopted by the state, and trade licensing is a state matter.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Storm Lake building department: who handles permitting
The Building and Code Compliance Department lists two building officials, Scott Olesen and Chris Chambers. The building official also serves as zoning administrator and staff liaison to the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Adjustment, and the department enforces the Property Maintenance Code and runs the rental inspection program.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | City Hall, 620 Erie St. (P.O. Box 1086), Storm Lake, IA 50588 |
| Phone | 712-732-8002 (City Hall main line 712-732-8000); fax 712-732-4114 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Applications | Online forms on the city’s service portal, or paper applications at City Hall |
| buildingofficial@stormlake.org |
The city permits only inside its limits. Land outside Storm Lake is covered by Buena Vista County, whose zoning administrator issues zoning compliance permits from the courthouse (712-749-2555); see the Buena Vista County guide.
Storm Lake permit types
The city’s online service portal has separate forms for building projects, electrical and plumbing permits, fences, roofing and siding, signs, moving or demolishing a building, hard surfaces (driveways, curb and street cuts, patios and sidewalks), right-of-way work and tax abatement, plus planning requests for rezoning, subdivisions, conditional uses and variances.
Residential permits
New homes, additions, basements, decks and garages use the residential building project form with a drawing of the work. Roofing and siding, fences and driveways each have a short form of their own. A new house connecting to city water and sewer also needs the water service and sewer service permits, along with electrical and plumbing permits, and new homes must be wired by a master electrician licensed by the state. The city runs a grant program for owner-occupied roof replacements for households under its 2026 income limits ($54,250 for one person to $83,700 for five).
Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit applications, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.
Commercial permits
Commercial plans take about 15 working days or more to review, depending on the project. The building permit fee is based on the total estimated cost including mechanical work but excluding plumbing and electrical work, which have their own permits. The city’s electrical rules require metal conduit or tubing wiring methods in business, public, school, church, warehouse and apartment buildings, and fire sprinkler and fire alarm contractors are covered on the city’s contractor information pages.
For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial building permits through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →What comes before the building permit
- Zoning. The Board of Adjustment decides variances and special exceptions and hears appeals of zoning and property maintenance decisions; it meets as needed in the Council Chambers. Rezonings, plats and text amendments go to the Planning and Zoning Commission and then the City Council.
- Floodplain. Any development in a mapped flood area needs a floodplain development permit from the Building and Code Compliance Director first, along with any Iowa DNR approval required.
- Right of way and driveways. Curb cuts and work in streets or sidewalks need the hard surface or right-of-way permit.
- Rental property. Every rental unit in the city must be registered each year.
Storm Lake permit costs and fees
Building and sign permits are priced from the city’s fee table on the project’s cost, which by ordinance includes mechanical work but not plumbing or electrical work. The bands chain together, so each band starts where the previous one ends.
| Project cost | Fee |
|---|---|
| Under $1,200 | $30.00 |
| $1,200 to $2,000 | $30.00 + $2.88 per $100 over $1,200 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $53.04 + $9.16 per $1,000 over $2,000 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $263.72 + $6.22 per $1,000 over $25,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $419.22 + $4.15 per $1,000 over $50,000 |
| Over $100,000 | $626.72 + $3.61 per $1,000 over $100,000 |
| Portable sign (14 days) | $30.00 |
Worked example: a $300,000 house pays $626.72 plus $3.61 for each of the 200 thousands above $100,000 ($722), or $1,348.72. A $20,000 deck or remodel pays $53.04 plus $9.16 times 18, or $217.92.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Demolition permit / building moving permit | $100 / $150 per building |
| Driveway cut, residential / commercial | $150 / $200 |
| Right-of-way temporary closure | $25 |
| Re-inspection (after one per inspection) / no-show | $75 each |
| Pool inspection | $20 |
| Variance request / zoning request / conditional use | $150 / $300 / $300 |
| Property maintenance appeal | $150 |
| Sewer service permit and connection | $150 ($1,500 outside city limits) |
| Water service permit and connection / tapping | $150 / $65 per inch |
| Private wastewater system permit | $50 |
| Rental registration, yearly | $20 for the parcel and first unit, $10 per added unit; $75 late fee |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Trade permits and who may pull them
Storm Lake issues and inspects its own electrical and plumbing permits; electrical permits come from the city’s electrical inspector under the 2023 National Electrical Code as adopted by the state. Electrical permits go only to a person licensed for the work, except that a homeowner may get an electrical permit for the existing home they live in, not for a new service. The city asks every contractor working inside city limits to give the Building Official copies of current licenses, and contractors earning $2,000 or more a year from construction also register with the state Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing.
| Work | Electrical | Plumbing |
|---|---|---|
| New single dwelling | $38.00 | $38.00 |
| Duplex / triplex / 4-plex | $56.75 / $75.50 / $113.00 | $56.75 / $75.50 / $113.00 |
| 5 to 12 units / over 12 units | $156.75 / plus $38.00 per unit over 12 | $156.75 / plus $38.00 per unit over 12 |
| New commercial or industrial, first $25,000 | $8.00 per $1,000 for the first $5,000, falling to $3.00 for the fifth $5,000 | Same steps |
| New commercial or industrial, over $25,000 | $1.50 per $1,000 | $1.75 per $1,000 |
| Repairs and alterations | $6.75 ($100 to $150) up to $28.00 ($1,001 to $2,000); over $2,000, $28.00 + $1.50 per $100 | Same bands |
Mechanical work has no separate permit: its cost is added to the building permit valuation. Electrical permits are needed for changing or moving a service entrance and for rewiring, and plumbing permits for a new bathroom, moved fixtures and gas piping. In houses, basements must be wired in rigid conduit or electrical metallic tubing under the city’s amendments. The city also holds a yearly meeting for contractors on adopted codes, permits, inspection scheduling and stormwater.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply for a Storm Lake building permit
Call 712-732-8002 to confirm setbacks, the zoning district and whether the lot is in a flood area.
Prepare a drawing of the work and lot, with foundation and framing details for new buildings.
Use the building project, roofing and siding, fence, hard surface or right-of-way form on the city’s online portal, or a paper form at City Hall.
Licensed electricians and plumbers file their own permits, and new homes add sewer and water service permits.
After plan approval and payment of fees the permit is issued; no construction may start before then.
Call 712-732-8002 with 24 hours’ notice at each stage.
Review, corrections and what causes delay
The city asks applicants to allow 48 hours for approvals on common projects, about five working days for residential plans and about 15 working days or more for commercial plans. Missing drawings, foundation details that do not meet the 48-inch rule, and projects needing a variance or rezoning are the usual reasons for longer waits, since Board of Adjustment and Planning and Zoning Commission meetings are held only as needed.
Inspections in Storm Lake
Call 712-732-8002 to schedule inspections, allowing 24 hours’ advance notice. The city’s required-inspections sheet sets the stages by project.
- Before concrete is poured: footing and setback inspections, foundation inspections and drive approach inspections.
- Before insulation or drywall: framing rough-in, electrical rough-in and plumbing rough-in.
- New houses and additions: footings, foundation, under-floor plumbing, rough framing with mechanical, electrical and plumbing, and final.
- Garages and sheds: footing or slab, framing where needed, and final; covered porches and decks need footings and final; fences need a final.
- Interior remodels and egress windows: framing (including the window size) and final.
The $75 re-inspection fee applies after the first re-inspection for each inspection, and a missed appointment is a $75 no-show fee. Rental housing is inspected separately under City Code chapter 5-8, and owners must test the smoke detectors in each rental unit in July and January.
Iowa building code
Storm Lake adopted the 2024 International Codes, the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and the 2023 National Electrical Code with local amendments, and its floodplain chapter (City Code 3-14, added in 2023) requires new or substantially improved homes to have the lowest floor, including the basement, at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation on fill extending 18 feet beyond the building. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Storm Lake as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective map dated October 13, 2022.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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
Storm Lake permit search and official resources
The Building and Code Compliance Department posts a monthly building permit report for each month of 2025 and 2026, which lists the permits issued; older files are kept at City Hall. Adopted ordinances, including the 2025 building code update and the 2023 floodplain chapter, are posted on the City Code page.
- Building and Code Compliance
- Building permits and adopted codes
- Building and sign permit fees
- Building Official fees
- Electrical fees
- Plumbing fees
- Sewer fees
- Water fees
- Required inspections
- Ordinance 01-O-2025-2026, building regulations
- Floodplain management chapter (2023)
- City Code and recent ordinances
- Monthly building permit reports
- Contractor information
- Rental inspection program
- Board of Adjustment
- Planning and Zoning Commission
- Owner-occupied roof replacement program
- FEMA Community Status Book, Iowa
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Storm Lake building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Storm Lake?
It follows the city’s cost-based fee table: $30 under $1,200, rising to $626.72 plus $3.61 per $1,000 over $100,000, so $1,348.72 for a $300,000 house.
Do I need a permit to re-roof or re-side my house in Storm Lake?
Yes. Roofing and siding are on the city’s list of projects that need a permit, and there is a separate roofing and siding form.
How tall can my fence be?
On interior lots, 4 feet in the front and side yards and 7 feet in the back yard, with a building permit; corner lots have extra limits.
Can a homeowner pull an electrical permit?
Only for an existing home the owner lives in, and not for a new electrical service; new homes must be wired by a state-licensed master electrician.
How long does plan review take?
About five working days for residential applications and about 15 working days or more for commercial projects.
Do rentals in Storm Lake need to be registered?
Yes. Every rental unit is registered each year, at $20 for the parcel and first unit plus $10 for each added unit, with bills due August 31.
Can I use a shipping container as a building?
No. The city’s code amendments do not allow intermodal shipping containers to be repurposed as buildings or structures.
Simplify Storm Lake 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.
Ready to break ground in Storm Lake sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Storm Lake permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Iowa permitting guides
Buena Vista County
Read guide →Ankeny
Read guide →Davenport
Read guide →Story County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Tama County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Urbandale Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Storm Lake permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.