Iowa
Site Plans & Permit Drawings in Iowa
Permit-ready site plans and drawings for properties in all 99 counties of Iowa, drafted from your address to your local permit office’s rules. No site visit.
- 99 counties served
- No site visit
- Local rules checked
- Licensed PE partner
Quick answer
Do You Need a Site Plan for a Permit in Iowa?
Yes, most building permits in Iowa need a site plan: a scaled drawing of the lot, existing buildings and the new work, with distances to the property lines. In Iowa, cities issue building permits inside their limits and the county issues them in unincorporated areas. Your address decides which office reviews your plans. We check that office’s requirements before quoting.
- Permits issued by
- City building departments; the county in unincorporated areas
- Building code
- Local adoption of the International Codes; editions vary by city and county
- Counties
- 99 in Iowa, all served
- Largest
- Polk County (505K), Linn County (229K), Scott County (174K), Johnson County (158K), Black Hawk County (130K)
- Site visit
- None. We draft from parcel records, aerial imagery and your documents
Counties we serve
All 99 Iowa Counties
We prepare drawings for properties in every county in Iowa, and check the rules of the city or county that issues your permit.
A
- Adair County
- Adams County
- Allamakee County
- Appanoose County
- Audubon County
B
- Benton County
- Black Hawk County
- Boone County
- Bremer County
- Buchanan County
- Buena Vista County
- Butler County
C
- Calhoun County
- Carroll County
- Cass County
- Cedar County
- Cerro Gordo County
- Cherokee County
- Chickasaw County
- Clarke County
- Clay County
- Clayton County
- Clinton County
- Crawford County
D
- Dallas County
- Davis County
- Decatur County
- Delaware County
- Des Moines County
- Dickinson County
- Dubuque County
E
- Emmet County
F
- Fayette County
- Floyd County
- Franklin County
- Fremont County
G
- Greene County
- Grundy County
- Guthrie County
H
- Hamilton County
- Hancock County
- Hardin County
- Harrison County
- Henry County
- Howard County
- Humboldt County
I
- Ida County
- Iowa County
J
- Jackson County
- Jasper County
- Jefferson County
- Johnson County
- Jones County
K
- Keokuk County
- Kossuth County
L
- Lee County
- Linn County
- Louisa County
- Lucas County
- Lyon County
M
- Madison County
- Mahaska County
- Marion County
- Marshall County
- Mills County
- Mitchell County
- Monona County
- Monroe County
- Montgomery County
- Muscatine County
O
- O'Brien County
- Osceola County
P
- Page County
- Palo Alto County
- Plymouth County
- Pocahontas County
- Polk County
- Pottawattamie County
- Poweshiek County
R
- Ringgold County
S
- Sac County
- Scott County
- Shelby County
- Sioux County
- Story County
T
- Tama County
- Taylor County
U
- Union County
V
- Van Buren County
W
- Wapello County
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Webster County
- Winnebago County
- Winneshiek County
- Woodbury County
- Worth County
- Wright County
No match. We serve every county in Iowa; check the spelling, or send us your address
Counties and population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 county population estimates.
Local conditions
What to Know About Permits in Iowa
What changes the drawings in Iowa. Exact numbers like setbacks and frost depth are set locally; we look them up for your address.
- Who reviews your permitIn Iowa, cities issue building permits inside their limits and the county issues them in unincorporated areas. Your address decides which office reviews your plans.
- Flood zonesCheck your parcel on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. In a mapped flood zone, permit offices in Iowa usually want the zone shown on the site plan, and some work needs an elevation certificate. FEMA flood map
- Deep frost linesCold winters push frost deep into the ground in Iowa, so deck, porch and garage footings must reach below the frost depth your county sets.
Services
Drawings We Prepare in Iowa
Every service, for any property in the state. Ordered together, the sheets are drawn to match.
- Site PlansLot lines, setbacks and new work
- Floor PlansExisting and proposed layouts
- Elevation DrawingsHeights, roof pitch, materials
- 3D RenderingsRealistic views for HOAs and buyers
- Subdivision PlansLot split layouts
- Engineer-Stamped PlansSealed where our PE partner is licensed
- Full Permit SetsEvery sheet, drawn to agree
- Permit CorrectionsRevisions after reviewer comments
Deck & PorchUsually, for attached decks or decks more than 30 inches above the ground.
FenceOften, especially for fences over 6 feet, front-yard fences or corner lots.
Pool & SpaYes, almost everywhere, for in-ground pools and most above-ground pools and spas.
Shed & OutbuildingOften for sheds over about 120 to 200 square feet, or with power.
ADUYes. An ADU is a dwelling, so it needs a full building permit.
Home AdditionYes, any addition that adds floor area needs a building permit.
Nearby states
Iowa FAQ
Permits in Iowa
Short answers to what people ask before ordering. Ask anything else in your quote request.
Get Price QuoteDo you serve every county in Iowa?
Yes. We prepare drawings for properties in all 99 counties of Iowa, from Polk County to Adams County.
Who issues building permits in Iowa?
In Iowa, cities issue building permits inside their limits and the county issues them in unincorporated areas. Your address decides which office reviews your plans.
Does Iowa have a statewide building code?
Not one single code for every address. Cities and counties in Iowa adopt editions of the International Codes, so the rules depend on where the property is.
Do you need to visit my property in Iowa?
No. We work from your address, county parcel records, aerial imagery and any survey, plans or photos you send.
Can you provide engineer-stamped plans in Iowa?
Our licensed Professional Engineer partner seals eligible plans in the states where they’re licensed. We confirm coverage for your project before you pay.