Administrative overview · FIPS 19007
Appanoose County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Appanoose County Planning and Zoning Department / County Board of Supervisors
For a project in or near Appanoose County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
Appanoose County Zoning Department 641-437-4529; older zoning-permit form lists 641-856-6193
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Appanoose County Zoning Department, 201 North 12th Street, Centerville, IA 52544
Operating hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on the current zoning-certificate form
Review expectation
N/A; the zoning certificate is void after six months if construction, alteration, or change of use has not commenced, and proposed construction or alteration must be completed within 18 months.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Appanoose County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Appanoose County Planning and Zoning Department / County Board of Supervisors is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Appanoose County Zoning Department 641-437-4529; older zoning-permit form lists 641-856-6193.
How long might review take?
N/A; the zoning certificate is void after six months if construction, alteration, or change of use has not commenced, and proposed construction or alteration must be completed within 18 months.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the zoning certificate application with the required septic permit, plot plan, and scaled construction/site information. After issuance, notify the Zoning Administrator when site preparation, foundations, or footings are complete for inspection, and again when the project is complete; contact 641-437-4529.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Appanoose County Zoning Ordinance, Revised June 2020, for the Rathbun Reservoir zoned district, including zoning districts, setbacks, site-plan review, land-use changes, and zoning certificates; applicable Iowa state electrical and trade requirements also apply. A specific 2026 technical building-code edition was not identified. The ordinance exempts agricultural land, farm houses, farm barns, farm outbuildings, and other structures primarily adapted for agricultural use while so used, except floodplain-related regulations still apply. The county's new-construction guidance indicates the zoning-certificate step applies when the property is in the county's zoned area; properties outside that area may have no county zoning certificate step, but state, health, septic, municipal, and other approvals may still apply.