Administrative overview · FIPS 19057
Des Moines 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
Des Moines County Land Use Department (administered by Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission)
For a project in or near Des Moines 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
319-753-4313; Assistant Land Use Administrator 319-753-4321
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Des Moines County Land Use Department, c/o Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission, 211 N. Gear Avenue, Suite 100, West Burlington, IA 52655
Operating hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; county courthouse hours 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; holiday closures may apply
Review expectation
N/A; the reviewed county materials do not publish a general zoning-permit review or issuance timeline. Approved construction must begin within six months and be completed within one year; permits can expire after those periods, subject to any approved extension.
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 Des Moines County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Des Moines County Land Use Department (administered by Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission) 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?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 319-753-4313; Assistant Land Use Administrator 319-753-4321 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
N/A; the reviewed county materials do not publish a general zoning-permit review or issuance timeline. Approved construction must begin within six months and be completed within one year; permits can expire after those periods, subject to any approved extension.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the zoning/special-use application with a site plan, applicable building floor plan, non-refundable fee, and any required floodplain, airport-height, entrance, well/septic, or erosion-control permits. The applicant should contact the Land Use Administrator when construction is complete; no separate routine building-inspection program is published by the county. Floodplain and zoning inspections or compliance questions go to the Land Use Department at 319-753-4313; well/septic permits are through Des Moines County Health at 319-753-8217, and county-road entrances through Secondary Roads at 319-753-8241.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Des Moines County Land Use Department administers county zoning, floodplain, subdivision, airport-height, and related land-use ordinances in the limited county zoning jurisdiction within 2 miles of Burlington. Zoning districts are A-1, R-1, R-1A, R-2, C-1, I-1, PUD, and FP. A current Floodplain Development Ordinance No. 25 was adopted April 21, 2026 and effective May 26, 2026; it incorporates current FEMA flood maps, including May 26, 2026 panels, and requires floodplain development permits and flood-resistant construction standards. The county land-use program is not a general technical building-code inspection program; applicable Iowa State Building Code, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, health, septic, and municipal requirements also apply. Agricultural uses, farmsteads, farm barns, farm outbuildings, and structures primarily adapted for agricultural purposes are exempt from the county zoning ordinance, subject to the ordinance's agricultural-use conditions; floodplain requirements may still apply. Other zoning-permit exemptions include accessory buildings under 175 square feet, full or partial demolition/removal, essential services, roof-mounted solar panels, and temporary construction buildings. The current floodplain ordinance also excludes minor projects under $500 from the definition of development and exempts routine maintenance such as reroofing, siding, painting, finish work, basement sealing, window-pane repairs, plumbing/electrical/HVAC repairs, and well/septic repairs. No county technical building-code exemption list was found.