Administrative overview · FIPS 19069
Franklin 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
Franklin County Department of Planning and Program Development / Zoning Administrator
For a project in or near Franklin 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
641-456-4090
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Franklin County Department of Planning and Program Development, 123 1st Avenue SW, PO Box 58, Hampton, IA 50441
Operating hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; confirm zoning staff availability before visiting
Review expectation
N/A; the reviewed county materials do not publish a general review timeline. The published permit form states that a building permit is valid for one year from the date granted.
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 Franklin County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Franklin County Department of Planning and Program Development / Zoning Administrator 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 641-456-4090 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 review timeline. The published permit form states that a building permit is valid for one year from the date granted.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the county zoning certificate/building permit application with the required site plan, dimensions, setbacks, legal description, contractor information, and applicable septic/well, DNR floodplain, special-exception/conditional-use, or variance documentation. The form directs applicants to the Planning and Program Development/Zoning office at 641-456-4090. No online inspection-booking portal or published inspection timetable was located.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Franklin County Chapter 70 (2024 Code) requires a county zoning permit before construction, reconstruction, conversion, alteration, enlargement, extension, razing, moving, or use of a building or land. Applications require a plot plan with lot and foundation dimensions, setbacks, accessory structures, and floodplain delineation approved by the County Engineer and Soil Conservation Director. The county also administers floodplain development permits and separate special-exception/conditional-use and variance processes. No specific 2026 county technical building-code edition was identified; applicable Iowa State Building Code, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, septic, health, and municipal requirements remain separate. Except to the extent required to implement Iowa Code section 335.2, Franklin County Chapter 70 exempts land, farmhouses, farm barns, farm outbuildings, and other structures primarily adapted for agricultural use while so used. Floodplain structures and activities remain subject to the county chapter. The published permit form separately lists Agricultural Use as no fee. Non-agricultural buildings, additions, fences, decks, sheds/accessory buildings, remodeling projects, and signs require the county zoning certificate/building permit. No separate minor/cosmetic exemption list was found.