Administrative overview · FIPS 19073
Greene 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
Greene County Planning and Zoning / Zoning Administrator
For a project in or near Greene 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
515-386-5669
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Greene County Zoning Office, second floor of the Auditor’s Office, Greene County Courthouse, 114 N. Chestnut Street, Jefferson, IA 50129
Operating hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Review expectation
N/A; no general review timeline is published. The zoning ordinance states that a permit expires after six months if substantial construction or establishment of the use has not begun, and the approved construction/use must be completed within eighteen months unless an extension is obtained in writing.
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 Greene County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Greene County Planning and Zoning / 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 515-386-5669 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
N/A; no general review timeline is published. The zoning ordinance states that a permit expires after six months if substantial construction or establishment of the use has not begun, and the approved construction/use must be completed within eighteen months unless an extension is obtained in writing.
How are inspections scheduled?
Contact Greene County Planning and Zoning at 515-386-5669. The county’s public materials describe zoning certificates, floodplain map review, and zoning administration but do not provide an online inspection-booking portal or a published inspection schedule. Confirm the required application documents and any site review with the Zoning Office before beginning work.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Greene County’s current public planning materials identify an updated zoning ordinance adopted October 17, 2022. The ordinance uses a zoning certificate issued by the Zoning Administrator to authorize buildings, structures, or uses consistent with the ordinance. No specific 2026 county technical building-code edition was identified; applicable Iowa State Building Code, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, septic, floodplain, and municipal requirements remain separate. The county zoning ordinance exempts farm land, farm houses, farm barns, farm out-buildings, and other structures or erections used primarily for farming purposes while they continue to be used primarily for farming, under the ordinance’s Iowa Code section 335.27 implementation. It also excludes certain utility distribution equipment from zoning control except where the ordinance provides otherwise. No separate minor/cosmetic exemption list was found.