Administrative overview · FIPS 19087
Henry 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
Henry County Planning and Zoning Department
For a project in or near Henry 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
319-385-0746; Environmental Health/well permits: 319-385-1223
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Henry County Planning & Zoning, County Courthouse, 100 East Washington Street, Suite 102, Mount Pleasant, IA 52641; Environmental Health, Regional Utility Service Systems, 1501 West Washington Street, Suite 103, Mount Pleasant, IA 52641
Operating hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; appointments strongly encouraged
Review expectation
N/A; Henry County publishes no general permit-review timeline. Zoning permits expire one year after issuance under the publicly available ordinance text, with an extension of up to one year potentially available when reasonable circumstances prevented completion. Public-hearing applications follow notice and board schedules.
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 Henry County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Henry County Planning and Zoning Department 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 319-385-0746; Environmental Health/well permits: 319-385-1223.
How long might review take?
N/A; Henry County publishes no general permit-review timeline. Zoning permits expire one year after issuance under the publicly available ordinance text, with an extension of up to one year potentially available when reasonable circumstances prevented completion. Public-hearing applications follow notice and board schedules.
How are inspections scheduled?
Use the county’s Beacon online applications gateway for zoning and septic permits and 911-address requests, or contact Planning & Zoning at 319-385-0746. All private wells require a construction permit and inspection through Environmental Health at 319-385-1223. Septic applications and inspections are handled through Environmental Health; contact the office to schedule project-specific inspections. No separate building-inspection booking calendar was located.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Henry County Planning & Zoning administers and enforces county land-use laws, reviews land-use permit applications, issues permits for conforming projects, receives zoning/nuisance complaints, and takes enforcement action. The county’s current ordinance materials regulate zoning in unincorporated areas and require zoning permits for covered structures and changes of use; incorporated municipalities may have separate authority. No specific 2026 county technical building-code edition was identified. Applicable Iowa State Building Code, electrical/plumbing/mechanical, septic, well, floodplain, health, and municipal requirements remain separate. The county’s zoning ordinance exempts structures used for farming purposes from the listed zoning-permit requirement and exempts a change in use to farming. Other non-farm structures erected, replaced, reconstructed, enlarged, or otherwise covered by the ordinance require a zoning permit. No separate minor/cosmetic exemption schedule was found; confirm whether a project is exempt with Planning & Zoning.