Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
N/A for ordinary building permits. The county publishes 7-10 business-day estimates for certain complete site-plan reviews after corrections and requested information are submitted; complex zoning, conditional-use, rezoning, stormwater, or public-hearing matters can take longer. Permits must begin within 180 days of issuance and may not be suspended or abandoned for more than 180 days without an extension.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call 319-356-6085 (Building Services); 319-356-6083 (Planning and Development) if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
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
Johnson County Planning, Development and Sustainability / Building Services is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 319-356-6085 (Building Services); 319-356-6083 (Planning and Development).
N/A for ordinary building permits. The county publishes 7-10 business-day estimates for certain complete site-plan reviews after corrections and requested information are submitted; complex zoning, conditional-use, rezoning, stormwater, or public-hearing matters can take longer. Permits must begin within 180 days of issuance and may not be suspended or abandoned for more than 180 days without an extension.
Apply through the CitizenServe portal, upload the PDF building plans and required application materials, pay fees, and use the portal to request/schedule inspections. Building Services conducts site inspections; applicants must coordinate inspections before relevant work is covered and contact staff with questions at 319-356-6085. New homes and commercial buildings also need a wastewater permit from Johnson County Public Health where applicable. Demolition and trade work have separate application requirements.
Johnson County’s published FAQ identifies the 2024 International Residential Code, 2024 International Building Code, 2023 National Electrical Code as adopted by Iowa, 2024 International Mechanical Code as adopted by Iowa, 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code as adopted by Iowa, and 2012 International Energy Conservation Code. The county also enforces its Unified Development Ordinance, site-plan, stormwater, erosion and sediment control, sensitive-area, floodplain, and other applicable land-use requirements in unincorporated areas. A permit is not required for a one-story detached accessory structure of 200 square feet or less used as a tool shed, storage shed, playhouse, or similar use; additions to a house require a permit regardless of size. Window replacement is exempt when headers are not moved/altered/replaced, subject to emergency-escape-opening requirements. A detached deck may be exempt when it is no more than 200 square feet, no more than 30 inches above grade, unattached to a dwelling, and does not serve the main exit door. Construction of decks otherwise requires a permit.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.