Administrative overview · FIPS 19127
Marshall 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
Marshall County Planning & Zoning Department
For a project in or near Marshall 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
641-844-2707
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Marshall County Planning / Zoning / Environmental Health, 1 E. Main Street, Marshalltown, IA 50158
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; call ahead or email the Zoning Administrator.
Review expectation
N/A. The ordinance requires review and notice of approval, conditions, or deficiencies but publishes no general turnaround time. A permit is void if work has not commenced within six months and proposed construction must be completed within one year of issuance.
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 Marshall County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Marshall County Planning & 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 641-844-2707.
How long might review take?
N/A. The ordinance requires review and notice of approval, conditions, or deficiencies but publishes no general turnaround time. A permit is void if work has not commenced within six months and proposed construction must be completed within one year of issuance.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the approved building-permit application to the Planning and Zoning Administrator with duplicate scaled plans, lot/building dimensions and location, intended use, a survey or recorded-plat basis, the required fee, and a staked building location before construction. The application is reviewed for zoning, floodplain, and platting compliance, with comments requested from the Engineer, Auditor, Assessor, Sanitarian, Conservation, and other agencies as needed. Contact 641-844-2707 for review or inspection coordination; no separate inspection calendar was published.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
No separate 2026 technical building-code edition was identified. Marshall County administers and enforces its zoning, floodplain, land-development, and platting/subdivision regulations in unincorporated territory. The zoning ordinance requires site-plan and permit review for compliance with county regulations and applicable Iowa Department of Transportation, Health, Natural Resources, and other state-agency requirements. No structure 120 square feet or less is required to obtain a county building permit under Article XIX. No broader cosmetic-work exemption list was published. Other zoning, floodplain, septic, driveway, or state permits may still apply to a small structure or its site.