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. Union County does not publish a countywide building-permit timeline; municipal review times vary. Creston directs applicants to its Building and Code Compliance Department for current processing information.
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 641-782-2000 option 3 (Creston Public Works/Building); 641-782-7803 (Union County Environmental Health) 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
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel 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 641-782-2000 option 3 (Creston Public Works/Building); 641-782-7803 (Union County Environmental Health).
N/A. Union County does not publish a countywide building-permit timeline; municipal review times vary. Creston directs applicants to its Building and Code Compliance Department for current processing information.
For property in Creston, contact Public Works at 641-782-2000 option 3 or the building inspector at 515-850-2980; the City issues and schedules local inspections. For other municipalities, contact the relevant city clerk/building official. County septic, well, and environmental-health inspections are handled by Union County Environmental Health at 705 E. Taylor Street, Creston, 641-782-7803, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. weekdays.
Union County's official department directory does not list a county zoning or general building department, and its ordinances page lists no general county building-code or zoning ordinance. Building permits and inspections therefore fall back to the applicable municipality; Creston's official Building and Code Compliance Department handles construction permits, building codes, inspections, zoning questions, and related approvals within Creston. Countywide environmental-health rules cover septic systems, wells, wastewater, and related public-health matters. Union County separately regulates flood plains, wind/solar facilities, airport height, agricultural-area applications, and certain roads/utilities. No countywide building-permit exemption list was published because Union County does not operate a general county building-permit program. In the principal municipal fallback, Creston says a one-story detached accessory shed/playhouse/tool or storage structure up to 200 square feet may not need a permit if setbacks are met; an above-ground swimming pool may not need a permit, subject to setbacks and barrier rules. Creston requires permits for new buildings, structural changes, major residential remodels, commercial/industrial remodeling, attached decks, and detached decks over 30 inches high or 120 square feet. Other Union County municipalities may differ.
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.