Des Moines County, Iowa Ottumwa, Burlington & Southeast Iowa

Barndominium Builders in Burlington, Iowa

Burlington is the seat of Des Moines County in the state's southeast corner, and the county name trips people up: it is not the Des Moines metro in central Iowa. A barndominium project here usually starts with one question, which is whether the land is inside the city, inside the ring of county zoning around it, or beyond that ring. Iowa Barndominium Builders works as barndominium contractors across all three, and we supply barndominium kits to owners who want to stand the frame up themselves. In town, Community Development's building inspectors issue permits under the 2024 International Residential Code and sign off the final inspection that leads to a Certificate of Occupancy. In the county, a regional planning commission runs the land use office, and the county health department handles septic systems and wells. The facts below are taken from the city's building pages and the county's land use and public health pages. If you have land near Burlington picked out, [start the survey](/survey/) and tell us where it sits, how many acres it covers and the size of home and shop you want on it.

Burlington at a glance

Principal county: Des Moines County
Building permit: City building department
Local facts on this page: 5, each linked to its source

Tell us about your land

Before you build in Burlington

The local answers that shape a build here, each taken from the office or document that publishes it. Rules change, so we confirm them again against your parcel before drawing.

City-issued permitWho issues the permit

City of Burlington Community Development, Building Inspection

Inside Burlington, the city's building inspectors issue building and trade permits through its Building / Zoning Permit Portal and enforce the city's adopted codes. Outside the city, zoning and floodplain permits come from the Des Moines County Land Use Department.

Source: Building & Construction | Burlington, IA (burlingtoniowa.org)

Residential code in the city: The City of Burlington lists the 2024 International Residential Code among the codes it currently enforces, alongside the 2024 IBC, 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and 2023 National Electrical Code.
Certificate of Occupancy: Burlington issues a Certificate of Occupancy for all buildings only after a final inspection verifies the work; the contractor or homeowner is responsible for scheduling that final inspection.
County zoning ring: The Des Moines County Zoning Ordinance only covers land within 2 miles of the City of Burlington; inside that area a county Zoning Permit is required for almost all new construction before work begins.
Floodplain and land use office: Des Moines County contracts with the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission (SEIRPC) to serve as its Land Use Department, which approves zoning and floodplain permits and reviews subdivisions.
Septic and well permits: The Environmental Division of Des Moines County Public Health issues septic permits and inspects new and reconstructed private wells, and offers well water testing.

Building on land near Burlington

The two-mile zoning ring shapes rural land shopping around Burlington: inside it, a county zoning permit comes before construction, and beyond it the county has no zoning ordinance to satisfy, though floodplain rules and septic and well permits still apply. Low ground near the Mississippi can fall in a mapped floodplain, so we check the flood map early. On acreage we plan the well and septic layout with the health department, then our [site preparation](/services/site-preparation/) crew builds the pad and drive. See the [Iowa legal guide](/guides/barndominium-legal-iowa/) for the state rules behind it all.

Where we build in this part of Iowa

Ottumwa, Burlington & Southeast Iowa

What we build in Burlington

Kits, custom plans and turnkey builds. The parcel decides the budget more than the floor area does, so we price against your land rather than a rate card.

Custom Plans

Custom barndominium floor plans drawn for your Iowa parcel: slab or basement, septic sized to bedroom count, design values from your own jurisdiction.

Barndominium Kits

Barndominium kits for Iowa land: steel or post-frame shell packages drawn to the design criteria your own county or city publishes, delivered to your site.

Turnkey Builds

Barndominium builders in Iowa for the whole job: site work, foundation, shell and interior finish under one contract, with county permits handled in order.

See every service

Have land in or near Burlington? Tell us about the parcel and what you want to build, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.

Start your build survey

Building in Burlington: questions

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How much does it cost to build a barndominium near Burlington?

The site sets the first part of the budget. A city lot on sewer skips the well and septic work that acreage needs, and a parcel near the river may need fill or a raised floor to meet floodplain rules. Home size, frame and finishes set the remainder. Our barndominium cost guide covers the drivers with third-party figures, and the survey gives us enough to price your parcel.

Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Burlington or Des Moines County?

Inside Burlington, yes: apply through the city's permit portal and arrange the final inspection for a Certificate of Occupancy. Within two miles of the city, a county Zoning Permit from the Land Use Department is required for almost all new construction. Anywhere in the county, septic and well permits come from Des Moines County Public Health. Our permitting service handles the applications.

Do you build pole barn homes, post frame homes and metal building homes around Burlington?

Yes. Pole barn homes and post frame homes use wood columns and suit wide shop bays on rural ground, and metal building homes use a steel frame for long clear spans. On a city lot we size the building to the zoning district. Our floor plans show layouts to start from.

Keep reading

What usually comes next once you know what Burlington allows.

Barndominium Cost Guide

Sourced per-square-foot ranges by tier and size, and what moves the number on your land.

Read it

Is a Barndominium Legal in Iowa?

Zoning, septic and who inspects, before you buy the land.

Read it

How Long Does It Take?

From parcel to move-in, and which steps set the clock.

Read it

Sources for this page

The published pages behind the Burlington facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.

Barndominium builders near Burlington

Nearby places we also build in. Across a city limit or a county line the permit office, zoning and septic rules can change, so each has its own page.

Washington County

Iowa county

Muscatine County

Iowa county

Ottumwa

Wapello County, Iowa

Building in Burlington?

Start with the survey. Tell us where the land is and what you want on it, and we will come back with which office permits it, what it will allow, and a plan to fit.

Start the survey