Dallas County, Iowa Des Moines & Central Iowa

Barndominium Builders in Dallas County, Iowa

Dallas County, Iowa, the one west of Des Moines with county offices in Adel and Perry, is where many metro families look first for acreage. Between the towns there is still farm ground and rural-residential land with space for a shop, a few outbuildings and a long driveway. On unincorporated land the Dallas County Planning and Development department handles zoning and building permits, and it has a building inspector on staff. The county's Uniform Construction Codes ordinance adopts the International Residential Code for houses outside the cities and writes in local design figures, including a 30 psf ground snow load and a 42-inch frost line. That gives a steel or post-frame design a fixed target. The order of approvals matters here: the county wants the septic permit, trade sub-permits and any road entrance permit in hand before it issues the building permit, so we line those up early. We design, supply and build the house, and we coordinate the paperwork so the start date holds. For anyone weighing barndominium contractors near Dallas County acreage, the survey tells us where the land is and what you want to build on it.

Dallas County at a glance

County: Dallas County
Building permit: County (unincorporated land)
Local facts on this page: 5, each linked to its source

Tell us about your land

Before you build in Dallas County

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.

County-issued permitWho issues the permit

Dallas County Planning and Development, Adel

On unincorporated land the county planning office takes building permit applications by email, mail or in person, not through the self-service portal. Dwelling permits need a site plan, full construction plans, a septic permit, trade sub-permits and any entrance permit before issue. Cities such as Waukee permit their own land.

Source: Building Permit Application Process | Dallas County, IA (dallascountyiowa.gov)

Residential code and loads: Chapter 47 of the Dallas County Code adopts the International Residential Code (2006 edition) for unincorporated Dallas County, amended with a 30 psf ground snow load, 90 mph wind speed, severe weathering and a 0 degree winter design temperature.
Frost line depth: 42 inches, written into the county's amendment to IRC Section R301.2 in Chapter 47.
Agricultural exemption: Section 45.03 of the county zoning ordinance exempts land used primarily as part of a for-profit agricultural enterprise; owners must submit an agricultural exemption form, the Director of Planning and Development decides, and appeals go to the Board of Adjustment within 30 days.
Septic permits: Dallas County Environmental Health permits private septic systems; a soil analysis and design by an approved entity is required before an installation permit, and alternative systems need a maintenance contract on file for the life of the system.
Private wells: Environmental Health also permits well services in the county, and the county Board of Health has adopted the state's private well construction, testing and plugging rules (567 IAC chapters 24, 38, 39, 49 and 82).

Building on land near Dallas County

Rural Dallas County mixes working farm ground with smaller rural-residential tracts carved from it. Floodplain maps matter near streams, and the county notes that its zoning ordinance may still apply to structures in a floodplain even where land is farm-exempt. Most acreage relies on a private well and septic, and the soil analysis for the septic design often fixes where the house and shop can go. Pole barn homes suit this ground, and metal building homes with clear spans are common where a buyer wants equipment storage. We walk the site with the permit rules in mind, since the county wants all four property lines and setbacks drawn on the site plan.

Where we build in this part of Iowa

Des Moines & Central Iowa

What we build in Dallas County

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 Dallas County? 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 Dallas County: questions

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How much does it cost to build a barndominium in Dallas County?

Budget the land work first: a soil analysis and septic design, a well, a county road entrance and a power run can add up before the frame arrives. We do not publish a rate of our own. Use our barndominium cost guide for sourced ranges, and send the parcel through the survey for a quote.

Do I need a permit to build a barndominium in Dallas County, Iowa?

Yes, on unincorporated land the county planning office issues a building permit, and for a dwelling it will not issue one until the septic permit and electrical, mechanical and plumbing sub-permits are in place. A true farm house on a working farm can apply for the agricultural exemption from county zoning, but the Director decides whether it qualifies.

Can I build post frame homes or barndominium kits in Dallas County?

Yes. The county asks for floor plans, foundation and footing details, truss plans and framing details with the application, so post frame homes and barndominium kits need a complete drawing set, not just a catalogue sheet. We prepare or review that set against the county's code figures. See post-frame homes.

Does land inside Waukee follow the county permit rules?

No. Inside Waukee the city Community Development Department issues building permits under the city codes. Our Waukee page covers that side; the county process described here applies to unincorporated land outside the corporate limits of the cities.

Keep reading

What usually comes next once you know what Dallas County 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 Dallas County facts above. Rules change, so check the current version with the office before you rely on it.

Barndominium builders near Dallas County

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.

Dallas County, Iowa

Polk County, Iowa

Iowa county

Iowa county

Building in Dallas County?

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