Washington County, Iowa Ottumwa, Burlington & Southeast Iowa

Barndominium Builders in Washington County, Iowa

Washington County, Iowa leaves rural builders more room than most, and it helps to know exactly why before buying ground. The county has adopted no building codes, so unincorporated land needs no county building permit, and its old zoning ordinance was rescinded in 2013. That does not mean anything goes. Wells, septic systems, driveway entrances and floodplain work still need permits, land within two miles of a city may fall under that city's rules, and Iowa's residential energy code applies to a new heated home statewide whether or not anyone inspects it. Iowa Barndominium Builders works as barndominium contractors on acreage homes across the county, and we sell barndominium kits to owners who plan to raise the frame themselves. We build to a recognized residential code even where none is enforced, because a lender, an insurer or a future buyer will ask. The facts below are drawn from the county's own development and environmental health pages. If you have land in view near Washington County towns or out on a gravel road, [start the survey](/survey/) and tell us the location, the acreage and the home and shop you want.

Washington County at a glance

County: Washington County
Building permit: No residential building permit
Local facts on this page: 5, each linked to its source

Tell us about your land

Before you build in Washington 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.

No residential building permitWho issues the permit

No county building permit (Washington County has adopted no building codes)

Washington County has not adopted building codes, so no county building permit is needed in the unincorporated areas. Within two miles of a city, ask that city whether it enforces codes there. Well, septic, floodplain and driveway entrance permits still apply, and the county notes the state inspects new electrical work.

Source: Rural Building & Development Permits (Washington County, Iowa PDF) (washingtoncounty.iowa.gov)

County zoning: Washington County's former Zoning Ordinance was rescinded in 2013, so no county zoning permit is required for any use or building project in the unincorporated areas.
Floodplain development permit: Any project in the 100-year floodplain, including buildings, filling, grading and excavation, needs a Floodplain Development Permit before work starts; the county Floodplain Administrator handles it.
Two-mile city check: The county advises that a project within two miles of an incorporated city should check with that city whether it enforces building or zoning codes and requires permits at that rural location.
Septic systems: Private onsite wastewater systems in the county must meet 567 IAC chapter 69 and Chapter 66 of the Washington County Code of Ordinances; building a new home is one of the listed triggers for a septic system, as is a home sale needing a Time of Transfer inspection.
Driveway entrances: A new driveway entrance needs approval from the County Engineer's Office on a county road, or from the Iowa Department of Transportation on a state highway, before the work is planned in detail.

Building on land near Washington County

With no county zoning, no zoning district dictates minimum lot size or setbacks on unincorporated land; recorded covenants, any subdivision rules and the space a septic field needs become the practical limits. That freedom makes due diligence more important. Check the flood map before you buy, since floodplain work needs a permit; check whether the parcel sits within two miles of a town; and talk to Environmental Health about the well and septic before fixing the house location. Our [site preparation](/services/site-preparation/) work covers the pad, the drive entrance and utility trenching.

Where we build in this part of Iowa

Ottumwa, Burlington & Southeast Iowa

Ottumwa
Burlington
Washington County

What we build in Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County: questions

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How much does it cost to build a barndominium in Washington County, Iowa?

Skipping county permit fees saves little next to the real cost drivers: well depth, the septic design your soil allows, driveway length and any floodplain fill, then the size, frame and finish of the home. We publish no price sheet of our own. Our barndominium cost guide sets out the drivers with third-party figures, and the survey lets us price your parcel.

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

Not a county building or zoning permit on unincorporated land. You will still need well and septic permits from Environmental Health, a driveway entrance permit, a floodplain permit if the site is in the 100-year floodplain, and possibly city permits within two miles of a town. New electrical work is inspected by the state. Our permitting help lines these up.

Can I put up pole barn homes or post frame homes near Washington County towns?

Yes. With no county building code in the unincorporated areas, post frame homes, pole barn homes and metal building homes all go up without county plan review, but we still design the frame and footings to a residential code so the house holds up and finances. Our floor plans are a good place to begin.

Keep reading

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

Barndominium builders near Washington 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.

Iowa county

Johnson County, Iowa

Wapello County, Iowa

Des Moines County, Iowa

Building in Washington 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