Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Manilla, Iowa

Manilla’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings and structures, additions, moves and demolitions inside Manilla city limits

  • Permit issued by the zoning/building administrator; construction may proceed after the permit is issued.
  • Permit may not be issued in conflict with Chapter 165 except after written order from the board of adjustment.

  “165.51 zoning/building permit required. no building or other structure shall be erected, moved, demolished, or added to, without a zoning/building permit therefor issued by the zoning/building administrator. no zoning/building permit shall be issued except in conformity with the provisions of this chapter, except after written order from the board of adjustment.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Manilla city limits. The city adopts and administers its own zoning regulations (Chapter 165), not county zoning.

  • Zoning uses are restricted by the district rules in Chapter 165; the district text was not opened for this record.
  • Zoning districts shown in the code: ag agricultural, cn conservation, rs residential, mh mobile home, ac arterial commercial, bc business commercial, li light industrial, hi heavy industrial.

  “165.01 purpose. the purpose of this chapter is to provide adequate light and air, to prevent the overcrowding of land, to avoid undue concentration of population, to regulate the use of land, and to promote the health, safety, and general welfare in the city of mani”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts of Manilla city

  • The district list is published; the standards for each district and the official zoning map (section 165.03) were not opened.

  “165.22 ag – agricultural district 165.24 cn – conservation district 165.26 rs – residential district 165.28 mh – mobile home district 165.30 ac – arterial commercial district 165.32 bc – business commercial district 165.34 li – light industrial district 165.36 hi – heavy industrial district”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Non-sewer sanitation (on-site wastewater systems and other sewage disposal facilities) inside Manilla city limits

  • Allowed only as otherwise provided in Chapter 98, which requires a county board of health permit and compliance with IAC 567 chapter 69.
  • Discharge to ditches, streams, ground surface or tile is restricted (Section 98.05).
  • Septage must go to an approved disposal site (Section 98.08).

  “98.01 when prohibited. except as otherwise provided in this chapter, it is unlawful to construct or maintain any on-site wastewater treatment and disposal system or other facility intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Homes on property served by an on-site system where a public sanitary sewer becomes available inside Manilla city limits

  • Applies when a public sewer is available to the property under section 95.05 (not opened).
  • Chapter 98 section 98.07 requires abandonment of the on-site system once the connection is made.
  • Water connection rule not checked.

  “98.07 systems abandoned. at such time as a public sewer becomes available to a property served by an on-site wastewater treatment and disposal system, as provided in section 95.05, a direct connection shall be made to the public sewer in compliance with these sanitary sewer chapters and the on-site wastewater treatment and disposal system shall be abandoned and filled with suitable material.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Plats and re-plats of subdivisions inside Manilla city limits and adjacent land

  • Planning and zoning commission recommendations must be obtained before council approval.
  • Subdivision regulations text itself not located.

  “5. review and comment on plats. all plans, plats, or re-plats of subdivisions or re-subdivisions of land in the city or adjacent thereto, laid out in lots or plats with the streets, alleys, or other portions of the same intended to be dedicated to the public in the city, shall first be submitted to the commission and its recommendations obtained before approval by the council.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Zoning/building permits issued by Manilla city

  • Fee amounts are set by council resolution, not in the code text opened; the resolution was not located.

  “fees for zoning/building permits shall be as provided by council resolution.”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning/building permit application process in Manilla city

  • Permit expires two years after issuance if work has not begun within 180 days; extensions in writing.
  • Application forms and inspection steps not located.

  “zoning/building permits shall be applied for with the city clerk and shall expire two years after the date of issuance if work is begun within 180 days of issuance or after 180 days if no substantial beginning of construction has occurred.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Manilla or Crawford County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Whether an owner may build without a licensed contractor in Manilla city
• Building code adopted — Which building code (IBC, IRC, plumbing, mechanical, electrical) Manilla city adopts
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Manilla city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Manilla city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Main single-family residential district (rs – residential district, section 165.26) inside Manilla city limits

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.