Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Edgewood, Iowa

Rules another office applies inside Edgewood

Edgewood does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  New or replacement private sewage disposal systems on land inside Edgewood city's Clayton County portion (the Clayton County Environmental Health & Zoning office permits and inspects these systems). The Delaware County portion of Edgewood city is not covered by this source and is not verified.

  • The county's page says private sewage disposal system permits will not be issued where public or community sewer is available: "private sewage disposal system permits will not be issued to individuals who have access to community or public sewage disposal systems." Edgewood city operates its own water and sewer utilities per Delaware County's page, so for parcels with city sewer access this county septic permit route may not apply; confirm with the county.
  • Municipal sewer status of the specific parcel was not checked.

  “environmental health & zoning is responsible for inspection and permitting of all private sewage disposal systems in clayton county.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New dwellings on private septic in Edgewood city's Clayton County portion; the county's permit process is the one described on the Clayton County page.

  • For a new dwelling, the permit must be issued before the building permit: "if your system will be serving a new dwelling, a private sewage disposal system permit must be issued prior to issuing the building permit."
  • A soil evaluation and/or percolation test is required first: "a soil evaluation and/or percolation test, including a soil boring six feet in depth, is required in order to process your private sewage disposal system application." The test must be done by a licensed engineer or approved septic contractor, and no permit issues until it is done.
  • Permits are not issued where community or public sewer is available (see septic-authority-clayton-county).

  “if your system will be serving a new dwelling, a private sewage disposal system permit must be issued prior to issuing the building permit.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private septic systems in Edgewood city's Clayton County portion, during installation and at property sale.

  • An inspection must be done before any part of the system is covered: "prior to covering any portion of the system, an inspection must be scheduled."
  • Inspection requests must be scheduled at least seven and one-half hours in advance, by calling 563-245-2451 (Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm).
  • On sale of a home: "if you are looking to sell your home, a time of transfer inspection is required."

  “prior to covering any portion of the system, an inspection must be scheduled.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Whether a building permit is required for construction inside Edgewood city, Iowa
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for work inside Edgewood city, Iowa
• Building code adopted — Which building code, if any, Edgewood city, Iowa adopts for construction inside its limits
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Edgewood city, Iowa
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Edgewood city, Iowa

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.