Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Worthington, Iowa

Worthington’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Accessory buildings and structures inside Worthington city limits (not principal dwellings, which were not researched)

  • Requirement is stated only for accessory buildings and structures; the chapter does not state the rule for principal structures.
  • Permit must be issued before construction begins.

  “6-17-2 permit. a building permit must be issued prior to construction of any accessory building or structure.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Accessory buildings and structures (other than a private garage) inside Worthington city

  • Applies to accessory buildings and structures, not principal dwellings.
  • The chapter also defers to 'the zoning ordinance for property setbacks', which was not located.

  accessory building setback from property line and from principal structure: >= 5 feet (or as set forth in the zoning ordinance for property setbacks)

  “accessory buildings and structures, other than a private garage, shall be limited to twelve (12) feet in height for sidewalls, and no part of the structure shall be closer than five (5) feet from the principal structure or property line, or as set forth in the zoning ordinance for property setbacks.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Area of the required rear yard that accessory buildings and structures may occupy inside Worthington city (not overall lot coverage)

  • Accessory structures may be erected only in the rear yard.
  • Private garage may occupy up to 50 percent of the required rear yard; the 30 percent figure applies to other accessory structures, combined with garage limit not exceeded.

  accessory structures (non-garage) share of required rear yard: < 30 percent (private garage may occupy up to 50 percent of the required rear yard; in no event more than 30 percent of rear yard occupied by garage, accessory building or structure)

  “6-17-5 rear yard. no accessory building or structure shall be erected in any yard other than the rear yard, and the structure shall occupy less than 30 percent of the required rear yard, except for a private garage, which may occupy up to 50 percent of the required rear yard. but in no event shall more than 30 percent of the rear yard be occupied by garage, accessory building or structure.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Accessory buildings and structures inside Worthington city; principal-building height not located

  • Accessory structure may not be taller than the principal structure.
  • Principal-building height limits are not stated in this chapter.

  accessory building sidewall height: <= 12 feet (other than a private garage (sidewalls))

  “6-17-4 height. a private garage or accessory building or structure may not be taller than the principal structure.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of land into subdivisions inside Worthington city limits

  • The adopted code defines plats and a plats officer; the approval procedure and standards were not opened.

  “6-7-2 purpose. the purpose of this ordinance is to provide minimum standards for the design, development and improvement of all new subdivisions and resubdivisions of land, so that existing developments will be protected, and so that adequate provisions are made for public facilities and services, and so that growth occurs in an orderly manner, consistent with the comprehensive plan, and to promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the citizens of the city of worthington, iowa.”

• Permit processPartial

  Submission of city permit and application forms (including the building application/permit form) inside Worthington city

  • Applications go to the city clerk's office and must be complete by noon on the Thursday before the council meeting; late forms wait for the next council meeting.
  • Council meets on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:30pm, per the city forms page.
  • The city forms page lists a building application/permit form; the review steps and inspections were not located.

  “all applications/permits/forms (excluding the "application for utilities/automatic withdraw" form(s)) must be completely filled out and submitted to the office of the clerk no later than 12:00pm(noon) on the thursday prior to the meeting. if you do not meet this deadline, you must wait until the following council meeting for a decision on your paperwork. council meetings are held on the 3rd monday of each month at 6:30pm.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit requirements inside Worthington city
• Building code adopted — Building code edition adopted for construction inside Worthington city
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Worthington city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Worthington city
• Local zoning — Whether Worthington city adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside 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.