Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Monroe, Iowa

Monroe’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Monroe city's limits: the city's own zoning regulations (Chapter 165, adopted June 1, 1992 by Ordinance No. 159, kept in a separate volume)

  • The zoning regulations are kept in a separate volume that was not in the code PDF and was not located online; their district use and dimensional rules were not read.
  • Zoning map amendments are listed by ordinance number in the Chapter 165 editor's note.

  “the zoning regulations of the city of monroe, adopted june 1, 1992, by ordinance no. 159, and amendments thereto, contained in a separate volume, are a part of this code of ordinances and are in full force and effect.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy inside Monroe city that abut a street, alley or right-of-way with a public sanitary or combined sewer

  • Applies where a public sanitary or combined sewer is located or may in the future be located in the abutting right-of-way.
  • Owner pays for toilet facilities and building sewer; connection due within 60 days after official notice from the city.
  • The sentence continues with a proviso ('provided that said') that is cut off in the captured text; read it in full before relying on exceptions.
  • Chapter 96 requires a sewer connection permit and a connection charge (section 96.02); amounts were not read.

  “the owners of any houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or other purposes, situated within the city and abutting on any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located, or may in the future be located, a public sanitary or combined sewer, are hereby required to install, at such owner’s expense, suitable toilet facilities therein and a building sewer connecting such facilities directly with the proper public sewer”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Plats, re-plats and subdivisions of land in Monroe city, or adjacent land laid out with public streets intended for dedication in the city

  • Plats must go to the Planning and Zoning Commission and receive its recommendations before council approval.
  • The code's table of contents lists Chapter 170 Subdivision Regulations (PDF p. 1001); that chapter was not opened.

  “the subdivision regulations of the city of monroe, adopted by ordinance no. 90, and amendments thereto, contained in a separate volume, are a part of this code of ordinances and are in full force and effect.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development on land inside Monroe city's mapped floodplain (special flood hazard area) under Chapter 160

  • Applies only to lands within the floodplain boundaries; the floodplain administrator is the mayor.
  • The code does not say in one sentence that a floodplain permit is required for all development; the permit-application step is quoted here.

  “review all floodplain development permit applications to assure that the provisions of this chapter will be satisfied”

Rules another office applies inside Monroe

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

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, constructing, enlarging, altering or moving any building or structure inside Monroe city limits; the permit is issued by the Jasper County building department

  • Permit issued by the Jasper County building department under the city's 28E agreement, not by the city.
  • Work must also be completed in accordance with the adopted codes.

  “no person shall erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, or demolish any building or structure in the city, or cause the same to be done, without first obtaining a separate building permit for each such building or structure from the jasper county building department”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  All construction inside Monroe city limits: Jasper County, Iowa building codes, administered by the Jasper County building department under a 28E agreement with the city

  • Applies only inside Monroe city limits under a 28E agreement between the city and Jasper County.
  • Codes apply 'as amended from time to time'.

  “pursuant to a 28e agreement by and between the city and jasper county, the jasper county, iowa, building codes, as amended from time to time, are applicable to all construction within the city and shall be administered by the jasper county building department, except for the legal enforcement of violations thereof.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process for work inside Monroe city limits, administered by the Jasper County building department

  • The code states where the permit is obtained but not the application steps, fees or review timing; those were not found in the code PDF.

  “without first obtaining a separate building permit for each such building or structure from the jasper county building department”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from permit or licensing rules inside Monroe city limits
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Monroe city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Monroe city limits
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts of Monroe city, Iowa
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size for single-family homes in Monroe city's main residential district

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.