Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Fairfield, Iowa

Fairfield’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New buildings and structures inside Fairfield city limits

  • Section 17.02.070 also requires a permit to enlarge, alter, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish existing buildings; the full text of the remaining subsections and any exemptions was not read.

  “no person, firm, or corporation shall erect or construct a new building or structure in the city, or cause the same to be done, without first obtaining a separate building permit for each building or structure from the building official.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Fairfield city limits

  • Adopts the Iowa State Building Code by reference (Section 17.02.030, ord. 729, 1986); the code text is the 2010 supplement.

  “the iowa state building code, including mechanical, plumbing, electrical and energy codes therein, promulgated pursuant to chapter 103a of the 1980 code of iowa, as title 680, chapter 5 and chapter 16, iowa administrative code is adopted by reference.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings and structures inside Fairfield city limits where the Iowa State Building Code requires a certificate of occupancy

  • Applies only where the Iowa State Building Code administration section requires a certificate of occupancy.
  • Changes in occupancy classification also require a certificate; changes in use must comply with city zoning regulations.

  “no building or structure where a certificate of occupancy is required by the iowa state building code "administration" section shall be used or occupied and no change to the existing occupancy classification of a building or structure or portion thereof shall be made until the building inspector has issued a certificate of occupancy therefor, as provided in this chapter.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Fairfield city limits, Jefferson County, Iowa

  • Title 20 of the municipal code; the copy found is the 2010 supplement, so later amendments were not checked.

  “the ordinance codified in this title shall be known, cited and referred to as the fairfield zoning ordinance.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Residential lots in subdivisions inside Fairfield city limits

  • Attached housing developments laid out under the comprehensive plan and acceptable to the commission may use 25-foot lot widths and 3,750 sq ft lots.
  • Where neither public sewer nor public water is available, lots must be at least 90,000 sq ft and 200 ft wide; with public water but individual sewage disposal, at least 45,000 sq ft and 100 ft wide.
  • Code text is the 2010 supplement.

  minimum residential lot width at building line: >= 60 ft (attached housing developments) · minimum residential lot area: >= 6600 sq ft (attached housing developments)

  “no residential lot shall be less than sixty feet in width at the building line, or less than sixty-six hundred square feet in area, unless an attached housing development is laid out in an area according to the comprehensive plan”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Fairfield city limits
• Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Fairfield city limits
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Fairfield city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Main residential district inside Fairfield city limits
• Minimum lot size — Main single-family residential district inside Fairfield 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.