Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Springville, Iowa

Springville’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, improving, converting or demolishing buildings or structures inside Springville city limits; permit issued by Linn County under the city's agreement

  • Permit is obtained from the Linn County Planning and Development Department in accordance with the county's procedures and requirements.
  • Sub-permits may be applied for online, per the code note.

  “no person shall erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, improve, 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 linn county planning and development department”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction, remodeling and reconstruction of buildings inside Springville city limits

  • The city adopts the Linn County building, housing and property maintenance codes by reference, with city amendments as stated in chapter 155.
  • Codes applied are those codified in the Linn County Iowa code of ordinances, chapter 105, articles I-VII, and chapter 12, including future amendments.

  “except as hereinafter added to, deleted, modified, or amended, there are hereby adopted as the building, housing, and property maintenance codes of the city those certain codes and regulations as codified in the linn county iowa code of ordinances, chapter 105”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Springville city limits (Springville, Iowa code; Linn County named in the code text)

  • Chapter 165 is the city's zoning ordinance and applies to land inside city limits; the city has 11 zoning districts plus P-1 public use.

  “chapter 165 zoning regulations 165.01 intent and purpose”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Springville city limits

  • Official zoning map is part of the ordinance (section 165.04); the district list is A-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1, M-2, P-1.

  “165.04 establishment of districts; official zoning map 165.05 changes in official zoning map”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 low density single-family residential district inside Springville city limits

  • Minimum width and depth dimensions may not be construed to imply a minimum lot size of 8,000 square feet (section 165.11 item 4 note).
  • Table row labelling is ambiguous in the extracted PDF; the first column of values was read as the single-family dwelling column.

  minimum lot area: 9500 square feet · minimum lot width: 80 feet · minimum lot depth: 100 feet

  “9,500 square feet 80 feet (width) 100 feet (depth) 25 feet 8 feet 15 feet 25 feet 2.5 stories or 37.5 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the A-1 agricultural district inside Springville city limits

    “minimum lot area minimum lot width minimum front yard minimum side yard 25 feet each side, plus 2 feet for each story above one street side, corner lot minimum rear yard maximum height 1 acre 150 feet 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet 2½ stories or 37.5 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the A-1 agricultural district inside Springville city limits

  • Side yard is 25 feet each side plus 2 feet for each story above one.
  • Layout ambiguity as noted for the A-1 lot-size claim.

  minimum front yard: 35 feet · minimum side yard: 25 feet each side, plus 2 feet for each story above one · minimum street side yard, corner lot: 35 feet · minimum rear yard: 35 feet

  “minimum lot area minimum lot width minimum front yard minimum side yard 25 feet each side, plus 2 feet for each story above one street side, corner lot minimum rear yard maximum height 1 acre 150 feet 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet 2½ stories or 37.5 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-1 low density single-family residential district inside Springville city limits

    “9,500 square feet 80 feet (width) 100 feet (depth) 25 feet 8 feet 15 feet 25 feet 2.5 stories or 37.5 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the A-1 agricultural district inside Springville city limits

  • Maximum height is stated as 2½ stories or 37.5 feet.

  maximum building height: 2½ stories or 37.5 feet

  “minimum lot area minimum lot width minimum front yard minimum side yard 25 feet each side, plus 2 feet for each story above one street side, corner lot minimum rear yard maximum height 1 acre 150 feet 35 feet 35 feet 35 feet 2½ stories or 37.5 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-1 low density single-family residential district inside Springville city limits

    “9,500 square feet 80 feet (width) 100 feet (depth) 25 feet 8 feet 15 feet 25 feet 2.5 stories or 37.5 feet”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Properties inside Springville city limits served by the city sanitary sewer system

  • Connection is required within 90 days after official city notice, if the public sewer is located within 100 feet of the property line and can convey sewage by gravity.
  • Billing begins on the date of official notice to connect.
  • Water connection requirement was not verified in the opened text.

  distance to public sewer: <= 100 feet (measured to property line; must also convey by gravity) · compliance period after notice: 90 days

  “such compliance to be completed within ninety (90) days after date of official notice from the city to do so provided that said public sewer is located within one hundred (100) feet of the property line of such owner”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Springville city limits

  • Only the chapter title was confirmed (table of contents). Plat, lot-creation and approval steps in chapter 166 were not opened.

  “chapter 166 - subdivision regulations 901”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits for construction inside Springville city limits

  • The city code sends the applicant to Linn County procedures; the county's own step-by-step process was not opened, so the process is only partly documented here.

  “in accordance with the county's procedures and requirements”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Springville city limits
• Inspections — Inspections for construction inside Springville city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Springville city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Springville city limits
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage limits inside Springville 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.