Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Rock Valley, Iowa

Rock Valley’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside the corporate limits of Rock Valley city, Iowa (Sioux County)

  • The copy opened is the 2016 Zoning Ordinance hosted on a file host; no later amendment was located within the research budget, so currency is unverified.
  • Zoning permits are required under section 5.9 (zoning permit, separate from a building permit).

  “in accordance with the provisions of chapter 414, code of iowa, and amendatory acts thereto; this ordinance is adopted by the city of rock valley, iowa”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Rock Valley city limits, including AG agriculture, R-1 single family residential and R-4 mobile/manufactured housing

  • Full district map is referenced in section 3.1 of the 2016 ordinance; the map itself was not opened.

  “article 4: ag - agriculture district 4.1. intent 27 4.2. principal permitted uses 27”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  All residential dwellings inside Rock Valley city, including site-built, factory-built and manufactured homes outside parks

  • The 24-foot dimension is a minimum shortest-side exterior dimension, not a square-footage minimum; no square-footage floor was located.

  minimum shortest exterior dimension of main body: >= 24 feet (excludes attached garages, porches, or other attached accessory structures)

  “every residential dwelling, including all site-built dwellings, factory built dwellings, and mobile or manufactured homes located outside of a mobile home park or manufactured housing subdivision shall have a main body with a minimum exterior dimension on the shortest side of at least twenty-four feet (24') measured from outside of the exterior walls, exclusive of attached garages, porches, or other attached accessory structures.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family residential (R-1) district inside Rock Valley city

  • Other uses in R-1 require 12,000 sq. ft. minimum lot area.

  minimum lot area, single-family dwelling: >= 8000 sq. ft. (all other uses 12,000 sq. ft.)

  “lot area - single family dwelling 8,000 sq. ft. - minimum lot area all other uses 12,000 sq. ft. - minimum lot area”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Agriculture (AG) district inside Rock Valley city

    “lot area - 1 acre - minimum lot area lot width - 150 feet - minimum lot width”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Agriculture (AG) district inside Rock Valley city

  • Subject to the supplemental district regulations referenced in section 4.5.

  front yard setback: >= 50 feet · rear yard setback: >= 50 feet · side yard setback: >= 25 feet · street side yard setback (corner lot): >= 50 feet

  “front yard - 50 feet - minimum required setback rear yard - 50 feet - minimum required setback side yard - 25 feet - minimum required setback street side yard (corner lot) - 50 feet - minimum required setback”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family residential (R-1) district inside Rock Valley city

    “front yard - 25 feet - minimum required setback rear yard - 25 feet - minimum required setback side yard - 6 feet - minimum required setback street side yard (corner lot) - 25 feet - minimum required setback”

• Building heightSpecified

  Agriculture (AG) district inside Rock Valley city

  • The same sentence states there is no height limitation for agricultural buildings.

  maximum height for dwellings and non-agricultural buildings: <= 35 feet (no limitation for agricultural buildings)

  “height - 35 feet maximum height for dwellings and non-agricultural buildings and structures.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family residential (R-1) district inside Rock Valley city

    “street side yard (corner lot) - 25 feet - minimum required setback height - 35 feet”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicle use as a dwelling on land inside Rock Valley city

  • Recreational vehicles may be used as a place of human habitation for no more than fourteen consecutive days in any three-month period.
  • Use must be customarily for vacation or recreation purposes.
  • Permanent occupancy is prohibited under a separate claim.

  consecutive days of habitation: <= 14 days (within any three (3) month period)

  “recreational vehicles shall be customarily or ordinarily used for vacation or recreation purposes and not used as a place of human habitation for more than fourteen (14) consecutive days in any three (3) month period.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Prohibited — Permanent human occupancy of a recreational vehicle in any zoning district inside Rock Valley city

    “recreational vehicles shall not be used for permanent human occupancy in any zoning district.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary camping in recreational vehicles inside Rock Valley city

  • The quoted rule restricts recreational vehicles only; tent camping and other camping were not addressed in the sections opened.
  • Recreational vehicle habitation is limited to fourteen consecutive days in any three-month period.

  consecutive days of habitation: <= 14 days (within any three (3) month period)

  “recreational vehicles shall be customarily or ordinarily used for vacation or recreation purposes and not used as a place of human habitation for more than fourteen (14) consecutive days in any three (3) month period.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Residential dwellings of any size, including small or tiny homes, inside Rock Valley city

  • Every residential dwelling must have a main body with a shortest exterior dimension of at least 24 feet, excluding attached garages, porches and accessory structures.
  • No tiny-home-specific rule located.

  minimum shortest exterior dimension of main body: >= 24 feet (excludes attached garages, porches, or other attached accessory structures)

  “every residential dwelling, including all site-built dwellings, factory built dwellings, and mobile or manufactured homes located outside of a mobile home park or manufactured housing subdivision shall have a main body with a minimum exterior dimension on the shortest side of at least twenty-four feet (24') measured from outside of the exterior walls, exclusive of attached garages, porches, or other attached accessory structures.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured or mobile homes located outside a mobile home park or manufactured housing subdivision inside Rock Valley city

  • Must be placed on a permanent frost-free foundation that meets manufacturer or state building code support and anchorage requirements (Code chapter 146.03).
  • Must meet the 24-foot minimum exterior dimension in zoning section 16.7.
  • R-4 mobile/manufactured housing district exists in the zoning ordinance (article 9); its standards were not opened.

  “a mobile home or manufactured home located outside of a manufactured home community or mobile home park shall be placed on a permanent frost-free foundation system which meets the support and anchorage requirements as recommended by the manufacturer or required by the state building code.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  New home or building inside Rock Valley city that abuts a street with a public sanitary sewer

  • Connection is required only where the public sewer is within 400 feet of the property line and can receive and convey sewage by gravity.
  • Owner must complete the connection within 30 days after official notice from the city.
  • Connection work must be done by a state-licensed plumber (section 96.03).

  distance to public sewer: <= 400 feet (measured to property line; gravity design required)

  “such compliance to be completed within thirty (30) days after date of official notice from the city to do so provided that said public sewer is located within four hundred (400) feet of the property line of such owner and is of such design as to receive and convey by gravity such sewage as may be conveyed to it.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Sewer connection permit fee inside Rock Valley city; building permit fees not located

  • A sewer lift station fee set by council is added where sewage flows through a city lift station.
  • Building or zoning permit fees were not located.

  sewer connection permit fee: 75 USD (plus sewer lift station fee set by council where flow passes through a city lift station)

  “the person who makes the application shall pay a fee in the amount of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) to the clerk to cover the cost of issuing the permit and supervising, regulating, and inspecting the work.”

• Permit processPartial

  Sewer connection permit process inside Rock Valley city; building and zoning permit process not located

  • Permit requires completion of the building sewer connection within 60 days after permit issuance; extension possible for conditions beyond the owner's control.
  • Connection work must be done by a state-licensed plumber.

  time to complete sewer connection after permit issuance: <= 60 days (extension may be granted for conditions beyond owner's control or peculiar hardship)

  “the permit shall require the owner to complete construction and connection of the building sewer to the public sewer within sixty (60) days after the issuance of the permit”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Rock Valley or Sioux County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits for new dwellings inside Rock Valley city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from licensing or permit rules inside Rock Valley city
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Rock Valley city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Rock Valley city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Rock Valley city

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.