Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Farmington, Iowa

Farmington’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, moving or altering any building or structure inside Farmington city limits (Ordinance 37 defines 'structure' to include sheds, garages and signs, among other things)

  • The permit is issued by the city council (through the city clerk) and is conditional on the building conforming to Ordinance 37's yard requirements (Section 6).
  • Ordinance 37 was passed and approved 12 May 1975 and amended in 1980 (fences) and 1998; the city page carries a 'reviewed: 11/9/15' stamp. Whether this text is the current permit rule was not confirmed against a current code; the city's modern building-permit process (Planning and Inspections / Building Permits) was not located on an official page.
  • Ordinance 37 Section 4 is the only building-permit rule located in this pass.

  “before any building or structure may be erected, moved or altered, the person desiring to erect, move or alter said building or structure must procure a permit from the city council of farmington, iowa.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Farmington city limits (Van Buren County, Iowa). The city's own Planning & Zoning Commission reviews amendments to the city's zoning ordinances. The zoning ordinance text itself was not located.

  • The city code adopted by Ordinance 50 expressly excludes zoning ordinances, so zoning is kept outside the codified code and was not reached.
  • Zoning district text, map and dimensional standards were not located in this research pass; see the zoning_districts and dimensional claims.
  • Ordinance 50 identifies the city as being in Van Buren County: the ordinance index describes ordinance 15 as applying 'in the city of farmington, county of van buren, state of iowa'.

  “the planning & zoning commission reviews proposed amendments to zoning ordinances, site plans and plat applications, and also makes recommendations to the council regarding the current and future development of the city of farmington.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential buildings and associated structures in Farmington city (the residential yard rule; no zoning district map located to split residential districts)

  • Minimum yard depths/widths under Ordinance 37 Section 6(1), applying to each residential lot.
  • Ordinance 37 Section 3 says no building may be erected or altered to have narrower or smaller yards than specified in the ordinance.
  • Ordinance 37 Section 8 lets buildings existing when enacted continue even if nonconforming.
  • Ordinance 37 dates from 12 May 1975 and was amended in 1980 and 1998; currency not confirmed against a current code.

  front yard depth: >= 15 feet · each side yard width: >= 5 feet · rear yard depth: >= 5 feet

  “1. for residential buildings and/or associated structures, each lot shall have front, side and rear yards not less than the following depth and width: (a) front yard depth - 15 feet. (b) each side yard width - 5 feet. (c) rear yard depth - 5 feet.”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Commercial buildings and associated structures in Farmington city

    “2. for commercial buildings and/or associated structures there shall be: (a) a rear yard of not less than 10% percent of the depth of the lot. (b) a side yard, if provided, shall not be less than three (3) feet wide.”

  • Specified — Industrial buildings and associated structures in Farmington city

    “3. for industrial buildings and/or associated structures, each lot shall have a front yard not less than twenty (20) feet in depth.”

• Permit processPartial

  Permits under Ordinance 37 for erecting, moving or altering buildings and structures inside Farmington city limits

  • Application is filed with the city clerk, then the permit is issued upon council approval (Ordinance 37, Section 5 and Section 6).
  • Process is described only in a 1975 ordinance; no current published permit guide, fee schedule or inspection step was found on an official page, so the process is only partially documented.
  • Application details are listed in Ordinance 37 Section 5 (persons involved, type and location, materials, start and completion dates, distances to lot lines).

  “a permit may be procured by filing with the city clerk of farmington, iowa, written application containing the following information:”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Farmington or Van Buren County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Farmington city
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption inside Farmington city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Farmington city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Farmington city
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and district list for Farmington 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.