Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Eldon, Iowa

Eldon’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Manufactured or modular homes (mobile-home type) placed outside a licensed mobile home park inside Eldon city limits

  • Permit application must show compliance with state and federal building codes and a seal, and proof of construction within ten years of the permit date (18.08.030(b)).
  • Must be placed on a permanent concrete foundation at least 54 inches deep, anchored, and fully skirted; minimum width 24 feet on the shortest side (18.08.030(c)-(d)).
  • Units more than ten years old may not be placed outside a park unless a temporary special permit is granted (18.08.030(f)).

  “such manufactured or modular (mobile) home to be located outside a mobile home park must apply for a permit and provide proof of compliance with applicable provisions of the state and federal building codes and regulations, display a seal and provide proof of construction within ten years of the date of the permit.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  All building inside Eldon city limits

  • Adopted by the city's own building code (Title 15, chapter 15.08), which is titled the Eldon, Iowa, Building Code.
  • Mobile homes are governed by the standards in chapter 15.08 and modular or sectional homes must comply with the international building code (15.08.070).

  “the international building code, and all provisions of the international building code standards, published by the international code council and commonly known as the international building code, as now or hereafter adopted, is adopted as the standard for all building in and as the building code for the city of eldon.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Adopted — Factory-built (manufactured and modular) homes inside Eldon city limits

    “the city of eldon adopts the iowa state building code and regulations, as amended from time to time. the public works director is designated to perform any inspections or compliance reviews for installation of factory built structures under federal or iowa state building codes and regulations.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Manufactured or modular homes placed on a foundation outside a mobile home park inside Eldon city limits

  • The footings are inspected before backfill, and the home placement is inspected before skirting (18.08.030(d)).
  • The inspector named in the code is the mayor or public works director.

  “before a manufactured or modular (mobile) home may be placed upon a foundation as herein specified, the footings shall be inspected by the mayor or public works director before backfill and the manufactured or modular (mobile) home and the placement thereof upon the foundation shall be inspected before the manufactured or modular (mobile) home is skirted as hereinafter provided.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Eldon city limits. Eldon's Title 18 (Zoning) establishes a city-wide restricted residence district.

  • The district covers the entire platted corporate limits, except an area described in section 18.10.020 and 18.10.030 and an additional north 22-acre tract described in 18.10.020(b).
  • Permitted uses are limited to single-family residences, schoolhouses, churches and similar structures; other uses need a council variance permit under 18.10.050-18.10.070.
  • Only the Title 18 change file was reviewed; the full current zoning code was not located.

  “the following restricted residence district is designated and established: the entire platted corporate limits of the city, including all area within its corporate limits as now established or hereinafter extended except that area enclosed in the tract hereinafter described as follows:”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Land inside Eldon city limits.

  • Only one district (restricted residence district, chapter 18.10) was found in the Title 18 change file. Chapters 18.04 and 18.08 regulate mobile homes and factory-built homes, not districts.
  • No commercial, industrial, agricultural or other zoning district map or list was located on the official site.

  “the following restricted residence district is designated and established: the entire platted corporate limits of the city, including all area within its corporate limits as now established or hereinafter extended except that area enclosed in the tract hereinafter described as follows:”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Buildings and structures in Eldon's restricted residence district (the single residential district found; the city-wide district in chapter 18.10), main single-family residential use.

  • Side and rear setback 5 ft; front setback 20 ft; corner lots 20 ft at the front and at the side adjacent to the intersecting street (per 18.10.040).
  • The same numbers are repeated in 15.08.090 of the building code; no agricultural or rural-residential district setbacks were found.
  • Mobile home park yard rules (18.04.090) apply only inside licensed mobile home parks.

  side yard setback: >= 5 ft (minimum distance to adjoining side lot line) · rear yard setback: >= 5 ft (minimum distance to adjoining rear lot line) · front yard setback: >= 20 ft (minimum distance to front lot line) · corner lot setback: >= 20 ft (front and side lot lines adjacent to the intersecting street)

  “all buildings or other structures hereinafter erected, reconstructed or altered within the restricted residential district shall be placed not closer than five feet to the adjoining side lot line or rear lot line and not closer than twenty feet to the front lot line. at corner lots setbacks shall be twenty feet at the front and side lot lines adjacent to the intersecting street.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured or modular (mobile-type) homes used as dwellings inside Eldon city limits, outside a licensed mobile home park

  • Must be placed on a permanent foundation and meet the 10-year age limit and 24-foot minimum width (18.08.030).
  • Mobile homes built before June 15, 1976 may not be used as a permanent dwelling outside a mobile home park (18.04.050); those are an older category and not covered by this claim.

  “a manufactured or modular (mobile) home shall be no older than ten years.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Dwellings inside Eldon city limits when water or sewer adjoins the property (minimum housing code)

  • Applies where existing water supplies are not safe, sanitary or reliable, or onsite waste disposal has contributed to pollution.
  • The city shall automatically require connection to adjoining facilities whenever there is a change of occupancy, before new occupants move in (15.20.080).
  • This is an enforcement rule, not a general mandate that every new home must connect when service is available; no such general rule was found.

  “the city shall automatically require connection(s) to facilities adjoining the property whenever there is a change of occupancy. this connection shall be made prior to the new occupants moving into the structure.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Conditional — Mobile homes placed outside a licensed mobile home park inside Eldon city limits

    “no mobile home shall be placed outside of licensed mobile home parks unless converted to real estate in accordance with the iowa code section 435.26 and connected permanently to city water and sanitary sewer facilities.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Any development in the special flood hazard area inside Eldon city limits, including placement of factory-built homes

  • Permit is issued by the mayor as administrator; the city adopts the Wapello County flood insurance study by reference.
  • Structures must be elevated so the lowest floor is at least one foot above base flood elevation (15.24.050), and sanitary systems in the floodplain have specific design standards.

  “a floodplain development permit issued by the administrator shall be secured prior to any floodplain development (any man-made change to improved and unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations), including the placement of factory-built homes.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications for dwellings and structures inside Eldon city limits

  • Fee schedule is in Title 15 (15.08.040) as stated in the changes file; the city may have amended it since.
  • Floodplain development permits and other permit fees were not located.

  building permit fee, structures 1,000 sq ft or more: 50 USD (dwellings, buildings, commercial buildings and structures of 1,000 square feet or more) · building permit fee, structures 1,000 sq ft or less: 20 USD (structures of 1,000 square feet or less)

  “a permit fee of fifty dollars shall accompany all applications for building permits for dwellings, buildings, commercial buildings and structures of one thousand square feet or more. a permit fee of twenty dollars shall accompany all building permit applications for structures of one thousand square feet or less.”

• Permit processPartial

  Floodplain development permit applications inside Eldon city limits

  • The application is made on forms furnished by the mayor as administrator and must describe the work and the land (15.24.040(2)(b)).
  • The general building permit process (application steps, review time, forms) is not published in the change files reviewed.

  “application shall be made on forms furnished by the administrator and shall include the following:”

Rules another office applies inside Eldon

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Private sewage disposal (septic) systems on land inside Eldon city limits, administered by Wapello County Planning and Zoning under the county's own permit process

  • The county page addresses permits for private sewage systems 'within wapello county'; it does not carve out the city.
  • Where city sewer adjoins a property, city connection rules apply (see utility_connection claims).

  “any homeowner, contractor, firm, or corporation desiring a permit for a private sewage disposal system, future installation, or demolition within wapello county must file with the wapello county planning and zoning department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing, altering or demolishing a private sewage disposal system on land inside Eldon city limits

  • Application requires owner name, E911 address, mailing address, phone and installing contractor information.
  • Applies to private systems not connected to city sewer.

  septic permit fee: 350 USD

  “the application will need information including, owner's name, location (e911 address), mailing address, phone number, and installing contractor information. septic permit fee is $350.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing a home inside Eldon city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new dwellings inside Eldon city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Site-built and factory-built dwellings inside Eldon city limits
• Minimum lot size — Single-family residential lots inside Eldon city limits
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Eldon 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.