Boone County, Iowa
Construction & Remodeling
Boone County covers 570 square miles and holds about 26,799 people. The median home here was built in 1960, and that number shapes almost every conversation we have. Busy Builders has served Central Iowa homeowners since 2020, and here most of that work is remodeling.
Call: 844-435-9800 Website: https://busybuildersiowa.com/
Boone County, Iowa General Contractor
About Us
We started Busy Builders to bring honesty back to remodeling and home building. Our team came out of the trades with decades of hands-on work behind them. We have served more than 1,285 Central Iowa homeowners since 2020.
Our Mission
Give every homeowner the most transparent and honest experience we can. In a county this old, that means telling you what sits behind the plaster before you sign.
Our Vision
We want to be the registered general contractor that homeowners in Boone, Madrid, Ogden, Boxholm, Beaver and Pilot Mound call first.
Cities We Service in Boone County
Six Boone County communities. Boxholm, Beaver and Pilot Mound share a clerk, so the permit answer is often the same across all three.
Boone
Own department, 923 8th Street
Madrid
Issues its own permits
Ogden
Issues its own permits
Boxholm
Shares a clerk with two towns
Beaver
Shares a clerk with two towns
Pilot Mound
Shares a clerk with two towns
Luther
$25 permit, $50 no-permit fine
Fraser
Old coal town, county permits
Berkley
23 residents, county permits
Full-Service Construction and Remodeling Across Boone County
New homes on unincorporated land start with a zoning permit from Boone County Planning and Development at 515-433-0550. No county inspector reviews the structure, so your builder is the quality control. The county counts a home at $100 per square foot for permit math, but it does not publish the fee table. Footings go below the local frost line, and the county publishes no figure. Iowa now requires a passive radon method in new one- and two-family homes. Home building starts at $150 per square foot, and final costs vary by scope, materials and complexity.
Half the homes in Boone County were built before 1960, so remodeling is most of what we do here. We plan for what old houses hold. Lead paint under anything painted before 1978. Knob-and-tube wiring. Electrical service too small for a modern kitchen. Plaster over framing that never ran square. We open a small area early and price the work from what we find, not from a guess. Phased remodels spread the cost across seasons, and we sequence them so you keep a working kitchen and bath.
A 1950s Boone County kitchen was wired for a refrigerator and a toaster. Add a range, a microwave and a dishwasher and the electrical panel becomes part of the project. Move a wall or a gas line and a permit follows inside city limits. Old plaster hides framing that is out of square, so cabinet runs need shimming and honest measuring. We check the panel and the framing before we order anything. Kitchen remodeling starts at $250 per square foot, and final costs vary by scope, materials and complexity.
A basement finished in the 1970s often fails today’s rules in quiet ways. Ceiling height under 7 feet. A bedroom with no compliant egress. A stair with the wrong rise. In a county this old we also find stone and block walls that were never meant to carry finish materials. We open it up, tell you what actually has to change, and keep that separate from what you simply want changed. Water comes first. Nothing goes on a wall until the drainage is solved.
Bathrooms are small rooms with a lot of detail in them. Boone County adopted no building code, but Iowa still licenses the plumbers and electricians who do the work. That licensing is the floor, not the ceiling, so we hold the job to code either way. Older homes here often have cast iron drains and vents added later. We check clearances at layout, because a vanity that fits on paper can block a door swing by an inch. Second floor and basement baths raise a drain question we solve before demolition.
An addition changes your footprint, and the footprint is exactly what a Boone County zoning permit checks. Setbacks, bulk, lot coverage and fire access all get reviewed, so call 515-433-0550 before you fall in love with a plan. New footings go below the local frost line. Matching an older home takes care, because floor heights and framing depths rarely match today’s lumber. We build additional stories, sunrooms, garages, ADUs and tornado shelters. Additions start at $300 per square foot, and final costs vary by scope, materials and complexity.
Finishing a Boone County basement means checking three things first. Habitable space needs a ceiling of at least 7 feet. A bedroom needs an egress opening with 5.7 square feet of net clear area. And the space needs a radon test before the drywall goes up, not after. Boone County Health and Sanitation sells kits at cost, $12.50 short term and $40 long term. Older basements here miss the ceiling or the egress more often than newer ones, and we say so before you spend on design.
Boone County counts deck area at $25 per square foot when it prices a permit, so a deck on rural land is permitted work. Inside the city, the building department handles it at 515-433-0633. Footings still go below the local frost line, which is why a deck set on shallow piers can heave after a hard Iowa winter. Central Iowa jurisdictions that publish a number use 42 inches, and that is the depth we design to. Guard height, stair rise and the ledger connection all get built right.
THE MEDIAN HOME HERE DATES TO 1960
Iowa’s median home was built in 1972. Polk County sits at 1982 and Dallas County at 2006. Boone County sits at 1960, a full generation older than the metro.
It reaches further back than that. About 37.9 percent of the housing here predates 1940, and the county’s own comprehensive plan reports 37.1 percent. Two sources, one point apart, same story.
So we plan for what old houses hold. Lead paint under anything painted before 1978. Knob-and-tube wiring. Electrical service too small for a modern kitchen. Stone and block foundations. None of that stops a project. It changes the sequence, the budget and the honest answer we owe you before you sign anything.
- Boone County's median year built is 1960, against 1972 statewide and 1982 in Polk County
- About 37.9 percent of the county's housing predates 1940, so lead paint is the default assumption
- Habitable basement ceilings need 7 feet, and bedroom egress needs 5.7 square feet of clear opening
ONE DESK CLEARS ZONING AND SEPTIC
Boone County Planning and Development sits at 201 State Street, Room 200. Call 515-433-0550 to start.
What that office issues is a zoning permit, not a building permit. The county’s rural living guide still calls it a building permit, so ask either way and you land on the same form. The review covers use, zoning district, setbacks, bulk, lot coverage and fire access. It confirms you may put this kind of building on this spot. It does not confirm the building is safe.
One quirk saves you a phone call. The Zoning Administrator and the County Sanitarian are the same person, so your setback question and your septic question clear the same desk.
- Boone County Planning and Development answers at 515-433-0550, from 201 State Street, Room 200
- The Zoning Administrator and the County Sanitarian are one person, so septic and setbacks clear one desk
- County zoning reaches unincorporated land only, so city work goes through that city's own desk
NOBODY INSPECTS YOUR FRAMING OUT HERE
Iowa does not make counties adopt a building code. The state code applies only where the governing body passes an ordinance accepting it. Boone County never did.
So on unincorporated land, no county inspector reviews your footings, framing, wiring or structure. The county inspects septic, and that is the extent of it. Building to code here is a choice your contractor makes, not something an inspector forces. We build to code either way, and we document it as we go.
Two rules survive the gap. Iowa’s residential energy code still applies to new one- and two-family construction. Footings still have to reach below the local frost line, set by whoever issues your permit.
- Iowa Code 103A.12 makes the state building code opt in, and Boone County has not opted in
- Septic is the only county inspection on rural work, and the $250 permit covers the perc test
- Remodels of one- and two-family homes sit outside the scope of Iowa's residential energy code
THE FEE TABLE IS NOT PUBLISHED
Boone County publishes the valuation side of its permit math. A home counts at $100 per square foot, basement area at $40, a deck at $25. The minimum permit is $40 and the maximum is $1,500.
What the county does not publish is the table that turns valuation into a fee. You cannot price a permit from the website, so call 515-433-0550 with your square footage and ask.
Septic runs $250, covering the perc test and the final inspection. A well is $100 and floodplain review is $30. Two warnings. Start work without a permit and the fee doubles. Drainage district engineering review is billed through at cost, outside the cap.
- The county values a home at $100 per square foot, basement area at $40, a deck at $25
- Permit fees run from a $40 minimum to a $1,500 maximum, with the conversion table unpublished
- Drainage district engineering review passes through at cost with no ceiling, outside the $1,500 cap
THE BOONE RIVER IS NOT HERE
The Des Moines River bisects the county. The Boone River, despite the name, runs about 40 miles north in Hamilton County, near Webster City. People mix the two up constantly.
This county sits on the Des Moines Lobe, Iowa’s youngest glacial landscape. The till is clay rich and carries shale. Drainage is the defining problem here, not swelling soil. The Lobe left potholes and kettles with no outlet, and water tables run high.
Farmers laid drain tile for generations, and much of it still runs under ground that is now somebody’s yard. An excavator can cut a buried line, and nobody notices until a neighbor’s field ponds. Sump systems, perimeter drains and positive grading carry real weight here.
- The county's river is the Des Moines River, not the Boone River, which sits in Hamilton County
- Boone County publishes no frost depth of its own, because it adopted no building code
- The EPA puts all 99 Iowa counties in radon Zone 1, and Iowa averages 8.5 pCi/L indoors
THREE TOWNS SHARE ONE CITY CLERK
The City of Boone runs a full building department at 923 8th Street. Call 515-433-0633. The city exempts a short list of minor work, including structures under 120 square feet. Madrid and Ogden issue their own permits through city hall.
Then it thins out fast. Boxholm, Fraser and Pilot Mound share one clerk at one phone number, and none of them publishes a permit process. Beaver has no building department either. All of these towns are incorporated, so the county does not step in.
Silence is not permission. Call the city clerk before you start, and get the answer in writing. The Boone, Ogden, Madrid and United community school districts cover the county.
- The city permit desk sits at 923 8th Street, 515-433-0633, and exempts structures under 120 square feet
- Boxholm, Fraser and Pilot Mound share one city clerk at a single phone number
- Boone, Ogden, Madrid and United community school districts serve families across the county
Our Building Partners.
- Achievement
Your Dream, Our Passion.
Since 2020, more than 1,285 Central Iowa homeowners have trusted us with their projects, and it shows.
Quality Construction at the Right Price.
Additions
Based on Average Pricing in Boone County.
- Additional Story
- Tornado Shelter
- Living Room
- Bedroom
- Sunroom
- Bathroom
- Garage
- ADU
Kitchen Remodeling
Based on Average Pricing in Boone County.
- Countertops
- Appliances
- Cabinetry
- Windows
- Islands
- Lights
Home Building
Based on Average Pricing in Boone County.
- Dream Build
- Multi-Family
- Tiny Home
- Spec Build
- Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Building in Boone County
Do I need a permit in unincorporated Boone County?
Yes, though what you get is a zoning permit rather than a building permit. Boone County Planning and Development issues it at 515-433-0550, from 201 State Street, Room 200. The review covers use, zoning district, setbacks, bulk, lot coverage and fire access. Some county materials still call it a building permit, so ask either way and you land on the same form. It confirms you may put this kind of building on this spot. It does not confirm the building is safe, which is a different job entirely.
Who inspects my project in Boone County?
On unincorporated land, nobody from the county reviews framing, footings, wiring or structure, because Boone County adopted no building code. The county does inspect septic, and the $250 permit covers the perc test and the final inspection. Inside the city, the building department inspects from 923 8th Street at 515-433-0633. Madrid and Ogden run their own permit desks through city hall. Beaver, Boxholm and Pilot Mound publish no process at all, so call the clerk and get the answer in writing. That leaves the standard to your contractor, which is why we document as we build.
How deep do footings need to go in Boone County?
Below the local frost line, as set by whoever issues your permit. Boone County publishes no figure of its own, because it never adopted a building code, and a code is where that number normally lives. Central Iowa jurisdictions that do publish one use 42 inches, and that is the depth we design to. Skimping here is how a deck or a garage slab starts moving after the first hard winter. If your project sits inside a city, ask that city what it expects before you dig.
My house was built in 1935. Can you still finish the basement?
Often, yes, and we check two numbers before anything else. Habitable space needs a ceiling of at least 7 feet. A basement bedroom needs an egress opening with 5.7 square feet of net clear area. Older Boone County basements miss one or both. Cutting a new egress well into a stone or block wall is real work, not a detail. We price it that way before you spend on design. We test for radon before we finish. Boone County Health and Sanitation sells kits at cost, $12.50 short term and $40 long term.
What does a Boone County permit cost?
The county publishes the valuation side and not the fee side. A home counts at $100 per square foot, basement area at $40, a deck at $25. Permits run from a $40 minimum to a $1,500 maximum. The table that converts valuation into a fee is not published, so call 515-433-0550 with your square footage. Septic is $250, a well is $100 and floodplain review is $30. Start work without a permit and the fee doubles. Drainage district engineering review bills at cost, outside the cap.
Is Busy Builders licensed in Iowa?
Iowa registers general contractors rather than licensing them. We hold registration with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. Iowa Code Chapter 91C requires it of anyone earning $2,000 or more a year from construction. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians do hold separate state licenses, and we work with licensed trades on every job. That distinction matters more in Boone County than most places, because no county inspector is checking behind anyone. Busy Builders has served more than 1,285 Central Iowa homeowners since 2020.
- Our Articles
