Dallas County, Iowa
Construction & Remodeling
Dallas County is the fastest-growing county in Iowa and the fastest-growing county in the Midwest. The Census puts it at 118,457 people as of July 2025, up 18.8 percent since 2020. That ranks it 49th out of 3,144 counties nationally.
Busy Builders has worked in Central Iowa since 2020, and Dallas County is where much of the region’s new home building goes up.
Call: 844-435-9800 Website: https://busybuildersiowa.com/
Dallas 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 on any construction project. That means real numbers, real timelines, and a plain answer when the answer is not what you hoped.
Our Vision
We want to be the registered general contractor that homeowners in Waukee, Adel, Van Meter, Dallas Center, De Soto, Granger and Perry call first.
Cities We Service in Dallas County
Seven Dallas County communities, in the fastest-growing county in Iowa. Each page covers the local permit desk and the code edition behind it.
Waukee
Fastest growing city in the county
Adel
County seat, own permit desk
Dallas Center
Small city permit desk
De Soto
Small city permit desk
Van Meter
Inspections by an outside firm
Granger
Mostly Dallas, partly Polk
Perry
Historic railroad town
Woodward
Named building official on staff
Full-Service Construction and Remodeling Across Dallas County
Dallas County is where much of the region’s new home building goes up. The permit path depends on which side of a city line your lot sits. Unincorporated builds run through Chapter 47 and its 2006 code base. Waukee reviews against the 2024 codes instead. Footings go below the 42 inch frost line, written into the county ordinance itself. Iowa now requires a passive radon method in new single-family and two-family homes. Home building starts at $150 per square foot, and final costs vary by scope, materials and complexity.
Most Dallas County homes are newer than the Central Iowa average. Whole house remodeling here is less about knob and tube and more about layout. Open a wall in a 2004 build and you are usually dealing with engineered floor trusses, not old framing. On unincorporated land the county reviews against the 2006 I-Codes. We confirm the edition, then plan the sequence so your family can stay in the house through most of the work. Phased work spreads the cost across seasons.
Kitchens in Waukee and Adel tend to be big, open and full of engineered framing. That helps when you want to move a wall. It still needs a permit. Waukee reviews against the 2024 codes and the county against 2006, so the same drawing gets read two ways. We handle the submittal either way. Kitchen remodeling starts at $250 per square foot. Final costs vary by scope, materials and complexity, and we price from an open wall rather than a guess.
Redoing a basement that someone else finished is a different job from finishing bare block. In Dallas County we look first at egress and ceiling height, because those two decide whether a room can legally be a bedroom. A documented 5.7 square feet of net clear opening is the standard, and the platform allowance can rescue a window that sits too high. On unincorporated land the county reviews against the 2006 I-Codes, so we confirm details with the desk in Adel before demolition starts.
A Dallas County bathroom remodel is mostly a plumbing and layout problem, and the permit follows the wall you move. On unincorporated land, a trade permit runs $80 flat, and plan review can take up to 10 business days. We build that into the schedule so demolition does not sit open waiting on paper. Newer homes here usually have room to widen a doorway or convert a tub to a curbless shower. The framing is engineered and the original plans often still exist.
An addition in Dallas County starts at the foundation, and the county writes its frost line into the ordinance at 42 inches. Ground snow load is 30 PSF and design wind speed 90 mph. Post-frame additions need stamped engineered plans including the trusses. If you are adding an attached garage, the county requires 5/8 inch Type X in the separation assembly. 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.
Dallas County writes the basement rules down, which helps. A bedroom needs a documented 5.7 square feet of net clear opening. The county will not accept specs that show only rough opening sizes. Habitable ceiling height runs 7 feet minimum. Where a sill sits above the 44 inch limit, the county allows a permanent platform below it, 18 by 36 by 24 inches maximum. We test for radon before we finish, because every Iowa county sits in EPA Zone 1. Test results shape the plan, not the other way around.
Decks in Dallas County follow the same split as everything else. Unincorporated work goes through Planning and Development in Adel with an $80 minimum permit. Waukee, Adel and the other five cities each set their own rules. Footings go below the 42 inch frost line either way, and that number is in the county ordinance. On newer homes we check the ledger connection carefully. A deck bolted to a rim joist without proper flashing is the failure we see most. We flash it right the first time.
THE COUNTY DESK SITS IN ADEL
Iowa does not make a county adopt a building code, and most Iowa counties have passed on it. Dallas County adopted one. Chapter 47 covers unincorporated land, which puts this county in the minority.
Dallas County Planning and Development issues that permit. The office sits at 800 Court Street, Room 220, in Adel, the county seat. The permit line is 515-993-5819. County materials list two different Court Street addresses, so call before you drive over.
The county also inspects unincorporated work in house rather than contracting it out. Seven cities inside the county run their own permit desks. So the first thing we settle on any project is whether your parcel sits inside a city limit or outside one.
- Dallas County Planning and Development sits at 800 Court Street, Room 220, in Adel
- The county permit line is 515-993-5819, and the county inspects unincorporated work in house
- County materials list two different Court Street addresses, so call before you drive over
IOWA'S FASTEST GROWTH RUNS ON 2006 CODE
Dallas County is the fastest-growing county in Iowa and the fastest-growing county in the Midwest. The Census counts 118,457 residents as of July 2025, up 18.8 percent since 2020. That ranks it 49th out of 3,144 counties nationally.
Now the part that catches people. Chapter 47 adopts the 2006 editions of the I-Codes, by a 2008 ordinance last amended in 2009. The fastest-growing county in the state reviews unincorporated plans against a code that is nearly two decades old.
If your designer works from a current IRC, some details will not match what the county reviews. Ask which edition applies before drawings go out. We do it on every Dallas County job.
- The Census counts 118,457 residents as of July 2025, up 18.8 percent since 2020
- Dallas County ranks 49th out of 3,144 counties nationally for growth since 2020
- Chapter 47 adopts the 2006 I-Codes under a 2008 ordinance last amended in 2009
SHEDS OVER 147 SQUARE FEET NEED PERMITS
Dallas County rewrote parts of the model code, and the changes land on ordinary jobs.
The model code exempts an accessory structure up to 200 square feet. Dallas County narrowed that to 147, so a 12 by 16 shed needs a permit here. The wall assembly between an attached garage and the house needs 5/8 inch Type X. A basement bedroom needs a documented 5.7 square feet of net clear opening. The county states that specs showing only rough opening sizes are not accepted.
There is a useful allowance too. Where a sill sits higher than the 44 inch limit, the county permits a permanent platform below it. The platform runs 18 inches deep by 36 inches wide, and no more than 24 inches high.
- The model code exempts sheds up to 200 square feet, Dallas County allows 147
- Garage to house separation needs 5/8 inch Type X in the assembly
- Window specs showing only rough opening sizes are not accepted for egress
PLAN REVIEW TAKES TEN BUSINESS DAYS
Dallas County keeps permit pricing simple. The minimum building permit fee is $80, and trade permits run $80 flat each. Those numbers cover the county permit only. The city desks set their own fees.
Time is the real cost. Plan review takes up to 10 business days, so build it into your schedule instead of discovering it. Post-frame construction needs stamped engineered plans, and that includes the trusses. Budget for that before you price the building.
Once the county issues the permit, the clock starts. Work has to begin within 6 months and finish within 12. We sequence Dallas County jobs around those two deadlines, especially on builds that would otherwise sit through a winter.
- The minimum county building permit fee is $80, and trade permits are $80 flat each
- Post-frame construction needs stamped engineered plans, and those plans include the trusses
- After the permit issues, work starts within 6 months and finishes within 12
WATER MOVES SIDEWAYS UNDER THESE HILLS
Dallas County straddles two landform regions, and conditions change sharply across it. The Des Moines Lobe is young glacial till on flat to gently rolling ground, with incomplete surface drainage. Potholes and kettles hold water with no outlet, and buried farm tile runs under much of it.
The Southern Iowa Drift Plain carries windblown loess 5 to 30 feet thick over older till. Under that loess sits a buried clay paleosol Iowa geologists call gumbotil. It works as a groundwater barrier. Water moves down through the loess, hits the clay, then travels sideways.
That is why a hillside basement can stay damp with no visible water source above it. The same layer drives slope instability on steeper lots. We plan drainage around it instead of hoping, and we pull parcel data from the USDA Web Soil Survey when drainage is a question.
- Chapter 47 writes the frost line into the county ordinance itself at 42 inches
- Ground snow load is 30 PSF, design wind speed 90 mph, seismic design category A
- EPA places every Iowa county in Zone 1 for radon, Dallas County included
SEVEN CITIES, SEVEN SEPARATE PERMIT DESKS
Waukee, Adel, Dallas Center, De Soto, Van Meter, Granger and Perry each issue their own permits. None of them defers to the county, and their code editions do not match the county’s.
Waukee has adopted the 2024 International Building Code and International Fire Code, and it belongs to the Central Iowa Code Consortium. That is an 18 year gap from the county’s 2006 codes. A detail that clears review in Waukee can get flagged on an acreage ten minutes west.
Four metro cities also hold land here: Clive, Urbandale, Grimes and West Des Moines. West Des Moines alone counts 24,723 residents on the Dallas County side. Median home value across the county is $355,600, and the housing stock skews newer than the rest of Central Iowa.
- Waukee enforces the 2024 International Building Code, an 18 year gap from the county
- Veenstra & Kimm, now part of Kleinfelder, performs all inspections for the City of Van Meter
- Eleven public school districts reach into Dallas County, so confirm the district before buying a lot
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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 Dallas County.
- Additional Story
- Tornado Shelter
- Living Room
- Bedroom
- Sunroom
- Bathroom
- Garage
- ADU
Kitchen Remodeling
Based on Average Pricing in Dallas County.
- Countertops
- Appliances
- Cabinetry
- Windows
- Islands
- Lights
Home Building
Based on Average Pricing in Dallas County.
- Dream Build
- Multi-Family
- Tiny Home
- Spec Build
- Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Building in Dallas County
Do I need a permit for a shed in Dallas County?
Sooner than in most places. The model code exempts accessory structures up to 200 square feet. Dallas County cut that to 147 square feet on unincorporated land, so a 12 by 16 shed needs a permit here. Inside the county’s seven permitting cities, that city’s rule applies instead, and the numbers do not always match. The minimum county building permit fee is $80. Plan review takes up to 10 business days, so file before you schedule a concrete truck or a delivery. Ask the desk in Adel at 515-993-5819 if you are close to the line.
Which building code does Dallas County review against?
The 2006 editions of the I-Codes. Chapter 47 adopted them by a 2008 ordinance, last amended in 2009, and the county still reviews unincorporated plans against that base. Waukee sits at the other end, enforcing the 2024 International Building Code as a member of the Central Iowa Code Consortium. That is an 18 year spread inside one county. If your designer draws from a current IRC, some details will not match the county’s review. Ask which edition applies before drawings go out. It is one phone call and it saves a redesign.
Who inspects my project?
Dallas County inspects unincorporated work in house. Call 515-993-5819 to schedule. Van Meter is the exception among the cities: Veenstra & Kimm, now part of Kleinfelder, performs all inspections there. Waukee, Adel, Dallas Center, De Soto, Granger and Perry use their own inspectors, and lead times differ from one desk to the next. We schedule inspections at the points where a failure costs the most, which usually means footings, framing and final. Building it right the first time is cheaper than a re-inspection. We plan for that from the first drawing.
My basement window sill sits too high for egress. Is there a fix?
Often, yes. Dallas County allows a permanent platform below a window that cannot meet the 44 inch sill height. The platform runs 18 inches deep by 36 inches wide, and no more than 24 inches high. You still need a documented 5.7 square feet of net clear opening in the window itself. The county states that specs showing only rough opening sizes are not accepted, so bring the manufacturer’s net clear opening numbers to plan review. That one detail holds up more basement permits than any other.
Does Dallas County handle my septic system?
Yes, but through a separate office. Septic goes to Dallas County Environmental Health at 515-993-5803, not to Planning and Development. Driveway entrances are a third desk again: a new entrance onto a county secondary road goes through Dallas County Secondary Roads at 515-993-4289. Zoning is a fourth question, and authority in unincorporated Dallas County rests with the Board of Supervisors under Iowa Code Chapter 335. That adds up to four separate county offices on a single project. Call the county before you close on a rural lot, not after.
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. Busy Builders has served more than 1,285 Central Iowa homeowners since 2020. Dallas County has grown faster than any county in the state over that stretch. Ask any contractor for their registration number before you sign.
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