Greene County, Iowa
Construction & Remodeling
Greene County covers about 570 square miles northwest of the Des Moines metro and counted 8,771 people in the 2020 Census. Jefferson is the county seat, and the city inspects building work in house.
This is a remodeling county by the numbers. The median home went up in 1954, about 36.5 percent of the stock predates 1940, and only 5.1 percent dates from 2010 or later.
Greene 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 completed more than 1,285 projects across Central Iowa 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 Jefferson and rural Greene County call first.
Cities We Service in Greene County
Jefferson, the county seat. The city inspects in house, while the county around it has adopted no building code.
Jefferson
State handles electrical permits
Full-Service Construction and Remodeling Across Greene County
A new home outside city limits needs a Zoning Certificate from the county, not a building permit. Chuck Wenthold issues it from the courthouse in Jefferson, on 515-386-5669. That certificate confirms your lot, your district and your setbacks. It does not confirm the house, because Greene County has adopted no building code and names no inspector. We build to the IRC anyway and set footings below the 42 inch frost line. Home building starts at $150 per square foot, and final costs vary by scope and materials.
This is a remodeling county by the numbers. The median Greene County home went up in 1954, and about 36.5 percent of the stock predates 1940. Only 5.1 percent dates from 2010 or later. Inside Jefferson the city inspects in house against the current state code, which is the 2024 IRC. Outside city limits the county reviews land use only, so the standard is the one your builder sets. We open a small area early and price the rest from what we find.
Move a wall, a vent or a gas line in a house built before 1940 and the surprises start. Inside Jefferson, Chad Stevens reviews and inspects the work at 515-386-4660, and the State of Iowa handles the electrical permit. Outside city limits no county inspector checks the work, though state electrical rules still apply. We hold the job to the IRC either way. On a well and septic property we check water pressure and drain capacity first. Kitchen remodeling starts at $250 per square foot, and final costs vary by scope.
Most Greene County basements we open were poured before 1940, and they show it. Low ceilings, undersized windows and old foundation walls are normal here. A habitable room needs 7 feet of ceiling height, and a bedroom needs 5.7 square feet of net clear egress opening. Almost no original window meets that, so enlarging an opening is usually part of the job. No county inspector reviews any of it on rural ground. We tell you what has to change and what you simply want to change.
A bathroom packs more trades into less space than any other room. Greene County adopted no building code, so on rural ground no county inspector checks the rough-in. State electrical rules still apply. Iowa still licenses the plumbers and electricians who do the work, and we hold the job to code either way. Inside Jefferson the city inspects, and the State of Iowa handles the electrical permit. We mark clearances on the floor before ordering anything, because a vanity that clears on paper can still block a door.
An addition changes your footprint, and the footprint is exactly what a Greene County Zoning Certificate reviews. In the Agricultural district that means a two acre minimum lot, 50 foot front yards, 15 foot side yards and a 40 foot rear yard. Nobody from the county inspects the footings or framing that follow. New footings go below the 42 inch frost line. We build additional stories, sunrooms, garages, ADUs and tornado shelters. Additions start at $300 per square foot, and final costs vary by scope.
Finishing a Greene County basement starts with the numbers the old house cannot meet on its own. A habitable room needs 7 feet of ceiling height. A bedroom needs an egress opening with 5.7 square feet of net clear area. We solve drainage before any framing goes up, and we test for radon before we finish. Every Iowa county sits in EPA Zone 1, and Iowa averages 8.5 pCi/L indoors against 1.3 nationally. Near the North Raccoon River, check the FEMA map first.
A deck on rural Greene County ground needs a Zoning Certificate, which checks setbacks and district rules. It does not check how the deck is built, because the county has adopted no building code and employs no inspector. Inside Jefferson, Chad Stevens reviews the structure against the current state code at 515-386-4660. Footings go below the 42 inch frost line either way. Skip that and a deck on shallow piers can heave after a hard winter. We flash the ledger and build guards to code.
A ZONING CERTIFICATE IS NOT AN INSPECTION
Greene County covers about 570 square miles northwest of the metro. The Census Bureau estimated 8,658 residents as of July 2025. It does more than some of its neighbors. It has a zoning ordinance, updated in October 2022, and a zoning administrator who reviews what gets built on rural ground.
What it does not have is a building code. The ordinance adopts no IRC and no IBC, describes no inspection procedure and names no building inspector. What it issues is a Zoning Certificate, which the ordinance defines as a written statement authorizing a building or use consistent with the ordinance.
That is a land use approval. It confirms your lot, your district and your setbacks. It says nothing about whether your footings sit below frost or your basement bedroom has legal egress.
- The Greene County zoning ordinance was last updated on October 17, 2022
- The ordinance adopts no IRC or IBC edition and names no building inspector
- A Zoning Certificate authorizes a use and a location, not a structure
THE FEE LIVES IN A BOARD RESOLUTION
Here is a small thing that costs people time. The Greene County zoning ordinance does not print a fee.
Section 15.3.1 says the fee is set by resolution of the Board of Supervisors, and the resolution lives outside the ordinance document. So no published dollar figure exists to read before you apply. We will not print one, and neither should any contractor bidding your work.
Call Zoning Administrator Chuck Wenthold at 515-386-5669 and ask what your own project costs today. His office sits inside the Auditor’s Office, on the second floor of the courthouse at 114 North Chestnut Street in Jefferson. It opens 8:00 am to 4:30 pm on weekdays.
- Section 15.3.1 sets zoning fees by resolution of the Board of Supervisors
- No dollar figures appear anywhere in the published Greene County zoning ordinance
- Chuck Wenthold administers zoning from the county courthouse in Jefferson, on 515-386-5669
TWO ACRES IN THE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT
Rural lot size in Greene County is set by ordinance, and it decides what you can buy before it decides what you can build.
The Agricultural district requires a two acre minimum lot size. Front yards run 50 feet, measured from the right-of-way line. Each side yard for a home runs 15 feet, and the rear yard runs 40 feet. Those are firm numbers, not guidance.
The Residential district works on a different scale entirely, at 7,500 square feet per family. Side yards there run at least 10 feet each. The rear yard is 25 feet or 20 percent of the lot depth, whichever is larger. Check which district your parcel sits in first.
- The Agricultural district sets a two acre minimum lot size for a home
- Agricultural setbacks run 50 feet front, 15 feet each side and 40 feet rear
- The Residential district requires 7,500 square feet of lot area per family
THE CITY OF JEFFERSON INSPECTS IN HOUSE
Jefferson does something almost no other city we serve does. Its code adopts the Iowa State Building Code by reference rather than naming a specific edition.
The effect is automatic. When the state updates, Jefferson updates with it, so the city currently sits on the 2024 International Residential Code. That is current code, and it is a genuine advantage for a new build.
Two wrinkles come with it. Electrical permits and inspections are handled by the State of Iowa rather than the city, which changes how a job gets scheduled. And Jefferson is not on the state’s approved local enforcement list, so confirm the edition with Chad Stevens before drawings go out.
- Jefferson adopts the Iowa State Building Code by reference, currently the 2024 IRC
- Electrical permits and inspections run through the State of Iowa, not the city
- Chad Stevens inspects in house from 220 North Chestnut Street, on 515-386-4660
OLD HOUSES AND A RIVER RUNNING THROUGH
Greene County’s housing stock is the oldest we work with. The median home went up in 1954, and more than a third of it predates 1940. So we spend most of our time here on houses that already stand.
That changes the work. Old foundations, low basement ceilings and undersized egress windows are normal, not surprises. A habitable basement needs 7 feet of ceiling height. A basement bedroom needs a 5.7 square foot net clear opening for egress. Almost no pre-1940 window provides that.
The North Raccoon River runs through the county and past Jefferson. Check your parcel on the FEMA map before planning anything below grade near the water.
- Frost depth is 42 inches, the Central Iowa standard, and footings go below it
- The EPA places all 99 Iowa counties in radon Zone 1, its highest category
- Iowa averages 8.5 pCi/L indoors against 1.3 nationally, so we test first
JEFFERSON IS THE FARTHEST WE GO
We will put the number on the page. Jefferson is about 65 road miles from Des Moines, which makes it the farthest city we serve, well past our usual 50 mile radius.
We take work there because the housing stock genuinely needs it and because the projects tend to be substantial. A whole house remodel, a large addition or a new build carries the drive. A short punch list visit does not, and we will tell you so rather than bill you for the road.
Churdan, Dana, Grand Junction, Paton, Ralston, Rippey and Scranton are the county’s other seven cities, and each is further again. Call with the address and the scope.
- Jefferson sits about 65 road miles out, the farthest city in our service area
- Greene County has eight incorporated cities, and Jefferson is the largest of them
- Rural addresses need a county Zoning Certificate, not a city building permit
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- Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Building in Greene County
Does Greene County inspect my new home?
No. The county has a zoning ordinance and a zoning administrator, but it has adopted no building code. The ordinance names no building inspector and sets out no inspection procedure. What it issues is a Zoning Certificate, which authorizes a use and a location rather than a structure. Inside Jefferson the city inspects in house. Outside city limits, building code compliance rests on the builder you hire, though state electrical rules and county septic and well rules still apply. That is why we build to the IRC out there and photograph the work before it gets covered up.
What does a Greene County zoning certificate cost?
Nobody can tell you from a web page, and we will not guess. Section 15.3.1 of the zoning ordinance sets the fee by resolution of the Board of Supervisors, and the ordinance itself prints no dollar figures. Call Zoning Administrator Chuck Wenthold at 515-386-5669 with your project details and ask for the current number before you build a budget around it. His office sits inside the Auditor’s Office, on the second floor of the courthouse at 114 North Chestnut Street. It opens 8:00 am to 4:30 pm on weekdays.
Which building code applies in Jefferson?
Jefferson’s city code adopts the Iowa State Building Code by reference rather than naming an edition, so it tracks the state automatically. The state currently recognizes the 2024 International Residential Code, which puts Jefferson among the newest codes we build under. Electrical permits and inspections run through the State of Iowa rather than the city, which changes how a job gets scheduled. Jefferson is also not on the state’s approved local enforcement list, so confirm the edition with Chad Stevens at 515-386-4660. He inspects in house rather than by contract.
How big does my lot have to be outside city limits?
Two acres in the Agricultural district. Front yards run 50 feet from the right-of-way line, side yards 15 feet each for a home, and rear yards 40 feet. The Residential district is far tighter, at 7,500 square feet per family. It has 10 foot side yards and a rear yard of 25 feet or 20 percent of lot depth, whichever is larger. Check your district first, because it decides what parcel is worth buying. Zoning Administrator Chuck Wenthold can confirm your district before you sign anything, on 515-386-5669.
Jefferson is 65 miles out. Will you take the job?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no, and you will know which within one phone call. A new build, a full remodel or a substantial addition carries the drive comfortably. A short repair visit does not, and taking it would put your money into our fuel rather than your house. Churdan, Dana, Grand Junction, Paton, Ralston, Rippey and Scranton each sit further out again. Call with the address and the scope, and we will tell you plainly which one yours is. The answer is sometimes no, and you will get it before you spend anything.
Is Busy Builders licensed in Iowa?
Iowa registers general contractors rather than licensing them. We are registered with the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. That registration is required of anyone earning $2,000 or more a year from construction. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians do hold separate state licenses, and we use licensed trades on every job we run. Anyone who calls a general contractor licensed in Iowa is using the wrong word. We have completed more than 1,285 projects across Central Iowa since 2020, and we will show you the paperwork.
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