Lucas County, Iowa
Construction & Remodeling
Lucas County covers about 431 square miles south of the Des Moines metro and counted 8,634 people in the 2020 Census. Chariton is the county seat. On unincorporated land, the county has no general zoning ordinance and no building code.
This is a remodeling county by the numbers. The median home went up in 1962, 37.5 percent of the stock predates 1940, and only 6.1 percent dates from 2010 or later.
Lucas 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 Chariton and rural Lucas County call first.
Cities We Service in Lucas County
Chariton, the county seat and the Lucas County city we serve. On unincorporated land the county has no general zoning ordinance and no building code.
Chariton
Still on the 2009 codes
Full-Service Construction and Remodeling Across Lucas County
There is no county building permit for a new home on rural Lucas County ground. The county has adopted no general zoning ordinance and no building code, so no county office reviews setbacks, footings, framing or final. No certificate of occupancy exists out here. The house you get is the house your builder chooses to build, and we build to the IRC. Footings go below the 42 inch frost line. You still need septic, well and access permits. Home building starts at $150 per square foot, and final costs vary by scope.
This is a remodeling county by the numbers. The median Lucas County home went up in 1962, and 37.5 percent of the stock predates 1940. Only 6.1 percent dates from 2010 or later. Inside Chariton the city reviews the work against the 2009 code editions and inspects in house. Outside city limits no county inspector reviews it, though state electrical and county septic rules still apply. We open a small area early and price the rest from what we find, because a 1930s house hides its history behind the plaster. Phased work spreads cost across seasons.
Move a wall, a vent or a gas line in an older house and the surprises start. Inside Chariton, Shawn Werts reviews the work against the 2009 code editions at 641-774-5991. Outside city limits there is no county building permit and no county inspector, so the standard is whatever your contractor holds. We hold ours to the IRC. On a well and septic property we check water pressure and drain capacity before we design the layout. Kitchen remodeling starts at $250 per square foot, and final costs vary.
A pre-1940 Lucas County basement usually has a water history before it has a design problem. The gumbo paleosol under the loess sends groundwater sideways, so a hillside wall gets wet while the yard drains fine. We solve that first, with footing drains, free draining backfill and grading. Then we check the rest. Ceiling height under 7 feet. A bedroom with no compliant egress. A stair with the wrong rise. Nobody from the county will flag any of it, so we tell you plainly.
A bathroom packs more trades into less space than any other room. Lucas County issues no building permit on rural ground and runs no building inspection, so the rough-in is on your builder. Iowa still licenses the plumbers and electricians who do the work, and we hold the job to code either way. On a septic property, a second bathroom is a capacity question first, so we call ADLM Counties at 641-724-3511 early. We mark clearances on the floor before ordering anything.
An addition on rural Lucas County ground needs no county building permit, because the county issues none. No county setback review, building inspection or sign off follows either. That puts every structural decision on your builder, from footings to the tie-in at the existing roofline. New footings go below the 42 inch frost line. Inside Chariton the city reviews the work under the 2009 code editions. We build additional stories, sunrooms, garages, ADUs and tornado shelters. Additions start at $300 per square foot.
Finishing a Lucas County basement starts with the water, not the framing. Seepage off the gumbo paleosol can soak an uphill wall while the yard stays dry, so drainage gets solved first. Then three numbers matter. A bedroom needs an egress opening with 5.7 square feet of net clear area. Habitable ceiling height runs 7 feet minimum. 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.
A deck on rural Lucas County ground needs no county permit, and no county inspector will ever look at it. The county has adopted no general zoning ordinance and no building code, so ledger attachment, footing depth and guard height rest on your builder. Inside Chariton the city reviews it against the 2009 code editions, where deck attachment details read differently than in a current book. Footings go below the 42 inch frost line either way. We flash the ledger and build stairs to code.
NO GENERAL ZONING, ONE AIRPORT RULE
Lucas County covers 431 square miles southeast of the metro. The Census Bureau estimated 8,847 residents as of July 2025. Iowa lets each county decide, and Lucas County has decided not to. Its published ordinance list covers roads, wells, septic, addressing, landfills and ATVs. It contains no general land-use zoning ordinance, no building code and no floodplain ordinance.
The only zoning on the books is Ordinance 6, covering tall structures near the airport. The county lists no planning and zoning department at all, which is unusual even in rural Iowa.
For a homeowner that cuts both ways. There is no setback fight, no rezoning hearing and no building permit fee on rural ground. There is also no county inspector checking that your footings go below frost or that your basement bedroom has legal egress.
- The county's ordinance list has no general land-use zoning ordinance in it
- No building code ordinance and no floodplain ordinance appear on that list
- Ordinance 6, airport tall structure zoning, is the only zoning on the books
SEPTIC, WELLS AND ACCESS STILL NEED PERMITS
No zoning ordinance does not mean no paperwork. The county regulates the parts of a rural build that reach groundwater and public roads, and those rules have teeth.
Ordinance 11 covers on-site wastewater treatment and disposal, and Ordinance 29 covers private sewage disposal systems. Ordinances 12, 13 and 14 cover non-public water wells, abandoned wells and well construction permits. Ordinance 10 handles utility line installation permits and inspection fees.
Septic and well permits run through Environmental Health, which Lucas County contracts out to ADLM Counties. Director Dianna Daly-Husted works from 12307 Highway 5 in Moravia. Call 641-724-3511 early in your planning, because a septic design drives where the house can sit on the lot.
- Ordinances 11 and 29 govern septic systems and private sewage disposal out here
- Ordinances 12, 13 and 14 govern wells, abandoned wells and well permits
- Environmental Health is contracted out to ADLM Counties in Moravia, and answers at 641-724-3511
CHARITON REVIEWS AGAINST A 2009 CODE
Inside city limits everything changes, and Chariton runs the oldest adopted code of any city we serve.
The city enforces the 2009 International Building Code, Residential Code, Mechanical Code and Uniform Plumbing Code. It also runs the 2011 National Electrical Code and the 2015 property maintenance code. The state code currently recognizes the 2024 editions, so that is roughly a fifteen year gap.
That is not a quality judgment, and we do not mean it as one. It is a planning fact. Energy requirements, wall bracing and deck attachment details all read differently in the 2009 book. A metro crew pricing off habit will price the wrong house. We confirm the edition before drawings go out.
- Chariton enforces the 2009 IBC, IRC, mechanical code and Uniform Plumbing Code
- The 2011 National Electrical Code and 2015 property maintenance code apply there
- Shawn Werts runs building and code enforcement in house from 115 South Main Street
NOBODY HERE PUBLISHES A PERMIT NUMBER
We would rather print a figure than send you to a phone, and on this county we cannot do it honestly.
Unincorporated Lucas County charges no building permit fee, because it issues no building permit. Septic, well and utility line permits carry their own fees, and those come from Environmental Health and the county, not from a web page.
Chariton does not publish a building permit fee schedule either. Call Shawn Werts at 641-774-5991 and ask him for a figure on your project. Then ask about the 2023 Urban Revitalization Plan, which offers tax abatement for qualifying work inside city limits. That one can be worth far more than the permit costs.
- Unincorporated Lucas County issues no building permit and charges no permit fee
- Chariton publishes no building permit fee schedule, so call the code officer directly
- The 2023 Urban Revitalization Plan offers tax abatement for work inside city limits
GUMBO SENDS HILLSIDE WATER SIDEWAYS
Lucas County sits in the Southern Iowa Drift Plain, the state’s oldest landscape. Wind blown loess caps the ridges, and older glacial drift shows on the side slopes. Streams have cut deep branching valleys through all of it.
Under the loess sits a gumbo paleosol, a buried ancient soil that water will not pass through. Water reaches that layer and travels sideways instead of down. That is why a hillside basement here can run wet on the uphill wall while the yard looks dry.
We handle it with footing drains, free draining backfill and grading that carries water away from the house. With no county inspection to catch a mistake, this is the detail we will not shortcut.
- 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
CHARITON SITS PAST OUR USUAL LINE
We tell people our service radius is about 50 miles from Des Moines. Chariton is about 54, so it sits past that line, and we would rather say it here than discover it together in week three.
We still take Chariton work, because the housing stock genuinely needs it and the drive is manageable for the right project. The median home here dates to 1962 and 37.5 percent of the stock predates 1940. A whole house remodel or an addition justifies the trip. A half day repair call usually does not.
Derby, Lucas, Russell and Williamson are the county’s other four cities, and each one is a longer haul again.
- Chariton is about 54 road miles from Des Moines, past our usual 50 mile radius
- Lucas County has five incorporated cities, and Chariton is much the largest
- Rural addresses need no county building permit, only septic, well and road permits
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- Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Building in Lucas County
Does Lucas County issue a building permit?
No. The county has adopted no general zoning ordinance and no building code, so there is no county building permit for a house on rural ground. Its published ordinance list covers roads, wells, septic, addressing and landfills, plus airport tall structure zoning. Under Iowa Code Chapter 335 that authority sits with the Board of Supervisors, and they have not used it for general zoning. You still need septic, well and utility line permits, and a rural address assigned under the county addressing ordinance. Call the supervisors at 641-774-4512 to confirm.
Who inspects a rural Lucas County house?
The county does not inspect the structure. There is no county building inspector and no certificate of occupancy on unincorporated ground. Environmental Health inspects the septic system through ADLM Counties, and the state inspects what state rules cover. Everything structural rests on your builder. That is exactly why we build to the IRC out here and set footings below the 42 inch frost line. We also photograph the work before it gets covered up, because an appraiser or a buyer will ask about it later. Ask any bidder here what standard they build to.
Which building code applies in Chariton?
Chariton enforces the 2009 International Building Code and 2009 International Residential Code. The 2009 mechanical and plumbing codes apply, plus the 2011 National Electrical Code and the 2015 property maintenance code. The state code currently recognizes the 2024 editions, so Chariton sits roughly fifteen years behind it. Energy requirements, wall bracing and deck attachment all read differently in the older book. Confirm the current edition with the code officer at 641-774-5991 before anyone prices your job. A metro crew pricing off habit will price the wrong house, and you pay for that later.
What does a permit cost here?
On rural ground, nothing at all, because no county building permit exists. Septic, well and utility line permits carry their own fees through Environmental Health at 641-724-3511. Inside Chariton the city publishes no building permit fee schedule, so call Shawn Werts at 641-774-5991 for a figure on your project. While you have him, ask about the 2023 Urban Revitalization Plan tax abatement. Ask about the Chariton Valley Regional Housing Trust Fund home improvement grants too. Those go to qualifying owner occupants who carry homeowners insurance.
Chariton is 54 miles out. Will you still take the job?
Often, yes, and sometimes no. A whole house remodel, a large addition or a new build justifies the drive and we will quote it happily. A short repair visit usually does not, and pretending otherwise would cost you time. Derby, Lucas, Russell and Williamson each sit further out again. Call with the address and the scope, and we will tell you which one yours is before you spend anything. You will get a straight answer, including no. A crew stuck in a truck is not building your house.
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. Anyone who calls a general contractor licensed in Iowa is using the wrong word for it. In a county with no building code and no building inspector, that registration is one of the few things you can verify.
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