Rhodes, Iowa
Construction & Remodeling
Your One Call Solution for Home Building and Remodeling in Rhodes, Iowa.
Rhodes, Iowa General Contractor
About Us
Established in 2020, Busy Builders was founded to bring integrity and honesty back to remodeling and homebuilding. We serve Rhodes and all of Marshall County, from small bathroom updates to complete custom home builds. This small rural community deserves contractors who deliver quality work and honest service, even for projects in towns where some contractors won’t travel.
Our Mission
Provide the most transparent and honest experience possible for any construction project. Rhodes homeowners deserve contractors who show up when promised, communicate clearly, and deliver quality work at fair prices.
Our Vision
To serve all of Central Iowa with dedicated construction services, from West Des Moines through Marshall County and beyond.
Full-Service Construction And Remodeling in Rhodes
Home building in Rhodes starts with a jurisdiction question, not a shovel. The city publishes no permit process at all, and Marshall County’s online portal serves the unincorporated county. Whether it covers incorporated Rhodes is not confirmed. We call Tyler Kelley at 641-844-2707 and get an answer in writing before design work begins. Busy Builders builds new homes from $150 per square foot, with final costs varying by scope, materials and complexity.
Home remodeling in Rhodes happens without a published local code edition. Marshall County names none, and the city names none. That does not mean anything goes. We build to current Iowa residential practice, then confirm the specifics with whoever holds authority over your parcel. Rhodes counted 271 residents in 2020, so this is a small town where the same handful of people answer every question. We keep those conversations short and documented.
Kitchen remodeling in Rhodes still runs on state level trade licensing, even where local permitting is unclear. Iowa licenses electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians through the state, and those licenses apply in Rhodes exactly as they do in Des Moines. General contractors like Busy Builders register with the state instead. So the trade work stays regulated no matter what the city publishes. Kitchen remodeling starts at $250 per square foot, with costs varying by scope.
Basement remodeling in Rhodes needs a permit budget line even though nobody publishes a number. Marshall County has no building permit fee schedule online, and the city has no schedule at all. We carry that as an open item and update your estimate once the county quotes it. Guessing a fee and being wrong is worse than saying we do not know yet. Below grade work still respects Iowa’s 42 inch frost line.
Bathroom remodeling in Rhodes begins with the same call every project here begins with. Tyler Kelley at Marshall County Planning and Zoning, 641-844-2707, is the contact we start from. We ask whether the county portal covers your address inside the city, because that is genuinely unconfirmed. A bathroom remodel is small enough that owners get tempted to skip the question. We ask it anyway, since a fixture move can count as a permitted alteration.
Home additions in Rhodes run into a jurisdiction quirk worth checking early. Part of Rhodes still sits inside Edenville Township, a leftover from before the town incorporated in 1883. An addition changes your footprint and your setbacks. Knowing which office reviews your parcel matters more here than in a city with a clean boundary. We confirm it first. Busy Builders builds additions from $300 per square foot, with costs varying by scope.
Basement finishing in Rhodes follows Iowa’s statewide expectations even where local paperwork is thin. A basement bedroom needs an egress window with 5.7 square feet of net clear opening, and habitable space needs a 7 foot ceiling. Iowa averages 8.5 pCi/L of radon against 1.3 nationally, so we plan testing and mitigation into the job. Those rules do not change because a small town publishes no code page. We build to them here anyway.
Deck building in Rhodes is one of the easier trips we make out this way. At about 37 road miles, Rhodes sits closer to Des Moines than Marshalltown, State Center, Melbourne, Haverhill or Rhodes. That keeps a small crew efficient on a two week job. Iowa’s frost line runs 42 inches, so footings go deep regardless of town size. We still ask the county about permits before the first hole gets dug.
Building in Rhodes and Marshall County
Rhodes is a town of 271 people about 37 road miles from Des Moines. That puts it closer to us than Marshalltown, State Center, Melbourne, Haverhill or Rhodes.Here is the honest part. Rhodes publishes nothing about a building permit process. No application, no fee schedule, no code edition, no inspector.Marshall County Planning and Zoning runs an online permitting portal. Tyler Kelley is the contact at 641-844-2707, 1 E Main Street in Marshalltown. That portal serves the unincorporated county. We cannot confirm that it covers work inside incorporated Rhodes, and we will not pretend otherwise. Marshall County also publishes no adopted building code edition and no building permit fee schedule.So the first move on any Rhodes project is a phone call, then a written answer about who issues the permit for your parcel.One wrinkle is worth knowing. Part of Rhodes still lies within Edenville Township, a holdover from the years when the town carried that name. Confirm which office reviews your specific address before anyone spends money on plans.We do that legwork on the front end. Call Busy Builders at 844-435-9800 and we will start those calls with you. Permit rules and fees change, so confirm the current ones before you commit to a budget.
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 Rhodes.
- Additional Story
- Tornado Shelter
- Living Room
- Bedroom
- Sunroom
- Bathroom
- Garage
- ADU
Kitchen Remodeling
Based on Average Pricing in Rhodes.
- Countertops
- Appliances
- Cabinetry
- Windows
- Islands
- Lights
Home Building
Based on Average Pricing in Rhodes.
- Dream Build
- Multi-Family
- Tiny Home
- Spec Build
- Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Home Construction & Remodeling in Rhodes, IA
Does Rhodes issue building permits?
We cannot confirm that it does. The city publishes no permit application, no process, no fee schedule and no code edition. Marshall County Planning and Zoning runs an online portal for the unincorporated county, but whether it covers incorporated Rhodes is unconfirmed. Call Tyler Kelley at 641-844-2707 and get the answer in writing before you spend money on plans.
What building code applies in Rhodes?
Nobody publishes one. Marshall County lists no adopted building code edition, and neither does the city. We build to current Iowa residential practice and confirm specifics with whoever holds authority over your parcel. That includes the 42 inch frost line, the 5.7 square foot egress opening for basement bedrooms and the 7 foot habitable ceiling.
What will a Rhodes building permit cost?
There is no published figure. Marshall County posts no building permit fee schedule, and the city posts nothing at all. We keep it as an open line in your estimate and fill it in once the county gives us a number for your job. We will not invent a figure to make an estimate look tidy.
How far is Rhodes from Des Moines?
About 37 road miles. That makes Rhodes closer to us than Marshalltown, State Center, Melbourne, Haverhill or Rhodes. People who picture it as a far corner of Marshall County get that wrong. It sits comfortably inside our service area. Crews run a normal day here without an overnight or a long haul on materials.
Why does part of Rhodes sit in Edenville Township?
History. The town was established in 1856 under the name Edenville, then took the name Rhodes after the family who donated land for the depot. It incorporated on August 3, 1883. Part of the town still lies within Edenville Township. For a homeowner, that means confirming which office reviews your particular parcel.
Which school district serves Rhodes?
The West Marshall Community School District, with all facilities in State Center. Rhodes shares that district with State Center, Melbourne, St. Anthony, Clemons and LaMoille. Families here drive to State Center for school. That is worth weighing when you plan a bedroom addition or a finished basement for a growing family.
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