Windsor Heights, Iowa
Construction & Remodeling
Your One Call Solution for Home Building and Remodeling in Windsor Heights, Iowa.
Windsor Heights, Iowa General Contractor
About Us
Established in 2020, Busy Builders was founded to bring integrity and honesty back to remodeling and homebuilding. We serve Windsor Heights and all of Polk County, from small bathroom updates to complete custom home builds. This landlocked metro suburb deserves contractors who deliver quality work and honest service on lots where every foot counts.
Our Mission
Provide the most transparent and honest experience possible for any construction project. Windsor Heights 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 Polk County and beyond.
Full-Service Construction And Remodeling in Windsor Heights
New home construction in Windsor Heights, IA. At 1.41 square miles with four cities pressed against the line, there is no raw ground left. A new home here replaces an older one on an existing lot, so setbacks, the old foundation and the neighbors all shape the plan. Building permit work must be completed within 12 months, and we sequence against that date. Home building starts around $150 per square foot.
Home remodeling in Windsor Heights, IA. The median house dates to 1960, five road miles from downtown Des Moines. So we work on tidy postwar ranches with good bones and dated layouts. The street part surprises people. A right-of-way permit costs $100 and carries a $10,000 annual security bond. The city requires one for all work in the right-of-way, so ask before a dumpster or materials drop lands in the street. We handle that filing.
Kitchen remodeling in Windsor Heights, IA. A 1960 kitchen in this town runs narrow. A chimney chase sits in the way, and a wall closes it off from the living room. Half the job is learning what that wall and that chase are doing. Trade permits here ask for two numbers, a contractor number and a master license number, so we line up paperwork before demolition. Kitchen work starts around $250 per square foot.
Basement remodeling in Windsor Heights, IA. Basements under 1960 houses here are usually short on headroom and already carry a 1970s finish. We pull the paneling, check the block and the slab, and deal with water before framing. Habitable space needs a 7 foot ceiling, and older duct runs often sit right at that line. We measure the real height at the worst point, not the best one. That number decides whether a ceiling grid or drywall makes sense down there.
Bathroom remodeling in Windsor Heights, IA. Many 1960 houses in the enclave came with one bath, and side yards are usually tight. So a second bath comes out of a bedroom, a hall closet or a stair landing. We draw two or three versions before we pick one. Safe Building of Polk City inspects, and we book those visits early because the firm covers a wide territory.
Home additions in Windsor Heights, IA. This is addition country by geography. The city cannot grow outward, so homeowners build up and back instead of moving. One rule drives the details. Home addition insulation must meet the 2012 Iowa Energy Code prescriptive path. We plan wall and ceiling assemblies to hit those values from the first sketch, not at inspection. Additions start around $300 per square foot, and structure and finish level move that number.
Basement finishing in Windsor Heights, IA. A basement bedroom needs an egress window with 5.7 square feet of net clear opening. Cutting one on a tight enclave lot means checking the setback and the well location first. Radon matters too. Iowa homes average 8.5 pCi/L indoors against 1.3 nationally, and as many as 5 in 7 test above the EPA action level. Mitigation is far cheaper to plan during design than to retrofit later.
Deck building in Windsor Heights, IA. Lots inside the enclave are small, so a deck often lands within a few feet of a setback line. We check that before we draw anything, because a redraw costs a week. Footings go 42 inches deep to clear frost. Applications may go straight to Safe Building of Polk City at 515-333-4161, and the city will tell you which route it wants that month.
Building in Windsor Heights and Polk County
Windsor Heights covers 1.41 square miles and is completely land-locked. Urbandale, Clive, West Des Moines and Des Moines wrap it on every side. The city cannot annex more ground, so nearly every project happens on a lot that already holds a house.Permits start at City Hall, 1145 66th St. Nate Leuthold takes them at 515-645-6826. The city contracts inspections to Safe Building of Polk City at 515-333-4161, and applications may go directly to that firm. Ask which route the city wants. Both are live.Chapter 155 covers building codes, but the adopted edition is not retrievable. We confirm the current standard with the building official before we draw plans rather than guess. Trade permits take two numbers on the form, a contractor number and a master license number.Two costs surprise people. A right-of-way permit runs $100 and carries a $10,000 annual security bond, which matters the moment a dumpster sits in the street. Building permit work must be completed within 12 months.The median home dates to 1960. The city annexed Crestwood in 1958 to set today’s boundaries. Schools split at 70th Street between West Des Moines Community School District and Des Moines Public Schools.Call 844-435-9800 to talk through a Windsor Heights project. Permit rules and fees change, so confirm them with the city before you commit to a budget.
Our Building Partners.
- Achievement
Your Project, Our Passion.
Since 2020, Busy Builders has completed more than 1,285 projects across Central Iowa.
Quality Construction at the Right Price.
Additions
Busy Builders starting rate. Your written estimate sets the final price.
- Additional Story
- Tornado Shelter
- Living Room
- Bedroom
- Sunroom
- Bathroom
- Garage
- ADU
Kitchen Remodeling
Busy Builders starting rate. Your written estimate sets the final price.
- Countertops
- Appliances
- Cabinetry
- Backsplash
- Islands
- Lights
Home Building
Busy Builders starting rate. Your written estimate sets the final price.
- Custom Build
- Multi-Family
- Tiny Home
- Spec Build
- Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Home Construction & Remodeling in Windsor Heights, IA
Is there room to add on in Windsor Heights?
There is, though not outward at the city level. Windsor Heights covers 1.41 square miles and is land-locked, wrapped by Urbandale, Clive, West Des Moines and Des Moines. The city cannot annex more ground. So homeowners build up and back on the lot they already own, and setbacks drive the drawings from day one.
What insulation does an addition need in Windsor Heights?
Home addition insulation must meet the 2012 Iowa Energy Code prescriptive path. That is a specific requirement, and it shapes wall thickness, ceiling assemblies and framing depth. We design to it from the first sketch instead of patching values in later. It also leaves the finished space quieter and cheaper to heat.
Do we apply at City Hall or to the inspection firm?
Either can be right, so ask before you file. Applications start at City Hall, 1145 66th St, with Nate Leuthold at 515-645-6826. The city contracts inspections to Safe Building of Polk City at 515-333-4161, and applications may go directly to that firm. We confirm the current route on every project.
When do we need a right-of-way permit?
Any time the work sits in the street or the parkway. A right-of-way permit costs $100 and comes with a $10,000 annual security bond. That bond belongs to the contractor, not the homeowner. It matters most on jobs with a dumpster, a concrete pour or a materials drop, which covers most additions and basement projects.
Which school district serves Windsor Heights?
It splits. West Des Moines Community School District and Des Moines Public Schools divide the city, with 70th Street as the boundary. That catches buyers off guard in a town of 5,252 people. Confirm your specific address with the districts before you plan a remodel around a school assignment.
How long do we have to finish the work?
Building permit work must be completed within 12 months in Windsor Heights. For a kitchen or a bath that is generous. For a two-story addition on a tight lot it is a real constraint, especially through an Iowa winter. We build the schedule backward from that date and order long-lead items early.
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