Woodward, Iowa
Construction & Remodeling
Your One Call Solution for Home Building and Remodeling in Woodward, Iowa.
Woodward, Iowa General Contractor
About Us
Established in 2020, Busy Builders was founded to bring integrity and honesty back to remodeling and homebuilding. We serve Woodward and all of Dallas 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. Woodward 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 Dallas County and beyond.
Full-Service Construction And Remodeling in Woodward
New home construction in Woodward starts with two contacts. One is the permit desk at 105 E 2nd Street. The other is building official Jason Van Ausdall at 515-850-2980. Woodward publishes no adopted code edition, so the standard is the one your builder brings. We put ours in writing before we dig. Footings go 42 inches down to clear the Iowa frost line. Building starts around $150 per square foot, and site work moves that number.
Home remodeling in Woodward means reading the block you are on. An F2 tornado tore through the southeast and east sides of town in 2005. Houses there were rebuilt or repaired. The rest of Woodward kept its older stock. Age is not obvious from the curb here. Two homes three streets apart can hide very different framing, insulation and wiring. We open a wall before we promise a price. Then we tell you exactly what we found in there.
Kitchen remodeling in Woodward usually pulls in more than one permit. The city requires permits for the systems inside a project, not just the shell. A gut kitchen with moved fixtures brings paperwork beyond the building permit. We coordinate all of it. We also keep the trades on schedule with the building official. Ask us for the permit list before you set a start date. Kitchen work starts around $250 per square foot. Cabinets, counters and appliances drive the rest.
Basement remodeling in Woodward starts with what is already down there. The city posts no code edition, so we do not guess at the rules. We measure ceiling height and check the existing egress. Then we confirm the plan with building official Jason Van Ausdall before design goes final. That order matters. Learning that a ceiling will not clear seven feet after the drawings are done costs real money. We would rather deliver bad news early and change the layout.
Bathroom remodeling in Woodward runs on staging. You are 31 miles from Des Moines, so a missing part is not a quick errand. We order fixtures, tile and vanities and hold them before demolition starts. That keeps a one bathroom house from losing its only bathroom for a month. Nothing about the schedule should depend on a same-day supply run. In homes built before 1978 we follow lead-safe renovation practice. We confirm the age of the house before anyone opens a wall.
Home additions in Woodward run into setbacks on older platted lots. That covers garages, sunrooms and second stories alike. If your plan needs relief, the city charges $50 for a Board of Adjustment and Appeals hearing. That hearing takes calendar time, so we check lot lines before we draw. We would rather find a setback problem on paper than on site. Additions start around $300 per square foot. Joining new framing and foundation to an existing house is where the cost lives.
Basement finishing in Woodward starts with a radon test. Iowa averages 8.5 picocuries per liter against a national 1.3. That is why about five in seven Iowa homes sit above the EPA action level. Test first, then frame. A basement bedroom needs an egress opening of at least 5.7 square feet. The ceiling has to clear seven feet. Ask the city what your finish plan needs before you buy materials. We confirm both with the building official first.
Deck building in Woodward needs a city permit, and so does a fence. That surprises people. Posts go 42 inches down to clear the Iowa frost line. Woodward publishes no depth of its own, so that is the standard we build to. Woodward is a terminus of the High Trestle Trail. Plenty of our deck conversations here start with wanting somewhere to sit after a long ride. We handle the permit either way.
Building in Woodward and Dallas County
Woodward sits 31 miles from Des Moines with about 1,346 residents. Permits come from the City of Woodward at 105 E 2nd Street. The city requires a permit for more than the house itself. Additions, garages, sheds, decks and fences all need one. The licensed trades on your job pull their own permits too.Inspections run through building official Jason Van Ausdall, CBO, at 515-850-2980. He signs off on your work, so we bring him into the schedule early.Two things Woodward does not publish. There is no fee schedule posted and no adopted code edition. The one published figure we found is $50 for a Board of Adjustment and Appeals hearing. Work should not begin until permits are approved and fees are paid. With no code edition posted, the standard on your project is the one your builder brings. We say that plainly rather than pretend otherwise.The housing here tells a story. An F2 tornado hit the southeast and east sides of town on November 12, 2005. Those blocks read newer than the rest. Woodward is also a terminus of the High Trestle Trail. The Woodward Resource Center at 34 Cedar Street is now the state’s only remaining resource center.Call Busy Builders at 844-435-9800 to talk through a Woodward project. Permit rules and fees change, so confirm current requirements with the city 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 Woodward.
- Additional Story
- Tornado Shelter
- Living Room
- Bedroom
- Sunroom
- Bathroom
- Garage
- ADU
Kitchen Remodeling
Based on Average Pricing in Woodward.
- Countertops
- Appliances
- Cabinetry
- Windows
- Islands
- Lights
Home Building
Based on Average Pricing in Woodward.
- Dream Build
- Multi-Family
- Tiny Home
- Spec Build
- Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs About Home Construction & Remodeling in Woodward, IA
Who issues building permits in Woodward?
The City of Woodward, at 105 E 2nd Street. The city requires permits for additions, garages, sheds, decks and fences. The trade systems inside a project need their own. Work should not begin until permits are approved and fees are paid. We prepare the applications and keep copies in your project file.
Who inspects construction work in Woodward?
Building official Jason Van Ausdall, CBO, at 515-850-2980. He reviews the work and signs off at each stage. We schedule around his availability rather than assuming a date. If the work is not ready when he arrives, the trip is wasted and the job slips. We call only when a stage is truly ready.
What building code does Woodward enforce?
Woodward does not publish an adopted code edition, so we will not name one. In practice, the standard on your project is the one your builder brings. We build to current Iowa residential practice and put our specification in writing. Anything unclear goes to the building official before work starts.
What does a building permit cost in Woodward?
The city does not publish a fee schedule. The one published figure we found is $50 for a Board of Adjustment and Appeals hearing. Anyone quoting you an exact Woodward permit fee from memory is guessing. Ask the city at 105 E 2nd Street for a current number. Expect fees paid before work starts.
Which school district serves Woodward?
The Woodward-Granger Community School District. The middle school and high school sit in Woodward. The elementary school is in Granger. That split matters to families weighing a move against an addition. It changes the daily drive for younger children, and it comes up often when we plan bedrooms.
Is Busy Builders licensed to work in Woodward?
Iowa registers general contractors rather than licensing them. We hold Iowa contractor registration through the Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing. Anyone earning $2,000 or more a year from construction needs it. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians do hold state licenses. The ones on our jobs carry theirs.
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