Council Bluffs building department

The Council Bluffs Building Division, at 209 Pearl Street, issues building and trade permits inside Council Bluffs and performs the inspections for them. It is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the main office is (712) 890-5276. Plans and insurance forms can be emailed as PDFs to [email protected] (20 MB limit).

Permits the division issues

Billboard, building, commercial interior demolition, demolition, electrical, excavation, fence, floodplain, footing/foundation, grading, lawn sprinkler, manufactured structure, mechanical, moving, plumbing, retaining wall, roofing, siding, sign, solar, structural frame, temporary pole, tornado shelter, and utility permits.

Council Bluffs requires permits for residential re-roofing, re-siding, and fences, each with a flat fee (below).

Applying through the Customer Portal

All applications go through the city’s Customer Portal (EnerGov Self Service at selfservice.councilbluffs-ia.gov). After logging in you can apply, upload paperwork, and pay online. Contractor licenses are applied for and renewed in the same portal under “Licenses & Registrations.” The city publishes Customer Portal how-to guides for first-time users.

Fees

Permit fees are set in Municipal Code Chapter 2.08 (Schedule of Fees). Highlights the division publishes:

Permit	Fee
Residential re-roofing	$30
Residential re-siding	$30
Residential window replacement (same size)	$30
Any two of the three above	$50
All three	$75
Residential fence	$30
Demolition, principal structure	$100 per structure
Demolition, accessory structure	$50 per structure
Residential pool over 5,000 gallons	$60.75 (other fees may apply)
Decks, accessory structures over 120 sq ft, retaining walls over 4 ft	Based on valuation (CBMC 13.08.100)

Commercial plan review: since January 1, 2025, non-residential new buildings, alterations, and additions pay a plan review fee of 25% of the building permit fee when the complete submittal is made, on top of the full permit fee. Staff calculate valuation for new buildings and additions from the ICC Building Valuation Data. For alterations, the applicant supplies the valuation. Allow one to two business days for the fee to be calculated.

Adopted codes

Council Bluffs enforces these codes as adopted and amended by the State of Iowa, with local amendments in Ordinances 6098, 6100, 6101, 6102, and 6104:

Code	Edition
International Residential Code	2015
International Building Code	2015
International Fire Code	2015
International Fuel Gas Code	2015
NFPA 101 Life Safety Code	2015
International Existing Building Code	2018
International Energy Conservation Code	2012
Uniform Plumbing Code	2024
International Mechanical Code	2024
National Electrical Code	2023

Requesting inspections

The division inspects building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, fire and life safety, gas piping, energy, floodplain, grading, excavation, manufactured-home set-downs, signs, and utility work.

To request an inspection, call the Inspection Request voicemail line at (712) 890-5393 or email [email protected]. Leave the address, application number, requested date (and time of day if needed), and contractor name. Required notice:

Inspection	Notice
Residential finals, rough-ins, utility service, miscellaneous	24 hours
Commercial finals and rough-ins	48 hours
Commercial/industrial utility service and miscellaneous	24 hours
Industrial rough-ins	48 hours
Industrial finals	72 hours
Concrete (all project types)	By 11:00 a.m. for a same-day afternoon inspection; by 4:00 p.m. for the next day

For emergency utility service inspections, call the main office at (712) 890-5276. Final inspections must be approved and a Certificate of Occupancy issued before any new construction is occupied.

Contractor licensing

Council Bluffs requires every contractor to hold a current city contractor license and insurance under Chapter 13 of the City Code; general contractors apply through the Customer Portal. The city points applicants to the International Code Council’s examination program for testing. Plumbing, mechanical, and electrical contractors are licensed by the State of Iowa through the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board and the Electrical Examining Board. Building designers must meet State of Iowa architect and engineer licensure requirements.