Des Moines Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The City of Des Moines Permit and Development Center (PDC) is the municipal permitting and development authority for property inside Des Moines city limits. A Des Moines mailing address can extend into another city or unincorporated Polk County, so confirm the jurisdiction before applying. Iowa’s Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) maintains the state code framework and retains review or inspection responsibility for specified state-regulated projects.

Des Moines building permits and EnerGov CSS

The PDC is the city’s one-stop construction-permitting center. Its EnerGov Customer Self-Service portal allows applicants to apply, pay, access documents, and request inspections online. Use the city’s property and zoning resources to verify the address, then submit the appropriate building, trade, demolition, grading, or right-of-way materials. Complete plans, project valuation, contractor information, and any required zoning or site-plan approvals should be assembled before submittal.

Inspections, code compliance, and occupancy

The permit holder is responsible for requesting required inspections through CSS and keeping the approved permit documents available at the job site. Inspection approval confirms work against the adopted building and trade codes and approved plans; it does not replace zoning approval. Do not occupy a new or changed-use space until the city’s required final approvals and certificate of occupancy process are complete.

Zoning and Iowa plan review jurisdiction

Des Moines zoning and development standards are administered through the city code and the city’s planning resources. DIAL’s current plan-review guidance lists Des Moines among local city code-enforcement jurisdictions, while identifying state-level review categories such as state-owned, state-funded, health-care, and other specially regulated facilities. Confirm both city review and any DIAL submittal requirement before design is finalized.

Official Des Moines contact information

The PDC lists the T.M. Franklin Cownie City Administration Building at 1200 Locust Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309, with permit and development phone (515) 283-4200. Use the official CSS portal for applications, payments, documents, permit activity, and inspection requests; contact the PDC when a project falls outside the normal online workflow.