Council Bluffs, IA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

CBMC 13.01.301 sets the baseline rule: no building, structure or building service equipment covered by the technical codes may be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, improved, removed, converted or demolished without a separate, appropriate permit from the building official for each building, structure or piece of equipment. A short list of exemptions follows for minor work, including one-story detached tool sheds and similar accessory buildings under one hundred twenty square feet, retaining walls under four feet, small prefabricated pools, and minor roof repairs of one square of shingles or less, though separate plumbing, electrical or mechanical permits can still apply.

To obtain a permit under CBMC 13.01.302, the applicant files a written application identifying the work and property, states the construction valuation, and, for projects needing plans, submits drawings, computations and specifications that the building official reviews under CBMC 13.01.303 before issuing the permit; the contractor is responsible for securing the permit before construction begins. Fees under CBMC 13.01.304 are based on the International Code Council's Building Valuation Data, with local add-ons such as $2.60 per square foot for fire sprinkler systems and a twenty-five percent plan review fee on top of the permit fee.

A permit expires and becomes void if work has not started within one hundred eighty days, or is suspended for one hundred eighty days, and the building official may extend that deadline once, also for up to one hundred eighty days. Starting work without first obtaining a permit triggers an investigation fee of two to four times the normal permit fee under CBMC 13.01.304.