Ames, IA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

Ames Municipal Code Sec. 5.100(10) adopts the National Electrical Code, 2020 edition, published by the National Fire Protection Association, as the electrical code of the City of Ames governing electrical work and installations, except where the City has enacted higher local standards. Sec. 5.103 makes electrical work regulated by the code subject to the same general permit requirement as building work: an owner or authorized agent must apply to and obtain a permit from the Building Official before erecting, installing, altering, repairing or replacing an electrical system, and doing so without a permit is a violation.

Sec. 5.105 then lists the narrow exceptions where no electrical permit is required, including minor repair work such as replacing lamps, fuses or wall plugs and light fixtures, connecting approved portable equipment to existing receptacles, temporary testing systems, work performed by or for the Ames Electric Department or a franchised utility, and manufacturing process equipment independent of building wiring. Electrical permit fees are set under Appendix U of the Ames Municipal Code per Sec. 5.112(2), and Sec. 5.114 requires underground, rough-in and final electrical inspections before the work is approved.