Black Hawk County, IA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Under Black Hawk County Code § 15.15.230, no building or premises in unincorporated Black Hawk County may tap a water or sewer main, install a private building sewer, water service, private sewage disposal plant or private water system, or make any connection, extension, replacement, removal, addition, disconnection or change to a plumbing system without first notifying the Plumbing Inspector and securing a permit. Work within a public right-of-way also needs a separate permit from the Black Hawk County Engineer's office. The rule applies countywide only outside Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Evansdale, Hudson, La Porte City, Dunkerton, Gilbertville, Elk Run Heights and Raymond, each of which issues its own plumbing permits under its own municipal code.

BHCC § 15.15.280 adopts the Uniform Plumbing Code, 1997 Edition, including Appendices A, B, C, D and H, as amended, as the controlling plumbing code for construction and maintenance in the county. Owner-occupants may do their own plumbing work after appearing before the Plumbing Inspector to show competency, paying the required fee, and obtaining a permit, but they must still perform all the labor themselves and pass the required inspections (BHCC § 15.15.240). All inspections require 24-hour notice, and a failed inspection that needs reinspection carries a $42.00 reinspection fee (BHCC § 15.15.250). Under § 15.15.300, all plumbing permit fees are set by resolution of the Board of Supervisors rather than fixed in the code itself, and inspection statements are billed monthly, due by the 15th, with work authority automatically canceled if fees go unpaid.