3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Johnson County, Iowa.
Verified from official government sources
Johnson County genuinely zones its unincorporated land under the Unified Development Ordinance. In the base Residential Single-Family (R) district, structures must sit 30 feet from the front line, 30 feet from the rear, and 8 feet from the side. Agricultural district setbacks run 40, 30, and 10 feet.
Johnson County UDO 8:1.9(E)
Garages accessed via an alley must be setback a minimum of ten (10) feet from the right-of-way or easement line.
Across Johnson County's residential and agricultural zoning districts, the Unified Development Ordinance caps buildings at 35 feet and 2.5 stories. The same limit applies to single-family dwellings, farm dwellings, barns, and outbuildings on unincorporated land.
Johnson County's UDO controls building intensity on unincorporated land through minimum lot area and density rather than a fixed coverage percentage. The base R residential district requires 10,890 square feet (a quarter acre) at one unit per quarter-acre.
Johnson County UDO 8:1.4(131)
Lot Coverage. The portion of a lot that is covered by all structures on the lot.
1 cities in Johnson County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Johnson County Ordinance Hub →