Building Your New Home in Rural Linn County

Here you will find information on required permits from the Linn County Planning & Development, Public Health, Secondary Road Departments for building your new home.  Please note that in addition to Linn County, Planning & Development provides building services to the cities of Alburnett, Bertram, Center Point, Central City, Ely, Lisbon, Mount Vernon and Springville.  

Planning & Development

Required Permits & Documentation

Required Permits & ApplicationsRequired DocumentsHelpful Information 
Building Permit:Property Owner Online   Contractor OnlineValuation Form (pdf)
Valuation Form (Excel)
New House Handout
Zoning Permit:Property Owner Online   Contractor OnlineSite PlanSample Site Plan / Setback Info
Electrical Permit:Online Application           Application PDF Building Plan ChecklistInspection Required for New House
Mechanical Permit:Online Application           Application PDFEnergy Code Sign OffEnergy Code Requirements
Plumbing Permit:Online Application           Application PDFSeptic WaiverDeck Handout

Secondary Road Department

Entrance & E-911 Permits

Entrance and E-911 Address Permits can be applied for with the other permits at the Planning and Development Department, or separately at the Engineering & Secondary Road Department, 1888 County Home Road, Marion. Information needed to complete these permits includes:

Note: If the proposed driveway entrance will be paved, the following permit is also required and must be submitted separately to the Engineering & Secondary Road Department, 1888 County Home Road, Marion. Information needed to complete these permits includes:

  • Work in Right-of-Way Permit - Entrance Paving (PDF) This permit is required when the surface of the entrance with the county right-of-way is going to be a material other than rock and must be submitted separately to the Engineering & Secondary Road Department.


Public Health - Environmental Quality

Private Water Well & Private Sewage Disposal System Permits

  • Private water well and sewage disposal system permit applications can be applied for at the Public Health Department located at 1020 6th St. SE, Cedar Rapids, and are available on their website. Percolation test results for private sewage disposal systems must be completed by a certified installer.
  • Septic Permit Process (PDF) This handout provides a brief overview of the permit application and inspection process for installing a new septic system.

Note: If the discharge line for treated water from a recirculating cloth filter system is proposed to discharge into a county road right-of-way, such as a road ditch, the following is also required:

  • Work in Right-of-Way Permit (PDF) This is a permit application to allow work, such as excavation or filling, within a county road right-of-way. This application is required from the contractor and must be submitted to the Engineering & Secondary Road Department, 1888 County Home Road, Marion.