Service area · Iowa
Metal buildings for projects across Iowa
Machine sheds, acreage shops, farm buildings and commercial buildings, from the Des Moines metro to Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities and the Missouri River towns.
Farm buildings
Often exempt
Inside city limits
City permits
Snow load
Rises northward
Footings
Below deep frost
Every address is different. We confirm the rules for yours before drawings are produced.
What matters when building in Iowa?
Two buildings with identical dimensions can need different engineering depending on where they sit and how they’re used.
Snow load
Heavier than the southern markets and climbing as you move north. The adopted code edition can move it too.
Frost depth
Deeper than Missouri or Kansas, which affects footings, piers and what the concrete costs.
How it’s used
Farm use, personal use and occupied space fall under different rules, even on the same piece of ground.
City or county
Cities run their own permits and inspections. County ground runs on its own rules.
Does the farm exemption apply?
Iowa exempts buildings used for agriculture from county zoning and county building codes. The exemption follows how the building is used, and the county can’t require an application or a fee for it to apply.
Usually covered
- Machine sheds and equipment storage on an operating farm
- Hay, grain and livestock buildings
- A farm house on a working farm
Usually not covered
- Anything inside city limits
- A personal shop or garage on a residential acreage
- A building that’s really housing a business
- Floodplain rules, which apply whatever the use
Exempt from a permit isn’t exempt from snow. We still design every building to the loads at its address.
What usually fits which project
We start with what you’re building and work back to the structural system. Here’s where that usually lands.
Machine sheds & storage
Tubular steel up to sixty feet wide. Red iron past that, or for big doors and heavy loads.
Heated shop
Still tubular under sixty feet. Insulation costs the same per square foot whatever the frame is.
Drywalled shop or barndominium
Steel truss. Drywall screws straight to the frame, so there’s no wood wall to build inside the steel.
Commercial & wide spans
Cold-formed for permitted commercial work with a finished eave. Red iron past eighty feet.
Where your city or county requires site-specific engineering, the math can shift. See what a steel building costs for real per-square-foot ranges.
Iowa communities we serve
Select your area for local permitting detail, or call and tell us where you’re building.
Des Moines metro & central Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa City & eastern Iowa
Northern Iowa
Western & southern Iowa
Also Pella, Oskaloosa, Newton, Muscatine, Clinton, Decorah, Spencer, Storm Lake, Carroll, Creston and the ground between them.
Common questions about building in Iowa
Do I need a permit for a metal building in Iowa?
It depends on how it’s used and whether it’s inside city limits. Farm buildings on county ground are generally exempt from county permits. Inside Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport, Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Waterloo, Ames, Dubuque and most other cities, expect a permit and inspections.
Does the farm exemption cover my building?
If it’s used for agriculture on an operating farm, usually yes. A personal shop on an acreage that isn’t farmed, or a building housing a business, usually won’t qualify. Settle it before you order, because it decides what engineering and inspections the building needs.
What snow loads does an Iowa building have to be designed for?
More than a building sold into the southern markets, and the number climbs as you move north. Which code edition your city or county has adopted can move it too. We run the ASCE 7 hazard tool against your address and design to whichever governs.
How deep do footings need to go in Iowa?
Many Iowa jurisdictions set frost depth at 42 inches, and some northern ones go deeper. We confirm the requirement for your city or county and match the anchor plan to the slab and footing your concrete crew is pouring.
Is generic engineering enough, or do I need site-specific engineering?
For an exempt farm building, wet-sealed generic engineering designed to your loads is usually enough. A building people occupy is Risk Category II, and most city permits call for site-specific drawings. That runs roughly $2.00 per square foot on tubular against $0.75 on cold-formed, about a $3,000 swing on a 40×60.
What sizes are most common in Iowa?
On acreages, 30×40, 30×50 and 40×60 shops and garages. Machine sheds often start at 40×60 and run past sixty feet wide to clear combines and planters, which usually moves them to red iron. See what a steel building costs for real ranges.
Let’s talk about your Iowa project
Tell us what you’re planning and where you’re building. We’ll help you work out the next steps.