Building a House
When building a new house in Jackson County, several permits are required. One of the first things to do is apply for an address. The new address will be required on all permits for the house, including Health Department permits (well permit, septic permit) and any required Zoning permits (building permit).
Addresses are assigned by the Jackson County Engineer's Office. To apply for an address, an entrance permit may be required. The following explains how and where to apply for an entrance permit and how to receive an address.
Entrance Permit to Access the Public Road
Rural roads in Jackson County are either maintained by the State or by the County. Both jurisdictions control the location and design of new driveways by means of a permit process. Some locations along the roads are places where it is not safe to build a new driveway, so you will want to check this before anything else is done.
On State roads (Highways 52, 61, 62, 64, and 67), an entrance permit is required to construct a new driveway or to use an existing driveway currently not serving a residence. Contact the County Engineer's Office at 563-652-4782. Entrance permits and requirements are located on the Engineer's page of the Jackson County website.
A Residential Address (911 Number)
Your rural address number is assigned as part of the County entrance permit process. If your entrance is located on a State highway and you have approval from the State for the entrance or if you are sharing a driveway with others, you will need to make a separate application for an address to the County Engineer's Office at 563-652-4782.
Keep in mind that if you are sharing a driveway with another residence, you cannot use their address as yours Each residence is required to have their own separate address.
Health Department and Zoning Department
Once you have your new address, you will want to talk to the Health Department to find out about the requirements for the well permit and septic permit. Contact the Health Department at 563-652-1729.
At the same time, you will want to talk to the Zoning Department for a building permit and to make sure that you following all the zoning requirements. Contact the Zoning Department at 563-652-1754.
