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Permitting Authorities / City of Ankeny, Iowa - Development Services / Building Division

City of Ankeny, Iowa - Development Services / Building Division

Adopted code

The permitting authority for the City of Ankeny, Iowa (Polk County), a suburb on the north side of the Des Moines metro area. Ankeny's own Development Services / Building Division reviews plans, issues residential building permits, and performs inspections rather than relying on Polk County.

Jurisdiction
City of Ankeny, Iowa
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
1210 NW Prairie Ridge Drive, Ankeny, IA 50023
Contact
  • url: https://www.ankenyiowa.gov/366/Building-Information
  • phone: 515-963-3550
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • license: STATE LAYER: Iowa Code chapter 91C ("Construction Contractors"), read in full (sections 91C.1 through 91C.9), requires a "contractor" - defined by reference to Iowa's employment-security-law definition of construction work, which includes roofing - to register with the director of the Iowa department of inspections, appeals, and licensing before doing business in the state. A person earning less than $2,000 annually from construction work, or working only on their own property, is exempt. Registration requires proof of workers' compensation coverage (or an exemption statement), an employer account number or special contractor number from Iowa Workforce Development, and, for out-of-state contractors, a $25,000 surety bond or a DOT prequalification statement; the fee is capped by statute at $50/year (91C.4), and registered contractors receive a public registration number (91C.5). This is a contractor-specific registration, not a generic business-tax license, and is distinct from Iowa Code chapter 105's narrower list of state-licensed trades (electrical, plumbing, mechanical), which does not include roofing. LOCAL LAYER: The City of Ankeny's own "Trades Contractor Permits" page states plainly, "All contractors performing construction work must be registered with the Iowa Division of Labor," and that "[w]ithout the appropriate licensing as issued by the State of Iowa, electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors will not be allowed to secure permits or work within the City of Ankeny" -- making the state construction-contractor registration an explicit local condition of pulling permits in Ankeny. The same page separately directs contractors to obtain a "registration code" from city staff to use the Ankeny One Stop permitting portal, which is an administrative account/portal credential, not a trade licence, and is described here for completeness rather than counted toward the boolean.
Permit process note
The roofing-permit answer is earned from the adopting ordinance read in full. Ankeny Municipal Code Sec. 184.02 adopts the 2024 IRC (code current through Ord. 2258, passed 6-1-26), bringing in IRC R105.1's permit requirement unamended, and Sec. 184.10 amends IRC R105.2 (Work Exempt from Permit) only by DELETING exemptions (detached structures under 200 sq ft, fences, sidewalks/driveways, prefabricated pools, decks under 200 sq ft, and the entire electrical/gas/mechanical/plumbing exemption lists). No roofing or reroofing exemption exists in Ankeny's amended R105.2; unlike Iowa City, Ankeny wrote no reroof exemption. Operational nuance a roofer should know: the city's July 2026 itemized permit report shows no separate Roof/Reroof category and the fee schedule has no roofing line item, so roof permits are not broken out as their own category in city reporting. The Building Official's signed Roof/re-roof compliance letter (7-1-2025) confirms the city "adopted and enforces" the 2024 IRC for reroofing work, including R908 and mandatory tear-off where two or more roof coverings exist (R908.3.1.1).
Adopted code
The City of Ankeny has adopted the 2024 International Residential Code as the "2024 Ankeny Residential Code," codified at Municipal Code Chapter 184, adopted by Ordinance 2220, part of a package of 2024 I-codes with amendments effective July 1, 2025 (also including the 2024 Ankeny Building and Energy Code at Chapter 175/Ordinance 2215, 2024 Existing Building Code at Chapter 182/Ordinance 2216, 2024 Fire Code at Chapter 180/Ordinance 2217, 2024 Mechanical Code at Chapter 176/Ordinance 2222, 2024 Plumbing Code at Chapter 178/Ordinance 2224, and the 2023 National Electrical Code at Chapter 179/Ordinance 2223). The city's own Building Official confirms, in a signed compliance letter dated July 1, 2025, that "The City of Ankeny Building Division has adopted and enforces the 2024 International Residential Building Code" and that Chapter 184 amends IRC Table R301.2 at ordinance section 184.20.
Drip edge
Required — The City of Ankeny's own Building Official's signed "Roof/re-roof compliance" letter, listing 2024 IRC sections applicable to asphalt shingle roofing in Ankeny under Ordinance 2220/Chapter 184, cites "R905.2.8.5 Drip Edge - required" directly. About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Required — The City of Ankeny's own Table R301.2 insert (Municipal Code Sec. 184.20, applicable to the 2024 IRC as adopted at Chapter 184/Ordinance 2220) lists "Ice Barrier Underlayment Required: Yes." The city's Building Official's signed "Roof/re-roof compliance" letter separately cites IRC section "R905.2.7 Ice Barrier - required" as one of the code sections applicable to asphalt shingle roofing in Ankeny. About ice & water barrier
Wind design criteria
The City of Ankeny's own Table R301.2 (Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria), as amended at Municipal Code Sec. 184.20 for the 2024 IRC and reproduced identically in both the city's Building Official's signed "Roof/re-roof compliance" letter (7/1/2025) and its "Residential Permit Submittals" design-criteria handout: Ground Snow Load 33 psf; Wind Speed 107 mph (Vasd 48 mph); Topographic Effects No; Special Wind Region No; Wind-Borne Debris Zone No; Seismic Design Category A; Weathering Severe; Frost Line Depth 42 inches; Termite damage potential "No" (i.e., not a listed hazard); Ice Barrier Underlayment Required Yes; Flood Hazards NFIP Adoption 1-Feb-19; Air Freezing Index 1833; Mean Annual Temperature 48.6 F. The city's Building Information page separately states Ground Snow Load 33 PSF and Wind Speed 107 MPH for the International Residential Code, matching this table.
Roof layer limit / recover
The City of Ankeny's own Building Official's signed "Roof/re-roof compliance" letter, listing 2024 IRC sections applicable to asphalt shingle roofing under Ordinance 2220/Chapter 184, cites "R908.3.1.1 Roof recovering not allowed - where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering (tear-off required)." In practice this means a roof that already carries two or more layers of roof covering may not be recovered with a third layer and must be torn off first.
Deck & sheathing requirements
The City of Ankeny's own Building Official's signed "Roof/re-roof compliance" letter cites "R803.2 Wood structural panel sheathing - see table R503.2.1.1(1)" as the applicable 2024 IRC section for roof deck sheathing, and reproduces IRC Table R503.2.1.1(1) ("Allowable Spans and Loads for Wood Structural Panels for Roof and Subfloor Sheathing and Combination Subfloor Underlayment") in full, giving minimum panel thickness and maximum allowable spans by span rating for roof sheathing panels.
Sales & use tax
The Iowa Department of Revenue's own published Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) workbook, "LOST by City" tab (effective 7/1/2026), lists Ankeny under Polk County with Local Option Sales Tax = NO, for a combined total rate of 6% (the state's base sales tax rate only, with no local option add-on). Ankeny appears only once in the workbook (under Polk County), so there is no cross-county discrepancy to reconcile.

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