Yes, with one thing to plan around. The ground is mostly flat and drains well, which keeps building simple. Typical well depths here range from 210 feet to 740 feet, so get a local driller's quote.
What the land says
Rain
Rain helps, but plan on a well for most of your water and on watering the garden in dry months.
About 39 inches a year (PRISM, 1991 to 2020 average)
Wells
Well depth varies a lot here. Get a local driller's quote before you offer.
Typical well depths here range from 210 feet to 740 feet
Growing season
A full season for most vegetables.
About 187 frost-free days, USDA zone 5b; last frost about April 17, first about October 22
Sun
Good sun. Size the array and battery bank for winter.
About 4.8 hours of full sun a day, averaged over the year
Flood
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
FEMA maps flood zones within a quarter mile in parts of the county
Wildfire
Low wildfire risk.
U.S. Forest Service wildfire hazard map: Very Low here
Storms
Strong tornadoes pass through now and then. A safe room is worth pricing.
NOAA: no hurricane-strength storm within 50 miles since 1975; about 3 strong (EF2 or stronger) tornadoes a decade within 25 miles
Terrain
Flat, but the ground stays wet. Build on the higher, drier spot.
Slopes average about 4%, about 690 feet above sea level
Soil
Good ground for a standard septic system. The county's soil test decides.
Silt loam, moderately well drained (USDA soil survey). A standard system typically runs $5,000 to $10,000
Road
Paved roads are close by.
Nearest paved road usually within about 0.6 miles (OpenStreetMap)
Check an Iowa parcel, or plan the one you own
Get a free 0-100 off-grid score.
A step-by-step build plan, sizing your solar, water, garden, septic, heat, and buildings.
Is it legal here?
Zoning
We found no public zoning map for Lee County, so call the county planning office with the parcel number to ask whether the land is zoned.
Building code
Iowa's state building code applies only where a county or city adopts it (and in cities over 15,000 with no code of their own), so in a county with no code there is no county building permit for a house. The state's energy rules still apply to new homes.
Rainwater
Collecting it is allowed.
Composting toilets
Allowed.
Water rights
Owners of land along a creek or lake can make reasonable use of its water.
Depends on depth, which varies here. Get a driller's quote.
Septic
$5,000 to $10,000
Standard system
Solar and batteries
$18,000 to $34,000
Sized for a modest household
Road or driveway
$3,000 to $8,000
From the nearest road to a house site
Clearing
$1,000 to $4,000
A house site, solar, and garden
Total
$27,000 to $56,000
Before the house, plus the well
Before you make an offer on land here
Well depth
Get a local driller's depth estimate.
Typical well depths here range from 210 feet to 740 feet.
Flood map
Look up the parcel on FEMA's flood map.
Flood zones run along creeks and rivers here. Building in one means flood insurance and extra permits.
Zoning
Call the county planning office with the parcel number.
There is no public zoning map, so we cannot tell whether the land is zoned.
Nearby counties
32,565 people live in Lee County, about 62.9 per square mile. It ranks tied for 15th of the 99 Iowa counties we scored, and Iowa ranks 21st of 50 states.