What kind of iris? Tall beardeds or bulbous types like Dutch iris or the short reticulatas.

Since you have glads in the ground you must be in a milder winter zone. They do need to be potted. If they are showing top growth dig deep enuf to capture root growth and plop them in a pot with several inches of soil on the bottom. Unsprouted ones without any root growth are also plopped in a pot but with deeper soil (since there is no root ball). I lost some glads from leaving them uncovered by soil in a pot --- they had soil underneath. Drats.

Bearded irises and cemetery irises.

No, either leave them or pot them, unless you can wait till June or July, when top growth MAY begin to die down naturally.

We're building a house, and where it might be going would be right on top of where the bulbs are. No choice but to dig them up if the house can't be built a tab further back (pipeline issue).

The cemetery beardeds are the most forgiving. Store in paper bags in cool dry place and replant as soon as possible. They will probably skip next year's bloom. Modern beardeds may be less forgiving. If I had particular treasures I'd beg my gardening friends to babysit them or replant out of the way even it is shade. Or pots of course.