Autauga County, Alabama Building Permit Guide

Autauga County’s government lists no building inspection department and publishes no county building permit or fee schedule. On unincorporated land the County Engineer’s Office (334-361-3761) asks anyone planning a house or mobile home to call first: it issues the free permit needed to develop in or within 100 ft of a special flood hazard area, plus driveway access permits and subdivision approvals. Building permits come from the City of Prattville and, inside its own city limits, the City of Millbrook.

What requires a permit in Autauga County?

Outside the cities, the approvals Autauga County itself publishes are these:

The county posts signs where main roads enter its largest flood hazard areas, but many smaller mapped areas have no sign. Land near the Alabama River or any of the county’s creeks generally needs the flood zone permit for any kind of development.

Who issues building permits in Autauga County?

It depends on where the land is. The Census Bureau lists four incorporated places in the county: Prattville and Millbrook, which both extend into Elmore County, and the towns of Autaugaville and Billingsley.

John Mark Davis is the County Engineer. His office takes forms from Monday to Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The County Commission is at 135 North Court Street, Suite B, Prattville (334-358-6700).

Autauga County permit types and how each is filed

• Permit to Develop in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Filed on the county’s two-page application with the Engineer’s Office, which acts as floodplain administrator. The form covers new construction, additions, alterations and repairs, manufactured home installation, accessory structures, filling, grading, dredging, demolition and subdivisions.
• Access permit. Under the Access Management Policy in force since March 16, 2021, nothing may connect to a county road until the County Engineer has approved it.
• Driveway turnout. The permit is free. County crews will build the turnout, and the Engineer’s staff decide the size and type of drainage pipe.
• Subdivision plat. The County Engineer reviews every proposed plat against the Subdivision Regulations adopted on March 16, 2021 and certifies it to the County Commission.

Land within 5 miles of a city that has a planning commission can fall under that city’s subdivision jurisdiction, in which case the county’s role is limited to plat approval.

Permit costs and fees in Autauga County

The county charges nothing for the flood zone permit application, but it warns that the certifications behind an approved permit cost money. The figures below are the county’s own.

A property owner may supply their own driveway pipe if the Engineering Department approves it. The subdivision schedule is a minimum: the developer also pays any inspection and testing costs the county incurs.

Trade permits and septic approval in Autauga County

Autauga County publishes no electrical, plumbing, mechanical or gas permits for unincorporated land. Inside the cities the picture is different:

• Prattville: electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fuel gas installations need a City permit, issued to the licensed professional doing the work.
• Millbrook: the Building Department lists electrical, roofing, plumbing and mechanical permits and schedules all trade inspections. Work begun before its permit is issued pays double the fee.
• Septic systems: the Autauga County Health Department, 219 North Court Street, Prattville (334-361-3743), handles septic tank requests through its Environmental Office. The county will not sign a subdivision plat that relies on septic tanks without the Health Department’s certificate of approval.

Documents for a flood zone development permit

The county’s application asks the applicant to describe the work, give the site location with GPS coordinates and state the flood zone, map panel and base flood elevation. These attachments are listed on the form:

• Building plans
• Site plan showing the buildings and improvements, the flood zones and the base flood elevations
• Completed FEMA Elevation Certificate
• FEMA Floodproofing Certificate and certified plans, for a non-residential building that is dry floodproofed instead of elevated
• No-Rise certification by a registered professional engineer, for development in a floodway
• A surveyor’s or engineer’s elevation determination, for a development of 50 lots or 5 acres (whichever is less) where no base flood elevation has been set

For an addition or improvement, the form asks for the market value of the existing structure and the cost of the work. If the work, added to earlier improvements over a rolling 10-year period, reaches 50% of the structure’s market value, the substantial improvement rules apply.

How to apply in Autauga County: 6 steps

Inspections and closeout in Autauga County

The only construction inspections the county describes are the two tied to the flood zone permit. The first takes place when the lowest floor, or the lowest horizontal supporting member, is in place; if the elevation falls short of the required height above the base flood elevation, it must be corrected before construction continues. The second is a final inspection once the building is complete and ready for occupancy. The surveyor’s benchmark must stay on site until the development is finished.

When the Engineer’s Office learns of a flood ordinance violation it first contacts the owner, who has 30 days to comply. After a certified letter and a further 30 days without an acceptable plan, the County Commission may fine the property $500 per day.

New subdivision roads are inspected by the county, at the developer’s cost. Building inspections and certificates of occupancy exist only where a city provides them: Prattville’s Building Division and Millbrook’s Building Department each inspect and close out their own permits.

Local details for Autauga County projects

Plat approval timetable: at least 21 days before a plat goes to the County Commission, the County Engineer’s approval or disapproval is sent by certified mail to the owner or developer, the adjoining owners and each affected utility. An approved plat is then filed in the County Probate Office.

Family transfers: the plat requirement does not apply to a sale, deed or transfer of land by the owner to an immediate family member, or to subdivisions inside a city’s corporate limits.

Prattville review times: the City says residential permit applications and miscellaneous permits such as fences and signs typically take 3 to 5 days for initial review. Its Building Division is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Millbrook’s edge: Millbrook’s own page says it permits construction across the city and its police jurisdiction, but Act 2000-471 bars the City from using police powers or collecting any fee in Autauga County outside its corporate limits. Autauga County land beside Millbrook therefore follows the county rules above, not the City’s permit schedule.

State roads: the Engineering Department maintains only public county roads and will not maintain or repair a private driveway. Problems on a state-maintained road go to the Alabama Department of Transportation.

Alabama building code

From 1 January 2027, under Act 2024-443, a residential home builder must build to the applicable residential code (the Alabama Residential Building Code, or the local code where one applies) even where no building department inspects the work. Since 1 October 2024 the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board adopts the residential code, and the Licensing Board for General Contractors the commercial energy code. Alabama’s codes and the 2027 change

Official Autauga County resources

• Autauga County Engineering Department
• Autauga County flood zone regulations and permits
• Autauga County permit requirement information for flood hazard areas
• Application for Permit to Develop in a Special Flood Hazard Area
• Autauga County property development and subdivision documents
• Autauga County driveway turnout installation
• City of Prattville building permits
• City of Millbrook Building Department
• City of Millbrook Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14: technical codes and permit fees
• Act 2000-471: police jurisdictions of Prattville and Millbrook
• City of Prattville Code of Ordinances, Chapter 105: buildings
• Autauga County Health Department
• Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board
• Alabama Division of Construction Management

Autauga County building permit FAQs

Does Autauga County issue building permits?

The county lists no building inspection department and publishes no building permit. Its Engineer’s Office issues flood zone development permits, access permits and subdivision approvals on unincorporated land.

Do I need a permit to build a house outside Prattville?

Call the County Engineer’s Office at 334-361-3761 before you build. If the site is in a special flood hazard area or within 100 ft of one, you need the county’s flood zone permit, and a septic system needs Health Department approval.

How much is a flood zone permit in Autauga County?

The county does not charge for the application. Expect to pay a surveyor about $700 for each Elevation Certificate, and usually two are needed.

Do I need a permit for a shed or pole barn?

In a flood hazard area, yes: the county counts sheds and pole barns as development. Inside Prattville an accessory structure needs a City permit.

Who issues building permits in Prattville?

The City of Prattville Building Division at the City Hall Annex, 102 West Main Street, 334-595-0400.

Where do I get a septic permit in Autauga County?

From the Autauga County Health Department at 219 North Court Street in Prattville, 334-361-3743. Ask for the Environmental Office.

How much does the county charge to put in a driveway?

The turnout permit is free. If county crews build the turnout the fee is $100 plus the cost of any drainage pipe.

Simplify Autauga County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Alabama. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Autauga County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.