Bibb County, Alabama Building Permit Guide

The Bibb County Commission’s website shows no building, planning or inspection office and publishes no county building permit for a house on unincorporated land. Permits are a city matter here: Centreville requires one for all residential and commercial construction through its City Clerk, Woodstock has its own building and trade permit applications, and Vance permits online at $7 per $1,000 for homes. Septic approval comes from the Bibb County Health Department in Centreville.

What requires a permit in Bibb County?

Nothing is published for unincorporated Bibb County beyond the Health Department’s septic approval. The three places that publish rules say this:

Woodstock’s Building Permit Application covers new dwellings and buildings, additions, alterations, repair or replacement, renovations without structural changes, decks, sheds, garages, carports, swimming pools and interior demolition, with separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications.

Who issues building permits in Bibb County?

Five incorporated places are in the county. Vance and Woodstock each extend into a neighboring county, and only a small part of Vance is in Bibb.

The Commission office is at 157 S.W. Davidson Drive in Centreville, and the courthouse is at 35 Court Square, East. Jeff McKinney is the County Engineer; road questions go to the Highway Department on 205-926-3111.

How each Bibb County town takes applications

• Centreville building permit: obtained from the City Clerk, who also answers permit questions. Contractors must be licensed, and the City asks you to check its Zoning Ordinance for restrictions before any construction project.
• Woodstock applications: one-page forms for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits. The building form asks for the zone, the total cost of the project including the trades, the square footage and number of stories, and whether the building has sprinklers or a fire alarm.
• Vance online permits: building permits are applied for through the City’s online permitting site, or by application to Vance City Hall.

Permit costs and fees in Bibb County

Bibb County publishes no building fees, and neither Centreville nor Woodstock posts a fee schedule. Vance is the one place in the county with its fees online:

In Vance the building permit fee for new construction, additions and alterations already includes the electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work.

Centreville’s Zoning Ordinance leaves the amounts to a City Council fee schedule that is not posted with it, but it does fix two rules: no permit is issued until the fee is paid, and work started without a permit pays a late fee of 100% of the usual fee on top of the permit fee. The City’s application adds that the fee is non-refundable. Woodstock’s forms carry no fee table.

Trades and septic in Bibb County

• Woodstock takes separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing permit applications, and its building form asks for the electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors and the gas fitter.
• Vance folds the trades into the building permit on new work and charges $75 for a stand-alone electrical permit.
• Septic systems: the Bibb County Health Department, 281 Alexander Avenue, Centreville (205-926-9702), handles septic tank requests through its Environmental Office. Vance will not issue a mobile home permit without county health approval of the septic system or a receipt for the City’s sewer fees.

The county commission publishes no trade permits for land outside the cities and towns.

Application documents

Each place asks for different paperwork. Vance sets out what a mobile home installer must hand in, which is the fullest list published in the county:

• County health approval of the septic system, or the receipt for the City’s sewer impact and tap fee
• A sketch of the lot and the home’s placement, showing setbacks from the property lines
• A City of Vance business licence for every contractor
• A list of subcontractors

Woodstock’s form needs the owner’s and contractor’s details, the job address, the type of building and work, the cost and the floor areas, signed by the applicant as the owner’s authorized agent.

How to apply in Bibb County: 5 steps

Inspections in Bibb County

The Bibb County Commission lists no building inspector. Vance has a Chief Building Inspector, charges $50 for a re-inspection and has enforced the 2024 International Codes since December 1, 2024. In Centreville the Building Inspector must make the final inspection within 5 working days of being told a building is ready, and the City Clerk issues the Certificate of Occupancy once the Mayor approves it; the City also wants every subcontractor to hold a City business licence first. Woodstock does not publish its inspection steps.

Local details for Bibb County projects

Centreville historic district: changes there follow a specific procedure before a permit is issued. The Historic Preservation Commission meets every other month on the third Thursday at 5:00.

Centreville permit clock: a Centreville application becomes void if construction has not begun within 6 months of its date. On a lot with a septic system the owner must show the health department certificate before the permit is issued, and the ordinance sets fines of $100 to $500 for violations.

Flood zones on unincorporated land: Bibb County is in the National Flood Insurance Program, and FEMA dates its current flood maps August 18, 2009. The Commission’s website names no floodplain office or flood permit, so a site in a mapped flood zone is a question for the Commission office on 205-926-3114.

Mobile homes in Vance: outside a mobile home park they are allowed only in the A-1 Agricultural District. The $250 permit covers the electrical and heating or air-conditioning hook-ups plus steps and a landing at each door, at least 3 ft by 3 ft, with a handrail when there are more than 3 steps.

County Commission meetings: the commission meets at 5:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month, and the Commission office takes questions about doing business with the county.

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 Bibb County resources

• Bibb County Commission
• Bibb County contact information
• Bibb County Commission members and meetings
• City of Centreville permits and forms
• City of Centreville building permit application
• City of Centreville zoning page and Zoning Ordinance
• Town of West Blocton ordinances
• Town of Woodstock
• Town of Woodstock Building Permit Application
• City of Vance permitting information
• Bibb County Health Department

Bibb County building permit FAQs

Does Bibb County require a building permit?

The county commission publishes no building permit and lists no building department. Permits are required inside Centreville, Woodstock and Vance under each place’s own rules.

Who do I call for a building permit in Centreville?

The City Clerk at (205) 713-8886. A permit is required for all residential or commercial construction, major renovations, add-ons and swimming pools; only repairs costing $500 or less that do not change the character of the structure are exempt.

How do I get a building permit in Woodstock?

Use the Town’s Building Permit Application, with the separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing forms where needed. The number on the form is (205) 938-4007.

How much is a building permit in Vance?

$7 per $1,000 for a home and $8.50 per $1,000 for commercial work, with a $75 minimum.

Where do I get a septic permit in Bibb County?

From the Bibb County Health Department at 281 Alexander Avenue in Centreville, 205-926-9702.

Who handles permits in Brent and West Blocton?

Neither publishes permit rules online. Brent City Hall is (205) 926-4643, and West Blocton Town Hall at 1139 Main Street is (205) 938-7622.

Simplify Bibb 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 Bibb County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.