The Cherokee County Commission states it plainly: there are no zoning regulations and no building permit requirements outside the incorporated areas. Three county-level approvals still apply to rural projects: a floodplain development permit from the County Engineer for anything in a mapped flood hazard area, a $100 right-of-way permit for work on a county road, and a septic permit from the Cherokee County Health Department. Inside Centre and Cedar Bluff, the city or town building office issues the permit.
What needs a permit in Cherokee County?
Outside town limits: no county permit
- New houses, additions and remodels
- Garages, shops, barns and sheds
- Zoning or land-use approval
Outside town limits: still required
- Floodplain development permit for building, fill, excavation, a manufactured home, a bridge or a culvert in a Special Flood Hazard Area
- Right-of-way permit before any work on a county-maintained right-of-way
- Utility permit for lines in the county right-of-way
- Septic system permit from the health department
- County licence, through the Probate Office, for any contractor paid to work on the site
Cedar Bluff’s application shows what a town permit covers there: new dwellings, additions, alterations, repair or replacement, renovations without structural change, decks, sheds, swimming pools, garages and carports, plus the commercial equivalents and interior demolition. Centre’s Building Department covers residential and commercial construction inside the city.
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Get a free quote →Who issues permits in Cherokee County?
| Place | Permit office |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated county | No building permit or zoning. County Engineer, 1875 East Main Street, Centre, 256-927-5573, for floodplain, right-of-way and utility permits |
| Centre | City Building Department, City Hall, 350 East Main Street, 256-927-5222 |
| Cedar Bluff | Town of Cedar Bluff building permit, Town Hall, 256-779-6121 |
| Leesburg, Gaylesville and Sand Rock | The published sources do not say; ask town hall: Leesburg, 215 Industrial Boulevard, (256) 526-8890; Gaylesville (256) 422-3568; Sand Rock, 1925 Sand Rock Avenue, 256-523-5898 |
| Collinsville (a small part lies in Cherokee County) | Town of Collinsville, which has a zoning ordinance and adopted building codes; City Hall, 39 Post Office Street, 256-524-2135 |
| Piedmont (edge of the city in Cherokee County) | City of Piedmont Building Inspection office, 109 North Center Avenue, 256-447-3582 |
| Septic, countywide | Cherokee County Health Department, 833 Cedar Bluff Road, Centre; Environmental Office 256-926-0602 |
Evan Morgan is the County Engineer; the Engineering and Highway departments share one office, open Monday to Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Commission office is at 260 Cedar Bluff Road, Suite 103, Centre (256-927-3668), open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. In Centre, Raymond Matthew is the Building Official, and City Hall keeps the same weekday hours.
The county’s permitting page still prints 256-927-7322 for the health department. The department’s own contact page gives 256-926-0726 for the main office and 256-926-0602 for environmental staff.
County and town application forms
The County Engineer’s page carries the county forms as PDFs; none is filed online.
- Flood Plain Development Application: two pages for the applicant and a checklist. It must be prepared, signed, dated and stamped by a professional engineer or land surveyor licensed in Alabama.
- FEMA Elevation Certificate with instructions, used to document the finished floor height.
- Right of Way Permit Procedure and Utility Permit Application for work in county rights-of-way.
- Road Acceptance Criteria for roads a developer wants the county to take over.
- Business License Application and Contractor’s Affidavit, on the Probate Office page.
Cedar Bluff posts a five-page packet under Documents: the Building Permit Application, an application checklist, a Contractor List for every trade from excavation to landscaping, and an owner-contractor affidavit.
Fees you can expect
With no county building permit there is no county building fee. The published charges are these:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| County building permit, unincorporated area | None; not required |
| County right-of-way permit | $100, payable to the Cherokee County Highway Department |
| Right-of-way bond | Cash or surety bond sized to restore the right-of-way, held for one year after the work |
| Yearly blanket right-of-way permit (service taps and emergency repairs) | Bond of at least $5,000 |
| Cedar Bluff building permit | $15 filing fee plus the building permit fee |
| Cedar Bluff, work started before the permit is issued | Penalty equal to the permit fee |
The right-of-way figures come from the county’s Right of Way Permit Procedure dated July 22, 2001. Cedar Bluff’s form asks for the project’s fair market value, including plumbing, electrical, mechanical, fire suppression and elevator work, and leaves the building permit fee line for the town to complete; its Zoning Ordinance of August 10, 2026 likewise sends applicants to Town Hall for fee information. Centre’s Building Department page carries no fee schedule. The county floodplain application lists no fee.
Electrical, plumbing, gas and septic
Unincorporated county: Cherokee County issues no electrical, plumbing, mechanical or gas permits. A paid contractor needs the county licence from the Probate Office at 373 East Main Street, Suite 103, Centre.
Cedar Bluff: trades are recorded on the building permit application, which asks for the electrical service size in amps, the number of baths and heating units, the heating fuel, and the electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors and gas fitter. The Contractor List has a column for each trade contractor’s town licence number.
Septic: the Cherokee County Health Department issues septic system permits. Cedar Bluff wants a copy of that permit with the building application whenever the house will not connect to town sewer.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Documents to prepare
County floodplain permit
- Parcel ID number, address and owner details
- Two copies of the site plan
- Watercourse name and the FIRM panel number and date
- Flood zone, Base Flood Elevation and highest and lowest adjacent grades
- A no-rise study if any work is in the floodway
- Market value of the existing building and cost of the work, for improvements and additions
- Copies of any Corps of Engineers, ADEM or other government approvals
Cedar Bluff building permit
- Signed plot plan with lot dimensions, setbacks from front, rear and side lines, driveway, easements and existing buildings
- Septic permit copy if not on town sewer
- Alabama contractor’s licence copy when the project exceeds $10,000
- Two sets of plans showing at least the foundation, a typical wall section and a roof section
- Contractor List
- Notarized owner-contractor affidavit when the owner builds without a contractor
Cedar Bluff reviews an application within 48 hours of receiving the complete package.
Steps for a Cherokee County project
Outside every town, skip to the flood map check; inside Centre or Cedar Bluff, the city or town permit comes first.
If the site touches a Special Flood Hazard Area, hire an Alabama engineer or surveyor to complete the Flood Plain Development Application.
Deliver the application and two site plans to 1875 East Main Street, Centre. The Engineer approves it, postpones it for more information or denies it in writing.
Call the health department’s environmental staff at 256-926-0602 before siting the house.
Anyone paid to work on the site must hold the county licence issued by the Probate Office, 256-927-3363.
In a flood zone, submit the as-built Elevation Certificate as soon as the lowest floor is in place.
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Get a free quote →Inspections and certificates
County floodplain permits: the check is on paper. Right after the lowest floor is built, the permit holder gives the County Engineer an as-built elevation certified by an engineer or surveyor. Any shortfall has to be corrected before work continues, and a missing certificate is grounds for a stop-work order. The county’s form ends with the date a Certificate of Occupancy / Compliance is issued for the flood permit.
Centre: the Building Inspector carries out inspections for the city’s Building Department; arrange them through City Hall at 256-927-5222.
Cedar Bluff: the Building Official decides on the form whether a Certificate of Occupancy is required. Contractors must hold a town business licence before it is released, and permanent power is not released without it.
For building work in unincorporated areas, where no permit is required, the county publishes no inspection requirement.
Local rules worth knowing
Flood elevations: a home in a mapped flood zone must have its lowest floor at or above the Base Flood Elevation, and floodproofing is not accepted in place of elevation for residences. Non-residential buildings may be elevated or floodproofed to certified plans. Where no Base Flood Elevation has been set, the lowest floor goes at least 3 feet above the highest adjacent grade.
Stream setbacks: in flood zones without elevation data, no structure or fill may sit within the width of the stream or 25 feet of the top of its bank, whichever is greater, unless an engineer certifies it will not raise flood levels.
Subdivisions in flood zones: the county application requires a Base Flood Elevation to be determined for a subdivision of 5 acres or 50 lots.
Map amendments: if the lowest adjacent grade is above the Base Flood Elevation, the county advises asking FEMA for a Letter of Map Amendment to take the structure out of the flood hazard area.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Cutting a paved county road: a full cut across pavement needs the district Commissioner’s recommendation and a Commission vote before the Engineer can issue the permit. A service tap that has to cross pavement must be attempted by boring three times first.
Owner-builders in Cedar Bluff: an owner acting as contractor signs an affidavit agreeing to live in the finished house for at least one year.
Cedar Bluff codes: the town adopted the 2018 International Building Codes by Ordinance 2025-06 on December 8, 2025, and posted a revised Zoning Ordinance in August 2026.
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 Cherokee County resources
- Cherokee County Zoning / Permitting
- Cherokee County Engineering Department
- Cherokee County Flood Plain Development Application
- Cherokee County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
- Cherokee County Right of Way Permit Procedure
- Cherokee County Probate Office
- Cherokee County Health Department contacts
- City of Centre Building Department
- Town of Cedar Bluff documents and forms
- Town of Cedar Bluff Building Permit Application
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Cherokee County building permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit in Cherokee County, Alabama?
Not outside the incorporated towns. The Commission says the county has no building permit requirements and no zoning there. Centre and Cedar Bluff require their own permits inside their limits.
Do I need a permit to build in a flood zone in Cherokee County?
Yes: a floodplain development permit from the County Engineer, 256-927-5573, before any building, fill or excavation.
How much is a building permit in Cedar Bluff?
The application carries a $15 filing fee plus a building permit fee that the town fills in after seeing the project’s fair market value. Starting before the permit is issued adds a penalty equal to the permit fee.
Who issues septic permits in Cherokee County?
The Cherokee County Health Department at 833 Cedar Bluff Road, Centre. Its environmental line is 256-926-0602.
Does my contractor need a county licence?
Yes. Any contractor paid to work on a site in the county must be licensed through the Cherokee County Probate Office, 256-927-3363.
How long does Cedar Bluff take to review a permit?
Within 48 hours once the full package is in: application, plot plan, plans, licences and any septic permit.
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This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cherokee County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.