None of Clarke County’s nine county offices issues building permits: the list runs from the Commission and Probate Court to Road and Bridge, with no inspections, planning or zoning department. Inside Thomasville, building, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, mobile home and sign permits come from the City’s Permit and Ordinance Office, and commercial jobs pay an extra $1 per $1,000 of construction. Jackson, Grove Hill, Coffeeville and Fulton publish no permit forms, so the first call there is to the town hall. Septic permits are issued by the Clarke County Health Department in Grove Hill.
What needs a permit in Clarke County?
It depends on which side of a city limit the land sits. The county itself posts no building permit requirement for rural land.
Thomasville permits
- Building permit: new work, additions, alterations, repairs and moving a building
- HVAC installation permit
- Electrical permit
- Plumbing permit
- Mobile home permit
- Sign permit
Anywhere in the county
- Septic system: permit from the Clarke County Health Department
- Manufactured home: yearly registration with the Revenue Commissioner, due October 1
- Business privilege licence: License Commissioner, 114 Court Street
Thomasville requires a City business licence from every contractor working inside the city limits or in its police jurisdiction, the belt just outside the limits. Each trade form there describes the job as new work, a repair or a service repair.
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Get a free quote →Who issues permits in Clarke County?
| Town or area | Where permits come from |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated county | No county office issues building permits. County Commission, 114 Court Street, Grove Hill, 251-275-3507 |
| Thomasville | City Permit and Ordinance Office, 334-637-3362; City Hall, 559 West Front Street N, 334-636-5827 |
| Jackson | The City publishes no permit page. Its Public Works Department manages Planning and Zoning and Code Enforcement; ask City Hall, 400 Commerce Street, 251-246-2461 |
| Grove Hill | The published sources do not say; ask Town Hall, 111 South Church Street, 251-275-3153 |
| Coffeeville | The published sources do not say; ask Town Hall, 251-276-3266 |
| Fulton | The published sources do not say; ask Town Hall, (334) 636-9527 |
| Septic, countywide | Clarke County Health Department, 22600 Highway 84 East, Grove Hill; Environmental Office 251-275-4177 |
| County roads and bridges | County Engineer, Road and Bridge Department, 135 Clark Street, Grove Hill, 251-275-3366 |
The Commission office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the Commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 9:00 a.m. in the courthouse annex. Jackson City Hall keeps a four-day week, Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Coffeeville’s office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. Lance Jordan is the County Engineer; his department maintains about 804 miles of county road and has no published role in building review.
Thomasville’s permit forms
Thomasville is the one place in the county with its applications online. The Permits & Business Licensing page links six forms, plus the Zoning Ordinance and Zoning Map:
- Building Permit Application, with a Historic Preservation District questionnaire on the second page.
- HVAC Installation Permit Application.
- Electrical Permit Application.
- Plumbing Permit.
- Mobile Home Permit.
- Sign Permit.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Fill in the form and mail, email or fax it to the Permit and Ordinance Office (fax 334-636-5893). Every application has to be approved by the City’s Ordinance Compliance Officer before a permit is granted, and the signed, validated application itself becomes the permit.
Permit costs
Clarke County charges nothing for building permits because it issues none. Thomasville’s forms ask for the valuation of the work, counting materials and labor, and leave the permit fee for staff to enter.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Permit fee (building, HVAC, electrical, plumbing) | Entered by the City on the application; the forms print no rate |
| State CICT fee on commercial building, HVAC, electrical and plumbing permits | $1 per $1,000 of construction, added to the regular permit fee |
| CICT rounding | The City says the amount “will be rounded to $1000 if over $500” |
On a commercial permit covering $250,000 of construction, for instance, the CICT surcharge is $250. The City’s page applies it to commercial work.
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and septic
Thomasville: each trade has its own application. The electrical and HVAC forms ask for the contractor’s Alabama certification number where one applies, the City of Thomasville business licence number, the use of the building, whether it is new, existing or historic, and the valuation of the work. A homeowner doing the electrical work personally attaches a homeowner affidavit, and every applicant attaches proof of ownership such as a deed or tax record.
Contractor licensing: all contractors need a City of Thomasville business licence to work in the city limits or the police jurisdiction.
Septic: the Clarke County Health Department’s Environmental Office (251-275-4177) handles septic tank requests countywide. Thomasville’s building application has a line for Health Department approval.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Rest of the county: no county office issues electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits.
What Thomasville asks for
Building permit
- Job address, owner, contractor and architect or designer, with Alabama registration numbers
- Use of the building and class of work
- Description and valuation of the work
- Plans; the form has a line for three sets submitted
- Health Department, Fire Department and soil report approvals where required
- Water and sewer details
Historic Preservation District
- Detailed description of the work
- Pictures of doors or windows being replaced
- Pictures of fencing being added or changed
- Sketches or pictures of signs
- Plans or drawings for new rooms or structures
- Details of any change to roof pitch or roofing material
- For new construction: plans, materials and colors
The trade forms ask whether plans or drawings were delivered, and for an explanation if they were not.
How to proceed in Clarke County
The Revenue Commissioner’s GIS map shows parcels; near Thomasville, ask whether the lot falls in the police jurisdiction.
With no county building permit, the health department’s septic permit is the main approval. Call 251-275-4177.
The first line of the building application asks whether the address is in the Historic Preservation District; if so, complete the questionnaire.
Mail, email or fax it to the Permit and Ordinance Office with plans and proof of ownership.
No permit is granted until that officer has approved the application.
Thomasville trade permits lapse if work has not begun by then.
Rather not deal with the Clarke County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections and permit life
Thomasville: the Ordinance Compliance Officer receives the application, checks the plans and approves the permit. The City can void a building permit if information on the application proves false or was withheld, and the permit does not excuse the separate plumbing, gas and electrical permits. An HVAC or electrical permit becomes invalid if work has not started within 180 days of issue, or if work stops for 180 days. Questions go to the Permit and Ordinance Office at 334-637-3362.
Covenants: Thomasville states that the applicant alone is responsible for meeting plat restrictions and subdivision or homeowners’ association covenants recorded in Clarke County; the City does not check them.
Unincorporated county: the county publishes no building inspection program.
Local details for Clarke County
Thomasville Historic Preservation District: exterior changes there are screened through the questionnaire on the permit form, which covers windows and doors, fencing, signs, additions, altered architectural features and roofing.
Police jurisdiction: Thomasville’s contractor licence rule reaches beyond the city limits into its police jurisdiction, so a job just outside town can still involve City Hall.
Flood zones outside the towns: Clarke County has no building permit, but it is a National Flood Insurance Program community, and FEMA dates its flood maps July 17, 2012. The county website names no floodplain office, so a question about a site in a mapped flood zone goes to the Commission office on 251-275-3507.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Manufactured homes: the Revenue Commissioner collects taxes on manufactured homes and takes their registrations, due October 1 each year (251-275-3376).
County seat offices: the Commission, License Commissioner and most other county offices are in the courthouse on Court Street in Grove Hill. The County Engineer’s office is at 135 Clark Street.
Jackson: the City’s Public Works Director oversees Planning and Zoning and Code Enforcement along with streets and parks.
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 Clarke County resources
- Clarke County offices
- Clarke County Commission Office
- Clarke County Road and Bridge Department
- Clarke County Revenue Commissioner
- Clarke County Health Department contacts
- City of Thomasville permits and business licensing
- City of Jackson Public Works
- Town of Grove Hill
- Town of Coffeeville
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Clarke County building permit FAQs
Does Clarke County, Alabama require a building permit?
The county government has no office that issues one. Permits are a municipal matter: Thomasville posts its applications online, and the other towns handle questions at town hall.
Where do I get a building permit in Thomasville, AL?
From the City’s Permit and Ordinance Office, 334-637-3362. Download the Building Permit Application from the Permits & Business Licensing page and return it by mail, email or fax.
What is the CICT fee on Thomasville permits?
A State of Alabama Construction Industry Craft Training fee of $1 per $1,000 of construction, added to commercial building, HVAC, electrical and plumbing permits.
Who issues building permits in Jackson, Alabama?
Jackson’s website has no permit page. Call City Hall at 251-246-2461, Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Public Works manages planning, zoning and code enforcement.
Who handles septic permits in Clarke County?
The Clarke County Health Department, 22600 Highway 84 East, Grove Hill. The Environmental Office number is 251-275-4177.
Does my contractor need a Thomasville licence?
Yes, for any work in the city limits or the police jurisdiction.
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This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Clarke County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.