Cleburne County, Alabama Building Permit Guide

Inside Heflin, the City’s Planning and Zoning Department at City Hall issues zoning permits and building permits and carries out the inspections; a building permit is needed for work of $1,500 or more, and the fee is charged per $1,000 of job cost plus a $10 issuance fee. Outside Heflin, Cleburne County’s departments do not include a building office. The county’s own permit is for a private entrance onto a county road: it is free, and the Highway Department asks for 2 to 3 business days to review it.

What needs a permit in Cleburne County?

Heflin’s Zoning Permit is not required for painting, interior remodeling or repairs that leave the structure’s character, size and position as they are.

Who issues permits in Cleburne County?

Heflin’s reach does not end at the city limits: Section 1-9 of its code applies every section to the police jurisdiction as well as the corporate limits unless the section is written for the corporate limits alone, and the building chapter is not. Call Planning and Zoning before building in the belt just outside Heflin.

Heflin’s City Clerk’s office handles building permits, licensing and planning and zoning from City Hall, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. County Administration keeps the same hours; the Highway Department works Monday to Thursday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Lee Estes is the County Engineer.

Forms and how to file

Heflin Building Permit Application: a three-page form. Page one takes the address, zoning district, owner, contractor, the contractor’s Heflin business licence and state licence numbers, the permit type and the total value of construction. Page two is the Sub-Contractor Schedule. It is handed in at City Hall with the supporting paperwork; no permit is issued until the fees are paid and the plans approved.

Heflin Zoning Permit / Sign Permit Application: returned to City Hall with its supporting documents. Incomplete applications are not processed, and approval does not stand in for a building permit, subdivision plat approval or septic approval.

County Application for Turnout for Private Entrance: drop it at the Highway Department, fax it to 256-463-2085 or mail it to P.O. Box 908, Heflin. The same application is used to request a new address.

Where Alabama law requires a home builders or general contractors licence for the job, Heflin accepts the permit application only from the licence holder.

What permits cost

Heflin’s code leaves the per-$1,000 rate, the minimum permit and the re-inspection fees to the Mayor and Council, and the fee schedule printed with the code still shows them as to be determined. The application form therefore has a blank for the permit fee next to the fixed $10 issuance fee. Re-inspection fees must be paid before the re-inspection takes place.

Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and septic

Heflin: electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors each need a permit under the City’s building code ordinance, applied for on the same form as the building permit. If the job is priced as a single turnkey contract, the trades are covered without separate fees. Every subcontractor must hold a City of Heflin business licence before starting.

Sewer and septic in Heflin: a sewer or septic installation, alteration or repair needs a written permit signed by the building inspector, and the application must come from a holder of a state on-site wastewater licence. The tank also has to meet the county health department’s rules.

Rest of the county: the septic permit comes from the Cleburne County Health Department in Heflin. The county issues no electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits of its own.

Documents to have ready

In Heflin one approved plan set is returned to the applicant and must stay on the job at all times. A new subcontractor has to be reported to the City within three working days of hiring.

How to apply in Cleburne County

Inspections

Heflin: request building and electrical inspections through City Hall at 256-463-2290. The building inspector issues the certificate of occupancy when all approved work on a new building is complete, and a new building or residence may not be occupied without it.

Permit life in Heflin: a permit stays good while work continues. It expires if work stops for 90 days without the building inspector’s written approval, and after six months of abandonment. No fees are returned on an expired permit.

County access permits: the County Engineer or a designee checks each proposed entrance in the field for drainage and sight distance, and no access is approved that fails either test.

Local details for Cleburne County

Heflin’s adopted codes: Building Code Ordinance 2015-04-14A adopts the 2009 International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes, the 2005 National Electrical Code and ASHRAE 90.1-2007. The Residential Code is adopted without Part 8, Chapters 34 to 43. Copies can be read at the City Clerk’s office.

Free driveway pipe: under the county’s 2009 Pipe Policy, the county installs one driveway pipe at no cost for a new home site on a county-maintained road, provided the landowner buys the pipe to the Engineer’s specification. Landowners who install their own must use the size, location and method the Engineer approves.

Right-of-way limits: the access permit gives no claim over the county right-of-way. All structures stay beyond it, and mailbox posts must be break-away: no more than 4 inches across in wood or 2 inches in metal.

Construction traffic: during work involving heavy equipment or large trucks, the entrance must be kept from creating a hazard on the county road; the Sheriff can stop vehicles entering the road until it is safe.

Garbage service: Commission Resolution 2332 makes garbage service through the county’s contractor mandatory for every permanent resident, new or existing. The Compliance office is at 302 Haley Road (256-926-9796).

Flood plain and stormwater in Heflin: questions on both go to the Planning and Zoning Department. FEMA lists Heflin and Edwardsville as National Flood Insurance Program communities; Cleburne County and Ranburne are on its list of communities not in the program.

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 sources — Cleburne County

• Cleburne County Commission
• Cleburne County Highway Department
• Cleburne County private entrance and new address application
• Cleburne County EMA/911
• Cleburne County Health Department contacts
• Cleburne County Health Department environmental services
• City of Heflin zoning and building permits
• City of Heflin Building Permit Application
• City of Heflin Zoning Permit / Sign Permit Application
• City of Heflin Code of Ordinances

Cleburne County building permit FAQs

Do I need a building permit in Cleburne County outside Heflin?

The county lists no building department and publishes no building permit. You will need a free private access permit for a new entrance onto a county road, a 911 address and a septic permit from the health department.

Do Heflin’s building rules apply outside the city limits?

The city code says its sections apply in the police jurisdiction as well as inside the limits unless a section says otherwise, so ask the Planning and Zoning Department on 256-463-2290 before building just outside Heflin.

When does Heflin require a building permit?

For construction, alteration or repair work of $1,500 or more, and for any work that needs a physical inspection by the building or electrical inspector.

How much is a building permit in Heflin, AL?

A rate per $1,000 of the job cost that the Mayor and Council set, plus a $10 issuance fee. Starting without a permit doubles the fees.

Which building codes does Heflin use?

The 2009 International Building, Residential, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes and the 2005 National Electrical Code.

How do I get a driveway onto a Cleburne County road?

Submit the Application for Turnout for Private Entrance to the Highway Department at 302 Haley Road, Heflin. There is no fee, and review takes 2 to 3 business days.

Can I move a manufactured home into Heflin?

Only after the Planning and Zoning Department approves a permit. Attach photos of the home that show the HUD seal.

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