Crenshaw County does not issue building permits. A letter posted by the County Commission states that the county has no adopted building code ordinances or regulations for its unincorporated areas, so a house, shop or addition outside town limits needs no county building permit and gets no county inspection. Inside Luverne, the county seat, a city building permit from City Hall (334-335-3741) is required before any building is erected, reconstructed or altered.
What needs a permit in Crenshaw County?
The answer depends on which side of a town boundary the lot sits.
Inside Luverne: city permit
- All new construction
- Additions to existing structures
- Mobile home placement
- Accessory structures, including detached garages, carports, storage buildings and swimming pools
- Major interior alterations
- Demolition of structures
No building permit
- Any construction in unincorporated Crenshaw County, because the county has adopted no building code
- In Luverne: painting, floor covering and cabinet replacement, which the City excludes from “major interior alterations”
Two county-level requirements still apply outside the towns. Septic systems are permitted by the Crenshaw County Health Department, and the Commission asks owners to send valuation documentation for alterations, renovations and additions to the Revenue Commissioner’s office for tax purposes; its letter gives cellular tower modifications as an example.
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Get a free quote →Who issues building permits, place by place
Crenshaw County has one city and five towns. Only Luverne publishes a building permit process.
| Place | Building permits | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Crenshaw County | None. The county has adopted no building code, so there is no county permit, plan review or inspection. | County Commission office, 29 S. Glenwood Avenue, Luverne, 334-335-6568 |
| Luverne | The City. Applications and fees go through the City Clerk’s office. | City Hall, 22 E. 5th Street, 334-335-3741 |
| Brantley | The Town. Its code of ordinances adopts building, electrical, plumbing and gas codes and names a town building inspector to inspect structures and report violations to the Mayor; the regional hazard mitigation plan also lists a zoning ordinance and code enforcement. The Town posts no building permit form or fee. | Town Hall, 10 M.L. King Drive, 334-527-8624, weekdays 8:00 am to 4:30 pm |
| Dozier, Glenwood, Petrey and Rutledge | The same plan lists no zoning ordinance and no code enforcement in these four towns. | Dozier 334-496-3742; Glenwood 334-335-4463; Rutledge 334-335-6624 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →The plan referred to is the Southeast Alabama Regional Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (2020 update), prepared for the county and its municipalities and published by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. Its capability table also records that the county itself has no zoning ordinance and no code enforcement.
County paperwork and Luverne permits
County. There is no county permit application. Lenders, insurers and tower companies that need written proof can use the Commission’s Building Code Permit Letter, which is posted on the County Commission page of the county website. Valuation documentation for new work goes to the Revenue Commissioner at 334-335-6568, extension 2234.
Luverne. The City lists building permits and yard sale permits on its permits and licences page and handles them at City Hall. Every contractor and subcontractor on a residential or commercial job must hold a City of Luverne business licence, and the City will not issue that licence for electrical, plumbing or air conditioning and heating work without the contractor’s state licence.
Permit costs in Crenshaw County
There is no county building permit fee, because there is no county permit. Luverne does not post its building permit fee schedule online. The City Clerk’s office, which collects building permit and zoning fees, is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Luverne business licences run from January 1 to December 31. Renewals are due in January and become delinquent after February 14.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and septic work
No county office inspects wiring, plumbing or mechanical work in unincorporated Crenshaw County. In Luverne, trade contractors need the city licence described above before they work on a permitted job.
Onsite sewage (septic) permits for the whole county come from the Crenshaw County Health Department’s Environmental Services office at 15 Hospital Drive, Luverne (334-335-2471), part of the Alabama Department of Public Health.
How to proceed: 5 steps
Work out whether the parcel is inside Luverne, inside one of the five towns, or in unincorporated county territory.
None exists. Download the Building Code Permit Letter if a lender or utility asks for proof.
Call the Health Department’s Environmental Services office on 334-335-2471 before the system goes in.
Take the project details to 22 E. 5th Street; no building may be erected, reconstructed or altered until the permit has been approved or issued.
For county property, send valuation documentation to the Revenue Commissioner (334-335-6568, extension 2234).
Rather not deal with the Crenshaw County building department?
Get a free quote →Local details for Crenshaw County projects
Flood zones: Crenshaw County, Brantley, Dozier, Glenwood and Luverne take part in the National Flood Insurance Program, and the county’s current flood map is dated October 16, 2009. Petrey and Rutledge are listed as non-participating in the regional plan.
Luverne zoning: the City publishes a zoning map and collects zoning fees through the City Clerk.
Police jurisdictions: Luverne and Brantley each require a business licence for work in the police jurisdiction as well as inside the limits. Neither says whether its building permit applies there.
Codes in Brantley: the Town’s posted code of ordinances dates from 1976 and names the 1976 Southern Standard Building and Gas Codes and the 1975 National Electrical Code and Southern Standard Plumbing Code.
County office hours: the county’s home page says its offices close at 4:00 pm each day.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official sources for Crenshaw County
- Crenshaw County official website (County Commission page)
- Crenshaw County Building Code Permit Letter
- City of Luverne: permits and licences
- City of Luverne City Clerk
- Town of Brantley government and code of ordinances
- Crenshaw County Health Department contacts
- Alabama EMA county mitigation plans (Division B plan)
Crenshaw County building permit FAQs
Does Crenshaw County require a building permit?
No. The County Commission’s posted letter says the county has no adopted building code ordinances or regulations for its unincorporated areas.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Do I need a permit to build in Luverne?
Yes. Luverne requires a building permit for new construction, additions, mobile home placement, accessory structures, major interior alterations and demolition. Apply at City Hall, 22 E. 5th Street, 334-335-3741.
Do I need a permit for a shed, carport or pool in Luverne?
Yes. The City names detached garages, carports, storage buildings and swimming pools as accessory structures that need a building permit.
How much is a building permit in Crenshaw County?
The county charges nothing because it issues no permit. Luverne’s fee is not posted; the City Clerk’s office quotes it on 334-335-3741.
Who issues septic permits in Crenshaw County?
The Crenshaw County Health Department’s Environmental Services office, 15 Hospital Drive, Luverne, 334-335-2471.
Where can I get proof that no county permit is needed?
The Building Code Permit Letter on the county website states it in writing. The Commission office is at 29 S. Glenwood Avenue, Luverne, 334-335-6568.
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This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Crenshaw County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.