Daphne, Alabama Building Permit Guide

Building permits inside Daphne city limits are issued by the City’s Building Inspection Department at 1705 Main Street (251-620-1500), and applications, plans and payments go through the City’s online permitting portal. A new home pays a $75 plan review fee, a $100 land disturbance fee and a building fee of $30 for the first $1,000 of valuation plus $5 per additional $1,000. Inspection requests are emailed, and those received by noon are scheduled for the next business day.

What requires a building permit in Daphne?

The department permits and inspects structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, life safety and well work. Its fee ordinance lists the residential jobs it permits beyond new homes: additions, remodels, repairs, carports, garages, pools, decks, fences, sunrooms and accessory structures, plus demolition and, on commercial property, re-roofing and job site trailers.

Daphne’s 2026 local amendments rewrite three of the residential code’s permit exemptions:

Who issues permits in Daphne?

The Building Inspection Department, led by Building Official Eric Butler, issues building permits and inspects the work. It sits with Community Development and Engineering under the City’s Executive Director of City Development. Community Development (251-620-1700, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm) handles zoning certifications, site disturbance permits and E-911 addressing.

The City’s building code applies within its corporate limits. Outside them, in unincorporated Baldwin County, permits come from the Baldwin County Building Department, whose jurisdiction covers the unincorporated county and three towns but no other municipality.

Daphne permit types and online filing

Use the “apply for Building Permits or pay invoices” button on the Building Inspection page to reach the portal. The 2026 code ordinance makes digital filing the rule: construction documents, special inspection and structural observation programs, test results and receipts are all submitted through the online permitting portal.

The fee ordinance sorts permits into three groups: new single-family, duplex and townhome construction; miscellaneous residential permits; and commercial permits, which also cover any new residential building that is not a single-family home, duplex or townhome. Community Development issues the separate Site Disturbance Permit, which it says is not to be confused with the Land Disturbance Permit.

Permit costs and fees in Daphne

Fees come from Ordinance 2021-51, in force since October 4, 2021. The 2026 code ordinance left that schedule unchanged.

A new home’s valuation is not the contract price. The City takes 85% of the square-foot cost in the International Code Council’s Building Valuation Data for heated and cooled space, and 100% of the utility rate for unheated space, using the February table that takes effect each March 1. For a home valued that way at $300,000, the building fee is $30 plus $5 for each of the remaining 299 thousands, or $1,525; with plan review, land disturbance and the three $110 trade permits the total is $2,030 before any gas permit.

A $20,000 remodel pays $30 plus $5 for each of the other 19 thousands, or $125, for the building permit, plus $30 for plan review and a separate fee on the same scale for each trade involved.

Commercial applicants must also show proof that the site fee has been paid to Community Development. The first re-inspection is free; the second costs $50, the third $100 and the fourth $200, with minimum waits of 2, 5 and 7 business days respectively before the following re-inspection. A stop work order adds a $100 re-inspection charge.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

The same department issues every trade permit. On a new home they are flat fees: $110 each for mechanical, plumbing and electrical, and $35 for gas. On remodels and other miscellaneous residential work the electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are priced like the building permit, from the contract amount, and gas stays at $35. On commercial jobs each is 1.5% of the subcontractor’s contract, with a $110 minimum.

Local amendments set a few trade-specific rules. All receptacles must be on at least #12 AWG wire with a 20 amp breaker, PEX supply piping is inspected at a minimum of 75 psi, and bathtubs and showers must be connected to the drain, waste and vent system at the top-out inspection (whirlpool and garden tubs may go in afterwards, with their trap installed at inspection).

Application documents and plan review

Signed contracts are required on all new commercial work and on every residential and commercial renovation. For commercial sites and subdivisions, Community Development says a complete application typically takes 30 days to review, with Engineering, Environmental Programs, Code Enforcement, the Fire Marshal and the area’s utilities all commenting.

How to apply: 6-step Daphne process

Daphne inspections

Every inspection request goes by email to buildinginspections@daphneal.com. Requests received by noon are scheduled for the following business day, and the City’s permit page gives 48 business hours as the outer limit. Include the contractor name, permit number, a contact person with phone and email, the subdivision, lot and phase, the street address, the type of inspection, the date wanted and a morning or afternoon preference.

On a house, the framing, mechanical, electrical and plumbing rough-ins are booked together as a single 4-way inspection by the contractor responsible for construction. Lot corner pins must be clearly visible for the footing inspection; if the lines cannot be seen, you will be required to clear them and string the lot. All disturbed ground must be stable before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued, and moving in before the final inspection can bring a double permit fee or a municipal offense ticket.

On commercial and subdivision projects the final sign-off runs through the portal: the civil engineer certifies the site and supplies as-built drawings, the landscape architect certifies the landscape work, and staff inspect within 3 to 7 business days. The Building Department then issues the final certificate once the Fire Marshal, Building Official, Daphne Utilities and the Community Development Director have signed.

Local Daphne details that matter

Code changeover: the City adopted the 2024 International Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code on July 6, 2026. For 180 days after the ordinance took effect, the Building Official may still accept applications and plans prepared to the previous codes.

Wind and roofing: design wind speed is taken from the ASCE Hazard Tool. Windows need a DP50 or PG50 rating unless the engineer of record and the Building Official approve otherwise. A re-roof means removing all existing coverings and underlayment, with limited exceptions; asphalt shingles must meet ASTM D7158 Class H or ASTM D3161 Class F, the classification the City sets for wind speeds of 130 mph or greater, and be fixed with at least 6 nails; and a temporary roof covering may not stay on for more than 60 days without the Building Official’s approval.

Flood zones: the FEMA flood maps in force took effect in April 2019, and the department’s Certified Floodplain Managers answer flood-zone questions. Daphne also has a Floodplain Development Ordinance (2024-02).

Site Disturbance Permit: the adopted schedule (Article 34, revised January 12, 2024) charges a $20 application fee plus $5 per $1,000 of site work, based on the engineer’s cost estimate. Community Development’s undated process handout quotes $6 per $1,000 for commercial development; Article 34, the adopted schedule, says $5.

Impact fees: Ordinance 2025-07, adopted July 7, 2025, sets new impact fees that take effect on August 1, 2027: $9,349 per single-family home and $5,233 per multi-family unit, each capped at 1% of the combined construction and land cost, with non-residential rates set per 1,000 sq ft. They will be collected by the Building Department before the building permit is issued.

Waterfront and wetlands: piers, bulkheads and work in other environmentally sensitive areas go through Environmental Programs (251-620-1700). Culverts along city streets need a Public Works culvert permit, and demolition permits are issued only after all utilities are located and disconnected.

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 Daphne permit resources

• Daphne Building Inspection
• Daphne Permits, Fees & Requirements
• City of Daphne online permitting portal
• Ordinance 2021-51: building permit, plan review and re-inspection fees
• Ordinance 2026-22: adopted building codes and local amendments
• Ordinance 2025-07: impact fees
• Daphne Community Development
• Land Use and Development Ordinance, Article 34 Schedule of Fees
• Community Development review process
• Certificate of Occupancy process
• Baldwin County Building Department

Daphne building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Daphne?

For a new home: $75 plan review, $100 land disturbance, $30 for the first $1,000 of valuation plus $5 per additional $1,000, and $110 each for mechanical, plumbing and electrical. A home valued at $300,000 comes to $2,030.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Daphne?

Not for a one-story detached accessory structure of 400 sq ft or less, under the City’s amendment to the residential code’s permit exemptions. Larger structures need a miscellaneous residential permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Daphne?

A fence of chain-link, wrought iron, wood or similar material less than 7 feet tall is exempt from a building permit under the 2026 amendments.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Email buildinginspections@daphneal.com with the permit number, address, contractor, inspection type and preferred date. Requests in by noon are scheduled for the next business day.

What does a re-inspection cost?

The first is free. The second is $50, the third $100 and the fourth $200, and each must be paid before the inspector returns.

Which building codes does Daphne use?

The 2024 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, with local amendments, adopted by Ordinance 2026-22.

Does Daphne charge impact fees?

New impact fees adopted in 2025 take effect on August 1, 2027: $9,349 per single-family home, or 1% of construction and land cost if that is less.

What is the Building Inspection phone number?

251-620-1500. The office is at 1705 Main Street, Daphne.

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