DeKalb County’s government publishes no building permit and lists no building department. Its Engineering Office, in Suite 115 of the County Administrative Building at 111 Grand Avenue SW in Fort Payne (256-845-8584), enforces the county Subdivision Regulations and the Floodplain Development Ordinance of January 9, 2024, and issues permits for utilities in county rights-of-way. Building permits are issued by the municipalities, led by the City of Fort Payne’s Inspections & Zoning office (256-845-5180).
What needs approval in DeKalb County?
Outside the cities and towns, three kinds of work come under the County Engineer:
- Building or filling in a flood hazard area, under the Floodplain Development Ordinance. The County Engineer is the county’s Floodplain Administrator.
- Subdividing land, under the DeKalb County Subdivision Rules and Regulations.
- Placing utilities on county right-of-way: water, sewer, cable, electric, telephone and natural gas lines each need a county permit.
Inside Fort Payne, the City requires a general building permit plus permits to repair, install or add any gas, mechanical-gas, plumbing or electrical fixture. Inside Geraldine, any new construction or remodeling needs a town building permit, and the zoning ordinance also governs signs.
Who permits construction, place by place
Seventeen municipalities lie wholly or partly in DeKalb County, and they differ widely.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | What the official sources say | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated DeKalb County | No county building department is listed. The Engineering Office administers the subdivision regulations, the floodplain ordinance and right-of-way utility permits. | Suite 115, 111 Grand Avenue SW, Fort Payne, 256-845-8584 |
| Fort Payne | The City’s Inspections & Zoning office issues building permits and gas, mechanical-gas, plumbing and electrical permits; no work may begin until the permit is issued. The fee follows a valuation table that starts at $15 for the first $1,000, and the City enforces the 2015 International Codes with the 2014 National Electric Code. Its code ties the permit to work within the city. | 100 Alabama Ave. NW, 256-845-5180 |
| Geraldine | The Town. Its zoning ordinance requires a building permit for any new construction or remodeling, filed on the town’s form with the clerk’s office. | Town Hall, 41343 AL Hwy 75, 256-659-2122 |
| Collinsville | The Town. Ordinance 2018-02, in force since October 1, 2018, adopts the 2015 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2014 National Electric Code inside the corporate limits and provides for permits and fees; the permit fees set by Ordinances 95-1 and 2004-02 stay in effect. The Town also has a zoning ordinance (87-04). | Town Hall, 39 Post Office Street, 256-524-2135 |
| Crossville | The Town’s Zoning Administrator. The August 2018 zoning ordinance requires a building permit before excavating, building, moving, altering or repairing any structure; repairs costing $1,000 or less, painting and wallpapering are exempt. Applications carry 2 sets of scaled plans and a fee from the Town Council’s schedule, and a permit lapses if work has not begun within 90 days. | Town Hall, 14521 AL Hwy 68, 256-528-7121 |
| Sylvania | The Town’s Administrative Officer issues building permits under the zoning ordinance the Town posts: plans in duplicate, a fee from the town’s fee schedule, a 90-day limit to start work and a Certificate of Occupancy at the end. | Town Clerk, 256-638-2604 |
| Rainsville | The regional hazard mitigation plan lists zoning and code enforcement; the City’s website covers subdivision development but not building permits. | City Hall, 70 McCurdy Avenue S., 256-638-6331 |
| Fyffe and Valley Head | The plan lists a zoning ordinance and code enforcement in both; neither publishes its permit procedure. Fyffe’s Town Clerk is also its Business License & Zoning Officer. | Fyffe Town Hall, 514 Campbell Street, 256-623-7298; Valley Head Town Hall, 256-635-6814 |
| Henagar | The plan lists code enforcement; the City’s posted ordinances cover animals, garbage and taxes, not building permits. | City Hall, 256-657-6282 |
| Mentone | The Town has a zoning ordinance, a Zoning Administrator and a Planning and Zoning Commission; the plan lists no code enforcement. | Town Hall, 256-634-4444 |
| Hammondville | The Town posts its zoning ordinance and has a Planning Commission and a Zoning Board of Adjustments; the plan lists no code enforcement. | Town Hall, 37646 US Hwy 11, 256-635-6374 |
| Ider, Lakeview, Pine Ridge, Powell and Shiloh | The plan lists no zoning ordinance and no code enforcement in these towns. | Ider 256-657-4184; Lakeview 256-659-4021; Pine Ridge 256-845-1183; Powell 256-638-4283; Shiloh 256-254-0379 |
| Sand Rock (small part in DeKalb County) | Listed in the plan, under Cherokee County, with no zoning ordinance and no code enforcement. | Sand Rock Town Hall |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →The plan referred to is the Division F Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan published by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (first phase dated March 17, 2021). The same table records no zoning ordinance for the county and marks county code enforcement as in place without naming an office; the county’s own website shows no office that permits or inspects buildings.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →County applications and regulations
The Engineering page carries four documents:
- DeKalb County Floodplain Development Ordinance, dated January 9, 2024 and recorded in the probate office the following month.
- Subdivision Rules and Regulations.
- Application for Placement of Utilities on County Right-of-Way, which asks for the permit type, the applicant, the contractor and the work location, and whether a bond is on file.
- Placement of Utilities within County Right-of-Way, the regulations adopted on July 24, 2007.
Permit costs in DeKalb County
The county publishes no building permit fee. Its utility regulations require a $15,000 performance bond to be kept on file for every blanket utility permit. Each municipality sets its own permit fee: Fort Payne by a valuation table that begins at $15 for the first $1,000, Crossville and Sylvania from a town fee schedule that their zoning ordinances refer to, and Collinsville under its Ordinances 95-1 and 2004-02.
Electrical, plumbing, gas and septic work
Fort Payne issues separate permits for gas, mechanical-gas, plumbing and electrical fixtures, and the City requires the work to be inspected as well. No county trade permit exists for unincorporated land.
Septic systems are permitted countywide by the DeKalb County Health Department, 2401 Calvin Drive SW, Fort Payne; the environmental office’s direct line is 256-845-7031.
Rather not deal with the DeKalb County building department?
Get a free quote →How to proceed: 5 steps
Match the parcel to one of the 17 municipalities or to the unincorporated county using the table above.
Fort Payne applicants call Inspections & Zoning on 256-845-5180; Geraldine applicants hand the town’s form to the clerk’s office; in Crossville the Zoning Administrator at Town Hall takes the plans.
Ask the County Engineer, as Floodplain Administrator, whether the site falls under the 2024 ordinance.
Apply to the Health Department’s environmental office before building on a lot without sewer.
File the utility application with the County Engineer’s Office before a line is laid along a county road.
Local details for DeKalb County projects
Utility lines: county rules place utilities parallel with the roadway, within the outermost 5 feet of the right-of-way.
Flood maps: DeKalb County takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, and its current maps are dated September 29, 2011.
Road problems: the Road Department at 1001 Lebanon Road SW, Fort Payne, takes reports on 256-845-8585.
Mentone and Geraldine zoning: both towns administer their own zoning ordinances, through the town clerk in Geraldine and the Zoning Administrator in Mentone.
County scale: the Engineering Office looks after more than 1,300 miles of road and over 170 bridges, and the Commission’s main number is 256-845-8500.
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 DeKalb County
- DeKalb County Engineering
- DeKalb County Floodplain Development Ordinance (January 9, 2024)
- DeKalb County Subdivision Rules and Regulations
- Application for Placement of Utilities on County Right-of-Way
- Utility placement regulations (2007)
- City of Fort Payne Inspections & Zoning
- Town of Geraldine zoning
- Town of Mentone zoning and planning
- Town of Crossville ordinances (Zoning Ordinance 2018)
- Town of Hammondville zoning
- DeKalb County Health Department contacts
- Alabama EMA county mitigation plans (Division F plan)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →DeKalb County building permit FAQs
Does DeKalb County, Alabama issue building permits?
The county publishes no building permit and lists no building department. Its Engineering Office handles subdivisions, floodplain development and utility permits; building permits come from the municipalities.
Who issues building permits in Fort Payne?
The City of Fort Payne’s Inspections & Zoning office, 256-845-5180. Work cannot begin until the permit is issued.
Do I need a permit to remodel in Geraldine?
Yes. Geraldine requires a building permit for any new construction or remodeling; submit the form to the clerk’s office (256-659-2122).
Who is the floodplain administrator for DeKalb County?
The County Engineer, whose office is in Suite 115, 111 Grand Avenue SW, Fort Payne (256-845-8584).
Who permits septic systems in DeKalb County?
The DeKalb County Health Department’s environmental office, 256-845-7031.
Do I need a permit to run a water or power line along a county road?
Yes. The County Engineer’s Office issues permits to install utilities on county right-of-way.
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More Alabama permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about DeKalb County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.