Inside the City of Enterprise, building permits and construction inspections are handled by the Department of Engineering Services & Public Works at City Hall, 501 S Main Street (334-348-2671, engineering@enterpriseal.gov). From October 1, 2026 every permit costs at least $56.27, and projects over $5,000 add $3.38 per $1,000 of construction cost. The City reviews residential plans within 24 hours and commercial plans within 14 calendar days.
What requires a permit in Enterprise?
The City publishes a separate application for each kind of job. The residential building application covers new homes, additions, alterations, repairs and window work, and states that accessory structures, fences, pools and roofs each need their own permit.
Permit required
- New homes, additions, alterations and repairs
- New commercial buildings and commercial remodels
- Accessory structures
- Fences, including replacement fences and pool fences
- Swimming pools
- Roofs
- Signs erected, altered or relocated
No permit
- Cosmetic work such as siding, gutters, painting, flooring, patching drywall and finish trim
- A fence on land used for farming or forestry in the AGR Agriculture District
The City’s own note on cosmetic work ends with an invitation to call the office when it is unclear whether a job counts.
Who issues permits in Enterprise?
The Engineering Department lists building permits and construction inspections, planning and zoning, flood plain administration and community development among its primary services, under the Public Works Director/City Engineer. Code Enforcement shares the same phone number.
Enterprise lies mostly in Coffee County, with a small part in Dale County. Neither county has a building code outside its cities: Coffee County’s FAQ says there are no zoning restrictions or building codes in its unincorporated areas, and Dale County’s County Engineer says the same in a 2025 letter. Coffee County adds that Enterprise’s jurisdictional boundaries extend past the city limits and that some city ordinances may apply there, so owners just outside the line are told to contact the City.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Department of Engineering Services & Public Works |
| Address | Enterprise City Hall, 501 S Main Street, Enterprise, AL 36330 |
| P.O. Box 311000, Enterprise, AL 36331 | |
| Phone | 334-348-2671 |
| engineering@enterpriseal.gov | |
| Inspection scheduling | 334-348-2673 |
Enterprise permit applications
All applications are PDF forms in the Engineering Document Center on the City website, and they are returned to the Engineering Department with the drawings each one asks for:
- Residential Building Permit Application: new, addition, alteration, repair or window work, with lot, setback, contractor and subcontractor details.
- Commercial Building Permit Application: filed with a complete set of stamped building plans.
- Accessory Structure Permit Application (revised 2026).
- Fence Permit Application (revised 2026).
- Swimming Pool Permit Application (revised 2026).
- Roof Permit Application, which records the roof type, pitch and cost.
- Sign Permit Application; if the electrical service is changed to install the sign, a separate application for an electric permit is required.
- Home Occupation Application Packet, for a business run from a residence.
An owner building their own home must prove ownership and sign a Home Builders Exemption form. A homebuilder must show both a State of Alabama licence and a City of Enterprise licence.
Permit costs and fees in Enterprise
The Engineering fee structure for the fiscal year that began on October 1, 2026 is set under Ordinance 09-06-22-C. One formula covers every permit type.
| Total construction cost | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| $0 to $5,000 | $56.27 (the minimum for every permit) |
| Over $5,000 | $56.27 plus $3.38 per $1,000 in total construction costs |
| $25,000 (City’s example) | $140.69 |
| $50,000 (City’s example) | $225.10 |
| $275,000 (City’s example) | $984.81 |
| Commercial projects | Add $1 per $1,000 for the State of Alabama Craft Fee |
| Reinspections of the same type | $50, then $100, $200 and $400 |
| Work started without a permit | Permit fees doubled |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Inspection fees are included in the permit fee; only repeat visits cost extra. A reinspection of the same type costs $50 the first time and doubles each time after that.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work
On a building permit, the trades are covered by the main application: the applicant lists the electrical, plumbing and HVAC subcontractors, with their state and city licence numbers. Each subcontractor must prove it is licensed to work in the City, a subcontractor card is posted on site beside the permit card, and Engineering must be told if a subcontractor changes during the job. On commercial projects Engineering passes the subcontractor list to the Revenue Department to check licences.
A stand-alone electrical service upgrade or repair is inspected before the utility company reconnects it. The Fire Chief reviews commercial plans and joins the building inspector at the final inspection for a certificate of occupancy.
Application documents and plan review
New home
- House plans with the cost, address, and lot and block number
- Lot layout with size, dimensions and setbacks
- Heated and cooled square footage
- Names and contacts for the electrical, plumbing and HVAC subcontractors
- Proof of state and city licences, or proof of ownership and the Home Builders Exemption form
- Engineered truss or floor system drawings, on file before the framing inspection
New commercial
- Site plan approval from the Planning Commission, obtained first
- 4 hard-copy sets and 1 digital copy of plans stamped by the architect or engineer, with the codes listed
- The Plan Review Requirements sheet attached to each set
- Storm water plan with drainage calculations and an erosion control plan
- Digital site plan in AutoCAD with state plane coordinates, and the E-911 address
- Electrical load sheet and water calculations
- Executed contract and city licence; subcontractor list
- Health department approval letter where it applies
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Homeowners repairing or remodeling their own house bring proof of ownership (a mortgage statement or deed), the cost and details of the work. Contractors bring a City business licence and the signed contract. Commercial repairs and remodels need 2 hard-copy sets and 1 digital copy of stamped plans with a life safety plan.
Review takes 24 hours for residential plans and 14 calendar days for commercial plans, which come back to the architect or engineer with comments from the building department, Fire Chief, Water Department and Public Works. The office holds reviewed plans for 180 days before disposing of them.
How to apply: 6-step Enterprise process
Download the residential, commercial, accessory structure, fence, pool, roof or sign form from the Engineering Document Center.
The Planning Commission must approve the site plan before a new commercial project can be permitted.
Collect state and city licence numbers for the builder and each trade, plus the plans or the drawing the form calls for.
For an accessory structure, fence or pool, a building inspector first checks the proposed location against the Enterprise Zoning Ordinance.
On approval and payment the City issues a permit card, which goes where inspectors can easily see it.
Scheduling inspections in good time is the permit holder’s responsibility; the number is 334-348-2673.
Enterprise inspections
Call the Engineering Department on 334-348-2673 to book a building inspector. A silt fence should be in place wherever silt could reach neighboring property or the road.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →House or accessory building
- Footing, before the pour
- Plumbing under slab
- Slab, before the pour
- Rough framing, before insulation and drywall
- Rough electrical, plumbing and mechanical
- Electric service and permanent power
- Sewer connection
- Finals: plumbing, electrical, mechanical and building, before occupation
- HVAC duct and envelope testing
Commercial
- Footing and foundation pads
- Plumbing under slab, then slab
- Framing
- Rough plumbing and rough electrical in walls
- Ceiling inspection, before ceiling tile
- Electrical service and sewer
- Finals for each trade and the building
- Final inspection for the Certificate of Occupancy, with the Fire Chief and the Building Inspector
Pools get three visits: grounding, bonding and rough wiring before concrete, final electrical, and a fence inspection before the pool is filled.
Local Enterprise details that matter
Setbacks for small structures: accessory structures and swimming pools must each be 5 feet from the property line and 10 feet from the house. An accessory structure application needs a site plan showing the setbacks.
Fences: a fence, wall or hedge may be up to 8 feet high along a lot line, but no more than 4 feet in a front yard or in a side yard on a street. The pool application asks the applicant to confirm a fence at least 4 feet high and a self-locking gate.
Easements and rights-of-way: no permanent private building, fence or wall may be placed in a public right-of-way or easement without the City Council’s prior approval.
Flood zones: the residential application asks whether the lot is in a flood zone and for the base flood elevation, and flood plain administration is one of Engineering’s listed services.
Opening a business: the City’s Business Walk Through Requirements list what inspectors look for at a business, including a visible address, emergency lighting, lever or panic hardware on the exit door and a mounted fire extinguisher within 75 feet of each entrance and exit.
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 Enterprise permitting resources
- Enterprise Engineering Department and Document Center
- Enterprise building permits (codes and fees)
- Enterprise Building Inspections
- Permit Fee Structure, effective October 1, 2026
- Permit Requirements (revised October 2026)
- Plan Review Requirements (revised August 2025)
- Inspection Requirements
- Residential Building Permit Application
- Commercial Building Permit Application
- Accessory Structure Permit Application
- Fence Permit Application
- Swimming Pool Permit Application
- Coffee County Commission FAQ
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Enterprise building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Enterprise, AL?
$56.27 for a project of $5,000 or less. Above that, $56.27 plus $3.38 per $1,000 of total construction cost; the City’s example for a $275,000 project is $984.81.
How long does plan review take?
The City says 24 hours for residential plans and 14 calendar days for commercial plans.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Enterprise?
Yes. All fences need a building permit, except a fence on farm or forestry land in the AGR Agriculture District. Submit the Fence Permit Application with a drawing of the fence line.
Do I need a permit for a shed or a roof?
Yes. Accessory structures and roofs each have their own permit application.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Enterprise?
Yes. A property owner building a home provides proof of ownership and signs a Home Builders Exemption form; for repairs or remodeling, a mortgage statement or deed is accepted as proof.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call the Engineering Department on 334-348-2673.
What happens if I start work without a permit?
The permit fees are doubled, and the work must still meet the code and pass every inspection.
Which building codes does Enterprise use?
The 2021 International Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code, adopted by the City Council effective March 7, 2023.
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More Alabama permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Enterprise permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.