Etowah County lists no county building department. What the County does regulate outside the cities is handled by the County Engineer at 402 Tuscaloosa Avenue in Gadsden ((256) 549-5358): a Floodplain Development Permit for any work in a mapped flood hazard area, an access permit for every new driveway or road onto a county road, subdivision approval and utility permits. Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are issued by the cities, and septic approvals by the Etowah County Health Department.
What construction approvals apply in Etowah County?
County approvals outside the cities
- Floodplain Development Permit: before any development in a Special Flood Hazard Area, which the ordinance defines to include buildings and other structures, filling, grading, paving, excavation, dredging, mining, drilling and storage of equipment or materials
- Access permit: before any driveway, road, alley or street is connected to the county road system; homes are covered as well as larger developments
- Subdivision approval and a Permit to Develop under the County Subdivision Regulations
- Utility permit for work on county right-of-way
Inside a city
- Southside: every construction or renovation job inside the city limits must be permitted, with building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, swimming pool, sign and moving permits all inspected
- Glencoe: new construction, additions and remodeling need permits; roofing, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work need separate ones
- Gadsden: building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits for commercial and residential projects
The County’s Appraisal Department collects building and septic permits as one of its sources for valuing property, so permitted work reaches the tax roll.
Who issues building permits in each Etowah County city and town?
Twelve municipalities lie wholly or partly in the county. Seven publish a building office; the rest publish nothing about building permits.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues building permits | Office and phone |
|---|---|---|
| Gadsden | City of Gadsden Building Department | 256-549-4529; applications on the City’s online permit platform since May 2025 |
| Rainbow City | City of Rainbow City Building Department | 3700 Rainbow Drive, Rainbow City, AL 35906 · (256) 413-1230 |
| Southside | City of Southside Building Department | 256-442-9775 ext. 131; Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| Attalla | City of Attalla Building & Revenue Department | 612 4th Street NW, Attalla, AL 35954 · 256-538-9986 |
| Glencoe | City of Glencoe Code Official at City Hall | (256) 492-1424 ext. 113; Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Hokes Bluff | City of Hokes Bluff City Inspector | (256) 492-2414 ext. 114 |
| Boaz (the part in Etowah County) | City of Boaz Building Inspection | 112 N Broad Street, Boaz, AL 35957 · 256-593-0241 |
| Sardis City | The published sources do not say; the City publishes a zoning map and a Planning Board only | City Hall, 1335 Sardis Drive · (256) 593-6492 |
| Altoona, Reece City, Ridgeville and Walnut Grove | The published sources do not say; ask the town hall. Reece City has a town website, with no permit page | Altoona (205) 589-2311; Reece City (256) 538-6521; Ridgeville (256) 538-8968; Walnut Grove (205) 589-2553 |
| Unincorporated county | No county building permit is listed; floodplain, access, subdivision and utility permits from the County Engineer | 402 Tuscaloosa Avenue, Gadsden, AL 35901 · (256) 549-5358 |
The County Commission office is at 800 Forrest Avenue, Gadsden ((256) 549-5300), open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
County applications and regulations
The Engineering and Road Department publishes these on its page:
- Application for Permit to Develop in a Special Flood Hazard Area, the three-page floodplain form
- Etowah County Floodplain Development Ordinance, dated February 20, 2024, which names the County Engineer as Floodplain Administrator
- Access Management Policy, the rules for driveway and road connections
- Etowah County Subdivision Regulations, adopted by Commission resolution on May 5, 2009
- Utility Permit Application, addressed to the County Engineer, for work on county right-of-way; it prohibits open cutting of paved county roads or ditches without the County Engineer’s special permission
- Logging notice form and resolution
County fees in Etowah County
The county fee schedule published for land development is Section 1-3 of the Subdivision Regulations.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Major subdivision: Permit to Develop | $25 |
| Major subdivision: proposed plat review | $500 per submission |
| Major subdivision: lot fee | $25 per lot, site or unit |
| Major subdivision: road fee | $0.75 per linear foot of road to be built and inspected |
| Minor subdivision | No fee |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →For example, a major subdivision of 10 lots with 1,000 linear feet of new road, approved on its first plat submission, comes to $25 + $500 + $250 + $750 = $1,525. The developer also pays any inspection and testing charges the County incurs during approval.
City building permit fees are set by each city, mostly on the value of the work.
| City | Building permit fee | Adopted codes |
|---|---|---|
| Gadsden | By valuation: $30 up to $1,000, then $30 plus $10 per additional $1,000 up to $50,000, with lower rates above; schedule in effect since February 1, 2024. See the Gadsden guide | 2021 International Codes, 2017 National Electrical Code |
| Rainbow City | Ordinance No. 559: a new house pays $0.095 per square foot for the building permit; commercial work is charged on the contract price | 2015 International Codes, 2014 electrical code |
| Attalla | Ordinance 2022-7, on the contract price: no fee at $1,000 or less ($25 per inspection if one is needed); $25 for the first $1,000 plus $10 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $515 plus $8 per $1,000 above $50,000; $915 plus $6 per $1,000 above $100,000; $3,315 plus $4 per $1,000 above $500,000. Moving a building is $150 | No edition is given on the City’s building page or fee ordinance |
| Glencoe | City Code Sec. 8-238, residential: no fee at $500 or less ($25 per inspection if needed); $15 for the first $1,000 plus $5 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $260 plus $4 per $1,000 above $50,000; $460 plus $3 per $1,000 above $100,000; $1,660 plus $2 per $1,000 above $500,000. Commercial rates are $6, $5, $4 and $3 per $1,000 in the same bands. Plan review $50, re-inspection $25, double fees for work started early | 2015 International Building Code |
| Southside | Set by the mayor and council and not printed in the code; a $50 zoning permit comes first, and land disturbance is $75. Starting without a permit can add a penalty of up to 100% of the fee | 2021 International Codes, 2020 National Electrical Code |
| Hokes Bluff | Entered by the City on the Building/Zoning Permit Application, which asks for the total project cost | No edition is given on the City’s permits page |
| Boaz | No fee at $2,000 or less unless an inspection is needed; above that the amounts are kept on file with the City Clerk/Treasurer. Double fees for work started early | 2012 International Codes and National Electrical Code |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →In Attalla a $150,000 contract pays $915 plus 50 × $6, a permit fee of $1,215; the same house in Glencoe pays $460 plus 50 × $3, or $610. Southside’s code exempts repairs of $1,000 or less that do not change the character of the structure, along with painting and wallpapering, and ties its permit to work inside the corporate limits.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Trade permits follow the building permit: they come from the city offices, and the County lists none. Gadsden’s Building Department issues electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and publishes a fee schedule for each, plus one for gas. Southside inspects electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and expects every contractor, plumber, electrician, heating and air contractor and irrigation contractor to hold a permit before starting. Glencoe requires separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits. Rainbow City publishes separate electrical, plumbing and HVAC permit applications.
In a county flood hazard area the trades are still affected: the floodplain application asks for the elevation to which heating and electrical equipment and other utilities will be installed or floodproofed.
Documents for a county floodplain permit
With the application
- Plot plan certified by an Alabama-licensed professional engineer or surveyor
- Base flood elevations, the flood hazard area and floodway boundaries and the flood zone
- Elevation of the lowest floor, including any basement, of every proposed structure
- Foundation plan drawn to scale, showing how the building will be elevated and any flood openings
- Use of any enclosed area below the lowest floor
- For a floodproofed non-residential building, an engineer’s or architect’s design certification
- An engineering report if a watercourse will be altered or moved
During and after construction
- As-built certification of the floor elevation on a FEMA elevation certificate as soon as the lowest floor is complete
- “No Rise” certification if the site is in a floodway
- A finished-construction FEMA elevation certificate before the County issues its Certificate of Compliance Letter
A subdivision application must reach the County Engineer at least 30 days ahead and includes a Health Department letter; a plat with septic lots carries a Certificate of Approval by the Etowah County Health Department.
Rather not deal with the Etowah County building department?
Get a free quote →How to get approvals in Etowah County: 6 steps
Find out whether it is inside one of the twelve municipalities or in the unincorporated county.
Use the offices in the table above; Gadsden takes applications on its online platform and Hokes Bluff publishes a long-form building permit application.
If any part of the work is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, file the floodplain application with the County Engineer before any grading or building.
Get the County Engineer’s approval for the driveway or road connection; drainage and sight distance are reviewed.
Contact the Etowah County Health Department’s environmental office on 256-439-2586.
For floodplain work, submit the as-built floor elevation during construction and the final certificate at completion.
Inspections
For a county Floodplain Development Permit, an on-site inspection is required when the lowest floor or lowest horizontal supporting member is in place, with the certified Elevation Certificate on site, and a final inspection is required once the structure is complete and ready for occupancy. The survey benchmark stays on site until the work is finished. The Floodplain Administrator also makes periodic inspections during construction and can issue a stop-work order if certifications are missing.
Building and trade inspections are a city service. Southside asks for inspection requests at least 24 hours in advance, and Gadsden schedules inspections through its Building Department office with 24 hours’ notice.
Local details that matter in Etowah County
One foot of freeboard: in the County’s flood hazard areas the lowest floor of new construction and substantial improvements, including a basement, must be no lower than 1 foot above the base flood elevation.
Substantial improvement is counted over 10 years: if the cumulative cost of work on an existing building over a rolling 10-year period reaches 50% of its market value, the full flood requirements apply.
Floodplain permit life: the permit is void if work has not begun within 180 days of issue and stays valid for 1 year from the date of issue.
Collector roads: under the Access Management Policy, a subdivision on a road classed as a minor collector or higher must include turn lanes at its entrance, and a residential lot fronting a collector that carries 1,000 or more vehicles a day is limited to one access point.
Subdivision enforcement: the regulations set a fine of $1,000 per lot sold, offered for sale, transferred or leased in breach of them, enforced by a county licence inspector.
Stormwater: the Engineering Department runs the County’s MS4 stormwater program and takes reports of illegal dumping and stormwater problems.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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 Etowah County resources
- Etowah County Commission
- Etowah County Engineering and Road Department
- Etowah County Floodplain Development Ordinance (February 20, 2024)
- Application for Permit to Develop in a Special Flood Hazard Area
- Etowah County Access Management Policy
- Etowah County Subdivision Regulations
- Etowah County Health Department (ADPH)
- City of Gadsden Building Department
- City of Rainbow City Building Department
- City of Southside Building Department
- City of Attalla Building & Revenue Department
- City of Glencoe permits and licensing
- City of Hokes Bluff permits and zoning
- City of Boaz Building Inspection
- City of Attalla permit fees, Ordinance 2022-7
- Glencoe Code of Ordinances, building permits and fees
- Southside Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8
- City of Southside application fees, Resolution 0-021-2016
- Boaz Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Etowah County building permit FAQs
Does Etowah County issue building permits?
The County lists no building department or county building permit. Its Engineering and Road Department issues floodplain development, access and utility permits and approves subdivisions; the cities issue building permits.
Who do I call about building in a flood zone outside the cities?
The County Engineer, who is the Floodplain Administrator, at 402 Tuscaloosa Avenue, Gadsden, (256) 549-5358.
How high does the floor have to be in an Etowah County flood hazard area?
The lowest floor, including a basement, must be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation.
Do I need a permit for a driveway on a county road?
Yes. The Access Management Policy requires an access permit from the County Engineer before any driveway is connected to a county road.
Who issues building permits in Southside, Glencoe or Hokes Bluff?
Each city does: Southside’s Building Department (256-442-9775 ext. 131), Glencoe’s Code Official ((256) 492-1424 ext. 113) and the Hokes Bluff City Inspector ((256) 492-2414 ext. 114).
How much is a building permit in Attalla or Glencoe?
Both charge on the value of the work. On a $150,000 house Attalla’s Ordinance 2022-7 gives $1,215 and Glencoe’s residential schedule gives $610.
Who approves a septic system in Etowah County?
The Etowah County Health Department at 709 East Broad Street, Gadsden; its environmental office is on 256-439-2586.
What does the County charge for a subdivision?
For a major subdivision, $25 for the Permit to Develop, $500 per plat submission, $25 per lot and $0.75 per linear foot of new road. A minor subdivision has no fee.
Simplify Etowah 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.
Ready to break ground in Etowah County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Etowah County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Alabama permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Etowah County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.