Fayette County answers the question on its own FAQ page: there are no building or permitting requirements in Fayette County, though a city or town inside it may have some. The City of Fayette does: its building permit covers new buildings and additions inside the city limits and the police jurisdiction, and is filed at City Hall, 203 Temple Avenue North (205-932-5367). For rural land the County’s role is the driveway culvert, and the Health Department handles septic tanks.
What requires a permit in Fayette County?
Unincorporated county
- No county building permit: the County says it has no building or permitting requirements
- The County points builders to the city or town if the site is inside one
Still needed outside the towns
- Septic tank approval through the Fayette County Health Department’s Environmental Office
- A driveway culvert request to County Engineering if the drive crosses a county road ditch
Inside the City of Fayette, a building permit is required for a new building or an addition to an existing structure. The City’s application also covers alterations, repairs, moving and razing a building, and its fee schedule prices swimming pools, alterations to a roof structure, signs and demolition.
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Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in each Fayette County town?
| Place | Who issues building permits | Office and phone |
|---|---|---|
| City of Fayette | The City, through its building inspector and electrical inspector; its codes apply in the corporate limits and the police jurisdiction | City Hall, 203 Temple Avenue North, Fayette, AL 35555 · 205-932-5367; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Berry | The published sources do not say; the Town posts a 2020 Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance but no building permit form | Town Hall, 30 School Avenue · 205-689-4562 |
| Belk | The published sources do not say; the Town has no website | Belk Town Hall · 205-932-9292 |
| Glen Allen | The published sources do not say | Town of Glen Allen · 205-487-2014 |
| Winfield (the part in Fayette County) | The City of Winfield. Its Planning Commission page says building permits are required by the City and supplies the forms that go with its Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 951) | City Hall, 111 Bankhead Highway · 205-487-4337 |
| Gu-Win (the part in Fayette County) | The published sources do not say; ask the town hall | No permit page or phone number is published for the town |
| Unincorporated county | No one: the County has no building or permitting requirements | County Commission, 103 1st Ave NW, Suite 1, Fayette · 205-932-4510 |
The County’s Local Government page lists contact details for Berry, Belk, Glen Allen and the City of Fayette for anyone building inside one of them.
Applications published in the county
- City of Fayette Building Permit Application, a two-page form on the City Forms page. It asks whether the site is in the City or the police jurisdiction and whether it is in a flood zone, and it will not be processed until every required item is filled in and the applicant has signed.
- County Action Center form, used to ask County Engineering for a driveway pipe or to report a road, culvert or bridge problem.
- Onsite sewage forms published by the Alabama Department of Public Health; septic requests go to the county Health Department’s Environmental Office.
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Get a free quote →Permit costs and fees
The County charges nothing, because it issues no permit. For a driveway the County installs the culvert, but the owner pays for it and supplies it.
The City of Fayette’s fee schedule is in Section 4-1.1 of its Code of Ordinances (Ordinances 1995-04 and 1995-07). The fee is paid when the application is filed. The City notes that newer legislation may exist that is not yet in the posted code.
| Valuation or item | City of Fayette fee |
|---|---|
| Residential, $2,000 to $15,000 | $12 plus $3 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Residential, $15,000 to $50,000 | $51 plus $2.50 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Residential, $50,000 to $100,000 | $138.50 plus $2 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Residential, $100,000 to $500,000 | $238.50 plus $1.25 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Nonresidential, $15,000 to $50,000 | $82 plus $3.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Nonresidential, $50,000 to $100,000 | $213.25 plus $3.50 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Nonresidential, $100,000 to $500,000 | $388.25 plus $2.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Swimming pool | $25 |
| Alterations to a roof structure | $50 |
| Moving a building | $30 |
| Demolition | $12 |
| Erecting a sign | $25 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Outside the towns there is no county trade permit. In the City of Fayette, the code adopts the current editions of the International Plumbing Code, the International Mechanical Code and the ICC Electrical Code, and an electrical inspector appointed by the City Council enforces the wiring rules. The permit application has sign-off lines for the Fire Department, electrical, plumbing, sewer tap and building reviews.
The City’s codified inspection fees are the same for electrical and for plumbing: $42.50 for a residence under 2,000 square feet and $62.50 over, $52.50 for a nonresidential building under 2,000 square feet and $72.50 over. Anyone doing electrical work in the city must show a valid statewide electrical licence before a City licence is issued.
What the City of Fayette application asks for
- Lot, subdivision and address, with owner and contractor names and phone numbers
- City, state and county licence numbers
- Architect or engineer, occupancy classification and construction type
- Class of work: addition, alteration, repair, move or raze
- Finished and unfinished floor areas and the full estimated valuation
- Carpenter, electrical, plumber and mechanical subcontractors, with licence numbers and contract amounts
- An accurate site plan drawn to scale; a single-family house on a rectangular lot may be drawn on the form’s own sketch plan, with setbacks measured from the property line, not the curb
Rather not deal with the Fayette County building department?
Get a free quote →How to proceed in Fayette County: 5 steps
Look the parcel up in the County’s public GIS, linked from the Revenue Commissioner’s page, and ask City Hall whether a site near the city falls in its police jurisdiction.
Complete the Building Permit Application, attach the site plan and pay the fee with the filing.
Winfield requires a City building permit and hands out the forms through its Planning Commission (205-487-4337). Berry (205-689-4562), Belk (205-932-9292) and Glen Allen (205-487-2014) publish no permit procedure.
Ask for the Environmental Office on 205-932-5260.
Call 205-932-6282 or use the Action Center form once you have bought the culvert.
Inspections
With no county building requirements, there is no county building inspection. The City of Fayette’s building inspector and electrical inspector may enter a building or site at a reasonable hour to enforce the codes, and a City permit lapses if work has not started within 6 months or is suspended or abandoned for 6 months.
Local details that matter in Fayette County
Police jurisdiction: the City of Fayette’s building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical codes are binding in its police jurisdiction as well as inside the corporate limits (Ordinance 2005-05).
Flood zones: the City of Fayette’s code has its own flood damage prevention articles and its permit form asks about the flood zone; Berry adopted a Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance in 2020. Fayette County itself takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated June 4, 2010, so flood-zone rules reach unincorporated land even though the County issues no building permit.
Zoning: the City of Fayette has a Zoning Ordinance, a zoning map, a Planning Commission and a Zoning Board of Adjustments.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →County offices: the Engineer’s Office is on the 2nd floor of the Courthouse Annex, 103 1st Ave NW, and the Health Department is at 215 1st Ave NW, open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Construction debris: the County Dumpster at the Road Shop, 1112 Hwy 96, takes construction clean-up from residential properties.
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 Fayette County resources
- Fayette County FAQs (building and permitting requirements)
- Alabama Department of Public Health onsite sewage forms
- Fayette County local government contacts
- Fayette County Engineering Office
- Fayette County Action Center request form
- Fayette County Health Department
- City of Fayette forms
- City of Fayette Building Permit Application
- City of Fayette Code of Ordinances, Chapter 4: building codes and permit fees
- City of Fayette planning and zoning
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Fayette County building permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit in Fayette County, Alabama?
Not from the County. Its FAQ page says there are no building or permitting requirements in Fayette County, but a city or town may have its own.
Who issues building permits in the City of Fayette?
The City, at City Hall, 203 Temple Avenue North, 205-932-5367. A permit is required for a new building or an addition, in the city limits and the police jurisdiction.
How much is a building permit in the City of Fayette?
Under the posted code, a residential project of $100,000 to $500,000 pays $238.50 plus $1.25 for each additional $1,000; smaller and nonresidential projects have their own bands.
Who handles septic permits in Fayette County?
The Fayette County Health Department, 215 1st Ave NW, 205-932-5260. Ask for the Environmental Office.
How do I get a driveway pipe installed on a county road?
Buy the culvert, then call County Engineering on 205-932-6282 or use the Action Center form; the County installs it.
Does the County inspect new houses?
No. The County says it has no building or permitting requirements, so there is no county inspection to book.
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This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Fayette County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.