Florence, Alabama Building Permit Guide

The City of Florence Building Department (110 West College Street, Suite 216, (256) 760-6325) issues building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits. Plans are taken electronically only, emailed to buildingplans@florenceal.org with the property address in the subject line. New-home review generally takes 7 days, and the building permit fee is read from a valuation schedule, with a house valued at $49 per heated square foot.

What requires a building permit in Florence?

An owner, authorized agent or contractor must apply to the Building Official and hold the permit before starting any of this work:

Banners do not need a permit: one per site or tenant, no larger than 32 square feet and fixed flat to a wall, window or permanent sign. Portable signs are prohibited.

Who issues permits in Florence?

The Building Department handles building, permit and zoning requests from Room 216 of the Municipal Building. Justin Mason is the Building Official, and the department has its own building, electrical, plumbing and gas, and zoning and code inspectors.

Outside the city limits: for new homes, Florence requires its permit inside the city and within a 3-mile radius outside the limits, the City’s planning jurisdiction. The department does not issue permits or inspect in Center Star, Greenhill, Killen, Lexington, Rogersville, St. Florian or Waterloo.

Florence applications and how to file

Florence has no permit portal. Completed forms and plans are emailed, and the yellow permit card is handed over when the permit is purchased.

• Building Permit Application, one page: project location, proposed work, type of construction, cost of work, owner, architect or designer, general contractor with Alabama licence number, the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing and excavation subcontractors and a site plan sketch.
• Special Flood Hazard development permit application.
• Sign Permit application.
• Historical Commission application.
• Home Occupation Permit, Short Term Rental and Small Cell Site applications.

The application states that submitting it does not authorize construction; work may begin only after the permit is issued.

Permit costs and fees in Florence

The Building Department’s fees page sets the permit fee from the total valuation of the work. For a new single-family home the valuation is $49 per heated square foot and $12.25 per unheated square foot; these are valuation figures, not the fee. Additions, carports, commercial and industrial projects, detached garages, greenhouses, storage buildings over 200 square feet and swimming pools use the total construction cost.

For example, a new house with 2,000 heated square feet and no unheated area is valued at $98,000. The permit fee is $260 plus 48 × $4, which is $452, and the plan-checking fee adds $226.

Inside the corporate limits a contractor’s licence fee is added to the permit. The fees page gives two rates for it: one-fourth of 1% of total valuation in its single-family paragraph, and 1/20 of 1% of the entire construction cost under the fee schedule. On a $98,000 house that is the difference between $245 and $49, so confirm which rate the department will apply before you budget.

Electrical, plumbing and gas permits in Florence

The Building Department’s own inspectors issue and inspect the trade permits, at these published rates:

All gas work must be done by a certified gas contractor, and gas work in the city limits needs a City licence as well as state certification. Electrical work must be done by a qualified licensed electrician; a person wiring their own home must first pass the Electrical Inspector’s qualification test, which costs $5.

Application documents and plan review

Drawings must be sealed by an Alabama architect or engineer for every building of 2,500 square feet or more, other than single-family dwellings and farm buildings, and for all assembly, educational and institutional occupancies.

Review generally takes 7 days for a new home and 15 to 20 working days for new commercial construction or additions. Commercial plans are reviewed by the Building Department against the International Building Code and circulated to other City departments.

How to apply: 6-step Florence process

Florence inspections

The contractor calls for inspections in this order: footing, first-stage plumbing, slab, second-stage plumbing, electrical rough-in, framing, then final electrical, plumbing and structure. No inspection is made if the yellow permit card is not posted.

• Footing: after trenches are dug and reinforcement is in place, before concrete. Exterior footings must be at least 12 inches below grade on undisturbed soil or engineered fill.
• Slab: after forms, 4 inches of slag, the vapor barrier and reinforcement are in place.
• Plumbing: pipework under a slab, and later all pipes in and under the building, are tested with a 10-foot head of water that stays on until the inspector has seen it. Sewer connections are inspected before backfilling.
• Electrical rough-in: after the panel, boxes and wires are in and before walls or ceilings are covered; the HVAC must be installed.
• Framing: after the roof, framing, fire blocking and bracing are complete and the plumbing, electrical and HVAC have been inspected. No insulation may go in first, and exterior doors and windows should be in place.
• Final: when the building is complete. The electrical system must be energized for the final electrical inspection.

A building may not be occupied before the final inspection and the Certificate of Occupancy. If a house is on a septic tank, the owner or contractor must give the department a copy of the septic tank certificate issued by the Lauderdale County Health Department.

Local Florence details that matter

Email-only plans: the department now accepts plans electronically only, so every plan set goes to the plans mailbox, and its other forms are saved and emailed in as well.

Architectural control: buildings in the zoning jurisdiction must meet the Architectural Control Standards in the City of Florence Zoning Ordinance.

Sewer slope: the permit applicant certifies that floor and sewer elevations will give proper slope to the City sanitary sewer, and agrees to repair public improvements or utilities damaged by the work.

Signs: the sign area allowed on a site is generally based on the linear front footage of the building, rules vary by zone, and signs on the public right-of-way are prohibited.

Historic properties: the department publishes a Historical Commission application alongside its permit forms.

Zoning map: the City’s online mapping portal shows zoning for any parcel.

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 Florence permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Florence Building Department
• Florence building permits
• Florence forms and adopted codes
• Florence permit fees
• Florence inspections
• City of Florence Building Permit Application
• Florence special flood hazard development permit application

Florence permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in Florence?

The house is valued at $49 per heated square foot and $12.25 per unheated square foot, and the fee is read from the valuation schedule. A 2,000 sq ft house valued at $98,000 pays $452, plus a $226 plan-checking fee and the contractor’s licence fee.

How do I submit plans in Florence?

By email only, to buildingplans@florenceal.org, with the property address in the subject line.

How long does plan review take?

Generally 7 days for a new home, and 15 to 20 working days for new commercial construction or additions.

Does Florence issue permits outside the city limits?

For new homes, yes: within a 3-mile radius outside the limits. It does not permit or inspect in Center Star, Greenhill, Killen, Lexington, Rogersville, St. Florian or Waterloo.

Do I need a permit for a storage building in Florence?

Storage buildings over 200 square feet are on the list of projects charged a permit fee on their construction cost.

Can I do my own electrical work?

Only in your own home, and only after passing the Electrical Inspector’s qualification test, which costs $5. Gas work always needs a certified gas contractor.

What is the Florence Building Department’s phone number?

(256) 760-6325. The office is at 110 West College Street, Suite 216, open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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