In Fort Payne, the Inspections and Zoning Department at 100 Alabama Ave. NW ((256) 845-5180) issues general building permits and separate permits for gas, mechanical, plumbing and electrical work. No work may start until the permit is issued, and all work is inspected while in progress. Building permit fees follow a valuation table that begins at $15 for the first $1,000, and since January 1, 2023 roofing, siding and window replacement need a permit too.
What requires a building permit in Fort Payne?
Permit required
- Building work: erecting, repairing, altering, moving or adding to a building or accessory structure
- Starting excavation, storing building materials or setting up a field office ahead of construction
- Repair, installation or addition of any gas, mechanical, plumbing or electrical fixture
- Roofing, siding and window replacement (since January 1, 2023)
- Signs, demolition, mobile homes, temporary buildings and blasting
- Public and private swimming pools
No permit needed
- Fencing
- Flooring: carpet, tile and hardwood, with installation
- Painting
The City’s test for the exempt list is that the project is mostly cosmetic, involves no licensed trade and does not change the footprint of the property. If you are unsure, the department asks you to call and speak to a building department representative.
Who issues permits in Fort Payne?
The Inspections and Zoning Department processes all construction and zoning permit requests and keeps the City’s zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations. Rodney Ballenger is the Department Head and Chief Building Official, and the staff includes an electrical inspector, a building inspector, a zoning official and an ordinance officer.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Fort Payne Inspections and Zoning Department |
| Address | 100 Alabama Ave. NW, Fort Payne, AL 35967; office access is from the rear of the new City Hall, on Forest Avenue NW |
| Phone | (256) 845-5180 |
| Fax | (256) 845-5157 |
| inspections@fortpayne.org | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed for lunch from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Chief Building Official | Rodney Ballenger |
The City’s code requires the construction permit for work “within the city”, and applies it to building contractors, subcontractors and property owners alike.
Fort Payne permit applications
Fort Payne’s permit forms are PDFs on the City’s Applications and Ordinances page.
- Building Permit Application, two pages, with a section the Zoning Official completes for zoning district and front, rear and side setbacks.
- Application/Permit for Electrical, Plumbing, Gas and HVAC, one combined trade form.
- Roofing Permit Application.
- Sign Permit Application.
- Demolition Permit and Mobile Home Application.
- Zoning Application, Zoning Variance, Conditional Use Application and Subdivision Application.
- Logging Permit and Short Term Rental application.
Permit costs and fees in Fort Payne
The City publishes its fees in a Building Code & Fee List. The fee schedules in it were adopted by Ordinance No. 2002-16 on December 3, 2002, and the City’s code leaves permit fees to be set by the City Council from time to time.
| Total valuation | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1,000 and less | No fee; if an inspection is needed, $15 per inspection |
| $1,000 to $50,000 | $15 on the first $1,000, then $5 per additional $1,000 or part |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | $260 on the first $50,000, then $4 per additional $1,000 or part |
| $100,000 to $500,000 | $460 on the first $100,000, then $3 per additional $1,000 or part |
| $500,000 and up | $1,660 on the first $500,000, then $2 per additional $1,000 or part |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plan-checking fee, when plans must be submitted | May be required; no more than one half of the building permit fee, on top of it |
| Moving a building or structure | $100 |
| Demolition | $50 |
| Signs | $25 per face |
| Temporary building, blasting or mobile home | $25 each |
| Swimming pool permit | $40 public, $25 private |
| Work started before the permit is issued | Permit fee doubled, plus a fine of not less than $500 |
For example, a house valued at $200,000 pays $460 plus 100 × $3, a building permit fee of $760. The application also has a line for the state craft training fee and totals it with the permit fee.
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas permits in Fort Payne
Trade permits are taken out on the combined application, which asks for the service size in amps and the number of circuits, the number of baths, the number of gas outlets and the number of HVAC units or changeouts.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, residential 100 amp service | $40 |
| Electrical, residential 200 amp service | $60 |
| Electrical, residential 201–400 amp | $80 single phase, $100 three phase |
| Electrical, residential over 400 amp | $100, plus $0.07 per amp above 400 |
| Electrical, residential alterations | $30 |
| Electrical, industrial and commercial | $100 for the first $5,000 of job cost, plus $3 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Plumbing, residential first bath | $40 |
| Plumbing, each additional bath | $20 |
| Plumbing remodel | $25 |
| Sewer repair or replacement | $20 |
| Water heater exchange (plumbing or gas) | $10 |
| Plumbing, commercial or industrial | $5 per fixture |
| Mechanical (HVAC) | $30 for the first unit, plus $20 for each additional unit |
| Gas, 1 to 4 outlets | $25, plus $2 for each additional outlet |
Fort Payne adds its own electrical rules to the 2014 National Electric Code: a main switch on every service, an emergency disconnect on all one and two-family dwellings, arc-fault breakers required only in bedrooms, no metal-clad BX cable and no aluminum wire smaller than number 8.
What the building permit application asks for
- Building owner, contractor and job address
- Whether drawings or diagrams are attached
- Whether the building is in a floodway or floodplain
- Proposed occupancy: new construction, remodel or addition; residential, commercial or industrial
- Total cost of construction
- For new construction, additions and remodels: construction type, heating type, central air, septic or sewer, water supply, building size, lot size, living area, storeys, bedrooms and bathrooms
- Legal description, lot, block and parcel, which the Zoning Official checks against the zoning district and setbacks
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →By signing, the applicant agrees to supply any building plans and documents the Building Official asks for.
How to apply: 6-step Fort Payne process
The department’s page links the City zoning map and the FEMA flood map for Fort Payne.
Use the Building Permit Application, or the roofing, sign, demolition or mobile home form for those jobs.
The office is reached from Forest Avenue NW at the rear of City Hall; allow for the lunch closure from 12 to 1.
The Zoning Official verifies the setbacks, the Building Official approves the application and the fee is worked out from the City’s schedule.
Post the issued permit at the job site where it can easily be seen, and file the trade application for electrical, plumbing, gas and HVAC work.
Phone the Building Inspector’s office on (256) 845-5180 as the work progresses, through to the final inspection.
Fort Payne inspections
All permitted work must be inspected while it is in progress. To book, call the Building Inspector’s office on (256) 845-5180.
A building that was unoccupied during construction, reconstruction or major structural, electrical, plumbing, gas or mechanical changes may not be reoccupied until the department has made a final inspection and issued a certificate of occupancy. Occupying it early can lead to utility disconnection and a final re-inspection fee of $250, and utilities stay off until the certificate is issued.
Local Fort Payne details that matter
Code editions: the Mayor and City Council adopted the 2015 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Property Maintenance Codes, the 2014 National Electric Code and the 2021 International Fire Code, effective July 1, 2023.
Local amendments for houses: the residential code’s automatic fire sprinkler section is exempted, and wood-frame walls need R-13 insulation.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Rezoning: the Planning Commission hears a rezoning petition and may recommend it to the City Council. The Council’s public hearing must be advertised for 2 consecutive weeks at least 15 days beforehand, and an adopted rezoning ordinance is advertised once before it takes effect.
Floodplain: the City’s code has a Floodplain Development chapter, and the permit application asks whether the building is in a floodway or floodplain.
Grease interceptors: accumulated grease must be removed at least every 30 days, or treated by a process the City approves, with a log kept on the premises.
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 Fort Payne permitting resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Fort Payne Inspections and Zoning Department
- Fort Payne applications and ordinances
- Fort Payne Building Code & Fee List
- Fort Payne Building Permit Application
- Fort Payne Application/Permit for Electrical, Plumbing, Gas and HVAC
- Fort Payne Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8: Buildings and Construction
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Fort Payne permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Fort Payne?
It depends on valuation: $15 for the first $1,000 plus $5 per additional thousand up to $50,000, then $260 plus $4 per thousand to $100,000, and $460 plus $3 per thousand to $500,000. A $200,000 house pays $760.
Do I need a permit for a roof in Fort Payne?
Yes. Roofing, siding and window replacement have needed a permit since January 1, 2023, and the City has a separate Roofing Permit Application.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Fort Payne?
No. Fencing, flooring and painting are on the City’s list of projects that do not require a permit.
Where is the Fort Payne permit office?
100 Alabama Ave. NW, entered from Forest Avenue NW at the rear of the new City Hall. It is open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed for lunch from 12 to 1.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call the Building Inspector’s office on (256) 845-5180.
What happens if I start work without a permit?
The permit fee is doubled, and the City’s code adds a fine of not less than $500.
What does an electrical permit cost for a house?
$40 for a 100 amp service, $60 for 200 amp and $80 for a single-phase service of 201 to 400 amps.
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More Alabama permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Fort Payne permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.