Geneva County’s Road and Bridge Department puts it plainly: the County has no zoning or building regulations in its rural jurisdiction and does not issue certificates of occupancy. What the County Engineer does regulate is the division of land, driveway turnouts onto county roads and utility work in the county right of way ((334) 684-3450). Inside the City of Geneva, the Building Department issues all construction permits, and Slocomb charges $25 or $50 for its building and zoning compliance permit.
What requires a permit in Geneva County?
County approvals on rural land
- Subdivision approval: every division of land in the unincorporated areas is subject to the County Subdivision Regulations
- Turnout for a private entrance: an application to the Road and Bridge Department for a driveway pipe on a county road
- Right-of-way permit: required before any utility is installed on county right of way
- Septic approval from the Geneva County Health Department’s Environmental Services
City of Geneva
- Building, enlarging, altering or repairing any building or structure
- Moving or demolishing one
- Changing the occupancy of a building
- Locating a mobile home
A house on rural land outside every town limit needs no county building permit and gets no county certificate of occupancy.
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Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in each Geneva County town?
| Place | Who issues building permits | Office and phone |
|---|---|---|
| City of Geneva | City of Geneva Building Department (Building Inspector); it also enforces the City’s flood plain regulations. The city code adopts the 2009 International Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Fire Codes and the 2011 National Electrical Code and makes them controlling inside the corporate limits | (334) 684-2485 |
| Slocomb | City of Slocomb, by its Application for Building/Zoning Compliance Permit | City Hall · 334-886-2955 |
| Taylor (a small part is in Geneva County) | City of Taylor, by mailed or emailed application | 1469 S State Hwy 605, Taylor, AL 36301 · 334-677-5079 |
| Hartford | The City posts a Building Permit Affidavit (the sworn statement of exemption for owner-builders); ask City Hall for the permit application | City Hall, 203 West Main Street · 334-588-2245 |
| Samson | The City’s Building Inspector, who is also its Zoning Enforcement Officer. The zoning ordinance has that officer issue a Zoning Compliance Permit, which may be combined with the building permit, on 2 copies of a dimensional sketch or scaled plan, and a Certificate of Occupancy afterwards | City Hall, 16 E Main Street · (334) 898-7541; Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Malvern | The published sources do not say; the Town has a zoning map, a Planning Commission and a Zoning Board of Adjustment | Town of Malvern, 312 S. Main Street, Malvern, AL 36349 · (334) 793-6537 |
| Black and Coffee Springs | The published sources do not say; ask the town hall | Black (334) 684-1340; Coffee Springs (334) 684-8181 |
| Unincorporated county | No one: the County has no building regulations and issues no certificates of occupancy | County Engineer, 586 County Road 41, Hartford, AL 36344 · (334) 684-3450 |
Justin L. Barfield, P.E., is the County Engineer. The Highway Department works Monday to Thursday, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and the County Commission office at 200 N. Commerce Street, Geneva ((334) 684-5600) is open Monday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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Get a free quote →County applications and city forms
- Application for Turnout for Private Entrance, the County’s driveway form, approved by the Commission on January 1, 2025. It can be handed in or emailed to the Road and Bridge Department.
- Approved Driveway Pipe list (revised 2022) and a list of driveway pipe vendors.
- Subdivision Regulations, with a process flowchart and typical curb-and-gutter and ditch sections.
- City of Geneva Building Permit form, on the City’s Forms page.
- City of Slocomb Building Permit and Mobile Home Permit forms.
- City of Taylor building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and natural gas permit applications.
Permit costs and fees in Geneva County
There is no county building permit fee. These are the charges that are published:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| County: minor subdivision | $100 |
| County: major subdivision | $500 plus $0.25 per linear foot of new road |
| County: Permit to Develop a subdivision | $25 |
| County: selling or offering a lot in breach of the Subdivision Regulations | Fine of $1,000 per lot |
| Slocomb: building and zoning compliance permit, job cost $10,000 or less | $25 |
| Slocomb: job cost over $10,000 | $50 |
| Taylor: new home inside the town limits | 14 cents per sq ft heated and cooled, 8 cents per sq ft unheated |
| Taylor: electrical, plumbing, mechanical or natural gas permit | $150 each |
| City of Geneva: manufactured or mobile home permit | $50 (City Code, Appendix B) |
| Samson: application to the Planning Commission or Board of Adjustment | $25 |
The City of Geneva’s code lists no building permit fee, and Hartford and Samson publish none. For a county driveway turnout the owner buys the pipe, to the County’s current pipe specifications, and may buy aggregate from the Road and Bridge Department to cover it.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas permits in Geneva County
The County has no trade permits, since it has no building regulations. Taylor publishes separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical and natural gas permit applications at $150 each and will not approve a permit until the contractor holds, or has applied for, a City of Taylor business licence. Slocomb’s single application has a line for the subcontractors on the job. In the City of Geneva, no work may go beyond the point required for each inspection.
What the applications ask for
County driveway turnout
- Whether you own the property; if not, the owner’s approval by email, in writing or verbally
- Whether the turnout has at least 60 feet of deeded access to a Geneva County public road
- Whether the land is part of a newly subdivided property or development
- Parcel size, and whether the use is commercial, residential or farm
- The physical address, or the distance in miles from the nearest intersection if there is none yet
Slocomb permit application
- Applicant, street address of the work and mailing address
- Whether plans are submitted, and an explanation if not
- Whether the site is in a flood hazard area
- Type of structure and whether it is residential, commercial, industrial or a mobile home
- Subcontractors, use, square feet and total cost of work
- Whether the use complies with zoning
Taylor requires a set of plans with every new residential building permit application.
Rather not deal with the Geneva County building department?
Get a free quote →How to proceed in Geneva County: 6 steps
Rural land has no county building permit; land inside Geneva, Slocomb, Hartford, Samson, Malvern, Black, Coffee Springs or Taylor follows that town’s rules.
New addresses are issued by Geneva County E-911.
Send the turnout application to Road and Bridge and buy pipe from the approved list.
The County supplies the flags; set them about 30 feet apart and tell the office when they are in place.
Normal installation takes 3 to 6 weeks, weather permitting, and the application stays valid for 90 days.
Contact the Health Department’s Environmental Services in Hartford on 334-684-2256.
Inspections and certificates of occupancy
With no county building regulations, there is no county building inspection to book, and the County does not issue certificates of occupancy. City permits are inspected by the city that issues them: Slocomb’s permit is issued subject to inspection during the work and its permit card must be posted at the site, and Taylor mails an orange card that has to go up on the property within 24 hours of arriving, or the job can be shut down.
Local details that matter in Geneva County
Turnouts in new subdivisions: where a driveway is in a minor or major subdivision approved after January 1, 2025, the owner, contractor or developer installs it, not the County. A permit to work on county right of way comes first, with an on-site meeting before any work starts.
Subdivision timing: the Subdivision Regulations were adopted on November 8, 2021 and took effect on January 1, 2022. A developer has 1 year from the Permit to Develop to begin work.
Flood rules: the Subdivision Regulations refer flood questions to the County’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, and the City of Geneva’s Building Department enforces flood plain management inside the city, which sits where the Pea and Choctawhatchee rivers meet. Hartford adopted a Floodplain Development Ordinance on February 20, 2024. Geneva County itself takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated May 2, 2016.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Samson permits: a Samson zoning compliance permit expires 6 months after issue if it is not used.
Turnout upkeep: the applicant agrees to keep the drainage structure cleaned out, to keep water off the county road and not to burn debris in the mouth of the pipe.
Buying the regulations: the Subdivision Regulations can be printed from the County website or bought at the County Engineer’s Office.
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 Geneva County resources
- Geneva County Commission
- Subdivision Regulations for Geneva County (effective January 1, 2022)
- Geneva County Road and Bridge Department
- Geneva County driveway turnout application information
- Geneva County subdivision information
- Geneva County Health Department (ADPH)
- City of Geneva Building Department
- City of Slocomb forms
- City of Hartford forms and applications
- City of Taylor building permits
- City of Geneva Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8 (building codes)
- City of Samson Zoning Ordinance
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Geneva County building permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit in rural Geneva County?
No county permit exists. The County says it has no zoning or building regulations in its rural jurisdiction and does not issue certificates of occupancy.
Who issues building permits in the City of Geneva?
The City of Geneva Building Department, (334) 684-2485. It issues all construction permits for the city, including permits to locate a mobile home.
How much is a building permit in Slocomb?
$25 when the job cost is $10,000 or less, and $50 above that.
How do I get a driveway on a Geneva County road?
File the Application for Turnout for Private Entrance with Road and Bridge, (334) 684-3450, and buy approved pipe. Installation normally takes 3 to 6 weeks.
Who approves septic systems in Geneva County?
The Geneva County Health Department’s Environmental Services, 300 County Road 41, Hartford, 334-684-2256.
What does the County charge to subdivide land?
$100 for a minor subdivision, or $500 plus $0.25 per linear foot of new road for a major one, with a $25 Permit to Develop.
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This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Geneva County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.