Gulf Shores, Alabama Building Permit Guide

Building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and fire protection permits in Gulf Shores come from the City’s Building Department at 205 Clubhouse Drive, and every application goes in through the City’s Citizenserve portal. A new house pays a $25 application fee, $1 per $1,000 of valuation for plan review and $4 per $1,000 for the permit, and impact fees are worked out separately. Plans are drawn to the 2024 International Codes with a 160 mph design wind speed.

What requires a building permit in Gulf Shores?

The Building Department lists a separate application for each kind of job, and its fee ordinance sets a price for several small projects as well, from re-roofs to dune walkovers.

Gulf Shores removed two of the International Residential Code’s permit exemptions (exceptions 1 and 10 under Building in section R105.2) when it adopted the 2024 edition, and its accessory checklist covers sheds of every size: a structure under 200 sq ft needs a plan with strapping details, and anything larger needs plans stamped by an Alabama engineer. Fences go through a Planning and Zoning general application with the fence checklist. For electrical work, the City Code allows only ordinary minor repairs without a permit.

Who issues permits in Gulf Shores?

The Building Department handles plan review, permitting, inspections, code enforcement, coastal resource preservation and flood regulation compliance. Brandan Franklin is the Chief Building Official, and under the flood ordinance the Building Official is also the City’s floodplain administrator. Planning & Zoning shares the Clubhouse Drive office and answers zoning and site plan questions on 251-968-1164.

Outside the city limits: the City Code writes several building rules for “the corporate limits or police jurisdiction” of Gulf Shores, among them the 160 mph wind design, underground utilities and the clay fill permit, and it says signs in the police jurisdiction are permitted with the building and electrical permits. The Baldwin County Building Department (251-972-6837), for its part, describes its permit area as unincorporated Baldwin County plus the towns of Elberta, Magnolia Springs and Perdido Beach. For a parcel beyond the city boundary, ask the City Building Department on (251) 968-1150 which office will take the application.

Gulf Shores applications, forms and the online portal

One Building Permit Application covers new work, additions, alterations, repairs and demolition; it must carry the signatures of both the owner and the contractor, and incomplete forms are not processed. The completed form and the checklist materials for the project type are uploaded in the Citizenserve portal, which also has sections for planning and engineering applications, business licences and code complaints.

Other forms on the Department’s Forms and Info page:

• Trade Permit Application for electrical, mechanical and plumbing work, and a separate Gas Permit Application
• Subcontractor List, due before the temporary-to-permanent power inspection
• Flood Hazard Development Application and the NFIP V-Zone Certificate
• Code Analysis and Code Summary Worksheet for commercial plans
• Haul Permit Application for fill material
• Utility Sign-Off Sheet for demolition
• Permit Amendment Application for changes after issue
• Temporary to Permanent Power Release
• Turnout Permit Application and the joint pier, bulkhead and boathouse application

Permit costs and fees in Gulf Shores

Fees are set in Section 7-4 of the City Code, last amended by Ordinance 2106 on August 28, 2023. Building permits are charged on the valuation of the work.

For example, a new house valued at $400,000 pays $25 to apply, $400 for plan review and $1,600 for the building permit, a total of $2,025 before trade permits and impact fees. The Department’s 2025 handbook asks commercial applicants for a plan review check of 1% of the valuation, which is more than the Code’s $1 per $1,000; the Code section is the adopted schedule.

Impact fees apply to new development, are calculated before the building permit is issued and must be paid in full first; the Code caps them at 1% of the fair market value of each service unit. A single-family or duplex permit still open one year after issue is charged $100 a month until all final approvals are in. Starting work without a permit costs $250 plus double the permit fee for a first offense, $500 plus double for a second and $1,000 plus double for a third.

Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and fire permits

Trade permits are issued to the trade contractors once the building permit is out. Each has its own application in the portal, and the fees below are paid before work starts.

Fire protection permits apply to commercial and multifamily work; the City’s amendment to the residential code removes the sprinkler requirement for one- and two-family dwellings. The Fire Marshal’s final inspection is one of the sign-offs for a commercial Certificate of Occupancy.

Application documents

Under the City Code, plans for any structure costing more than $50,000 must carry the seal of an Alabama architect or engineer, including houses for their structural design. A driveway onto a state highway needs an ALDOT permit, and a site in Alabama Beach Mouse habitat needs an approved Incidental Take Permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (251-441-5181). Additions must show the driveway width at the front property line, which is limited to 18 feet.

How to apply: 7-step Gulf Shores process

Inspections and the Certificate of Occupancy

City Code Sec. 7-32 requires 24 hours’ notice for every inspection, and no work may go past a stage until that stage has been inspected and approved. Inspectors will not come out until the required surveys and elevation certificates have reached the Building Department. Before the electrical inspection that releases power, the Revenue Department checks that every subcontractor on the contractor’s list holds a current City licence.

For buildings costing more than $50,000, the architect or engineer must also inspect during construction and certify at the end that the structure meets the City’s codes; this is on top of the City’s own inspections. The contractor provides the sewer utility’s approved connection inspection report before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.

A commercial Certificate of Occupancy needs AIA form G704, approved building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical finals, copies of third-party inspection reports, as-built plans in digital form, and final approvals from Planning and Zoning (landscaping), Engineering (paving, drainage and lighting) and the Fire Marshal. A commercial test and balance report is due before the final inspection. Moving in before the final inspection costs $1,000 for a first offense and $2,500 for a second, and the utility disconnects the power.

Local Gulf Shores details that matter

Wind: the City amended both the building and residential codes to a design wind speed of 160 mph (3-second gust). Wood structural panels are not accepted as opening protection on houses, and exposed joist hangers, straps and hurricane anchors must be Type 316 stainless steel.

Flood elevation: in the A and AE flood zones south of State Highway 180, the lowest floor of a new or substantially improved house must be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. Outside the AE and VE zones, the lowest floor of a new house, duplex or addition must still sit at least 12 inches above the highest adjacent grade or the crown of the nearest road, whichever is higher. South of Fort Morgan Road or west of County Road 6, a house in a flood zone may have one enclosure of up to 300 sq ft below the lowest habitable floor.

Beachfront: construction on beach-fronting property needs a Coastal Use Permit, and the City advertises the plans in the local paper for a 30-day comment period once they are submitted.

Re-roofs: the old roof covering comes off down to the deck, the underlayment is sealed, and replacing more than 25% of the covering means the whole roof must comply unless the Building Official waives it.

Red clay and fill: staining clays and sand clays are banned south of State Highway 180 west of Highway 59 and in other listed coastal areas, and since September 1, 2021 elsewhere in the city unless inside an enclosed foundation. A haul permit is needed for fill delivered south of Highway 180.

Trees: a tree of 12 inches or more in diameter, or a live oak or sand live oak of 6 inches or more, is protected and must be shown on the plot plan. A stand-alone tree removal permit costs a $25 application fee and a $250 permit fee.

Piers and boathouses: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (251-690-2511) and the Alabama State Lands Division (251-621-1216) must approve before the City issues its permit.

Site rules: utilities on private property go underground on new construction, construction is prohibited between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., a site of one acre or more needs an ADEM permit (251-304-1176), and a land disturbance permit costs $250.

Permit life: a building permit lapses if work has not started within 6 months or stops for 6 months.

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 Gulf Shores permitting resources

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

• Gulf Shores Building Permits
• New Commercial Construction Permit
• City of Gulf Shores Building Department
• Gulf Shores Citizenserve online portal
• New Single Family or Duplex Construction permit
• Single Family or Duplex Checklist
• New Commercial Construction Checklist
• Accessory Structures Checklist
• Commercial Certificate of Occupancy Checklist
• Building Department forms and information
• Current building codes and regulations
• City Code Sec. 7-4: building permit fees
• City Code Chapter 7, Article IV: flood damage prevention
• Planning & Zoning project checklist
• Baldwin County Building Department

Gulf Shores building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Gulf Shores?

A $25 application fee, plus $1 per $1,000 of valuation for plan review on new construction, plus $4 per $1,000 for a house, duplex or accessory structure, $5 per $1,000 for commercial and $10 per $1,000 for multifamily. Trade permits and impact fees are extra.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Gulf Shores?

Yes. The accessory checklist asks for a plan with strapping details for a shed under 200 sq ft and engineer-stamped plans for a larger one, with a surveyed plot plan.

Do I need a permit to re-roof my house?

Yes. A residential re-roof permit is $50 per unit, and the existing covering has to be removed down to the roof deck.

What building code does Gulf Shores use?

The 2024 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Fire, Existing Building and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, with local amendments adopted on January 27, 2025.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Give the Building Department at least 24 hours’ notice. Surveys and elevation certificates must be on file first, and a third visit for the same failed inspection costs $50.

How high does my floor have to be?

In a mapped flood zone south of State Highway 180, at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. Outside the AE and VE zones, at least 12 inches above the highest adjacent grade or the crown of the nearest road.

Who do I call about a pier or boathouse?

Start with the Corps of Engineers on 251-690-2511 and the Alabama State Lands Division on 251-621-1216; the City permit follows their approval and costs $4 per $1,000 of value.

What are the Building Department’s hours?

Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 205 Clubhouse Drive, Suite B. The phone number is (251) 968-1150.

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