Henry County does not publish a building permit for land outside its cities. Its Road Department states that unincorporated property has no zoning laws or land-use regulations, and the approvals a rural builder does need are a driveway access permit from the County Road Department ((334) 585-2735), a septic approval from the Henry County Health Department (334-585-2660) and an E-911 address. Inside Abbeville and Headland, the city issues the building permit.
What approvals apply in Henry County?
Outside city limits
- Driveway access permit from the County Road Department for any access onto the public right-of-way
- Subdivision approval when a larger parcel is divided into parcels of less than 3 acres
- Septic approval from the Henry County Health Department
- E-911 address for a new home or business structure
- Special approval before any water line is run through a county road, ditch or right-of-way
Inside Headland (the city’s list)
- New construction, additions and interior or exterior remodels
- Roof replacement or repair, window replacement, siding or brick, gutters
- Accessory structures, pole barns and detached garages
- In-ground swimming pools
- Manufactured portable buildings and mobile homes
- New privacy or chain link fences
- Permanent and temporary signs
- Demolition
The County sums up its own position in three lines: no zoning outside city limits, subdivision regulations for splits under 3 acres, and any property inside a city follows that city’s rules.
Who issues building permits in each Henry County city and town?
The County lists four incorporated municipalities, and a small part of Dothan also crosses the county line.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues building permits | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Abbeville (county seat) | City of Abbeville: the City Code requires a permit from the City Clerk before erecting, remodeling or demolishing a building, and the City’s building inspector enforces the 2012 International Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2011 National Electrical Code. The Code’s definitions give every section force in the police jurisdiction as well as the city unless the section says otherwise | City Hall, 101 East Washington Street · (334) 585-6444; Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Headland | City of Headland office; applications go to the Building Official, and the Zoning Ordinance has the Zoning Official issue the building permit once the plans meet it | 25 Grove Street · 334-785-5612 · permits@headlandalabama.org |
| Dothan (the part in Henry County) | City of Dothan Building Inspection Services | 126 N Saint Andrews Street, Dothan · (334) 615-4450 |
| Newville and Haleburg | The published sources do not say; ask the town hall. The 2020 Division B hazard mitigation plan lists no zoning ordinance and no code enforcement for either town | Newville (334) 889-2222 · Haleburg (334) 696-2277 |
| Unincorporated county | No county building permit is published; driveway access permits from the County Road Department | 1023 County Road 53, Abbeville · (334) 585-2735 or (334) 585-2955 |
The County Commission office is at 102 North Court Square, Suite B, Abbeville ((334) 585-3708), open Monday to Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Road Department keeps longer days, Monday to Thursday from 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
County driveway packets and city forms
The Road Department posts four documents, and asks applicants to return only the application page:
- Henry County Driveway Policy, effective February 1, 2024: materials, pipe sizes and maintenance responsibilities
- Standard Driveway Installation Packet for homes and businesses needing access to a county road
- Agricultural Driveway Packet for land used strictly for farming, with a notarized agreement and a flagged site
- Contractor Application Form for contractors who want to join the approved list for installing pipe on county right-of-way
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →In the cities, Abbeville posts its Application for Building Permit with its Land Development Ordinance and zoning map, and Headland posts separate residential and commercial building applications plus pool, manufactured building, fence, sign and demolition forms.
Fees
The County publishes no building permit and therefore no building permit fee, and its driveway packets set out a process, not a price: the owner pays for the pipe and the installing contractor, except on parcels used solely for agriculture.
Neither city posts a building permit fee table. Abbeville’s Code says the permit fee is “as established from time to time” by the City, and Headland’s Zoning Ordinance lets the City Council set permit fees from time to time, while its applications leave the permit fee line for the office to complete. The figures that are published are these. Abbeville’s permit form adds a $10 administrative fee and the state craft training charge of $1 per $1,000 to its building permit and inspection fees. Headland charges $50 after a failed inspection, and an inspection fails automatically if the permit and inspection log are not on the job site; a replacement permit costs $10. Headland takes cash, check or credit card.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work
The County publishes no trade permit either. In Abbeville, one application covers the building permit and all mechanical permits, and the form schedules slab, electrical, building and plumbing inspections. Headland’s residential application records the electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing costs alongside the building cost, and its subcontractor list ends with a certification that every contractor on the job holds the appropriate City of Headland, Henry County and State of Alabama business licences.
What to prepare
County driveway permit
- Flag the proposed driveway on site
- Completed and signed application, returned in person or by mail, fax or email
- New pipe only: aluminized corrugated metal (16 gauge minimum) or reinforced concrete
- Pipe 30 to 60 feet long, in 10-foot increments; longer runs need the County Engineer’s approval
- A licensed and insured installer, from the approved list or approved on nomination
E-911 address
- Driving directions and the road name
- Your mailing address and phone number
- A visible or staked-out driveway
- The building location staked off if the structure is not yet there; vacant land is not addressed
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Headland requires a site plan and building plans with every building permit, and it holds the builder responsible for knowing the zoning and setbacks before starting. Septic questions go to the Henry County Health Department at 505 Kirkland Street, Abbeville.
How to proceed in Henry County: 6 steps
Abbeville and Headland apply their own rules inside their limits; everything else in the county is unzoned. Abbeville’s Code also reaches its police jurisdiction, the belt just outside the city, so call City Hall on (334) 585-6444 before building there.
The office on 334-585-2660 handles septic tank guidelines and regulations.
Flag the site and return the application to the Road Department, which inspects and sets the access type and pipe size; allow up to 7 business days.
Tell the Road Department who will install the pipe; the permit follows in up to 7 business days and expires 120 days after the file date.
Call (334) 585-1911 early, since addressing can take up to 10 business days.
The County inspects the pipe before and after installation.
Inspections
The County inspections that are published all concern driveways: an initial site inspection, a look at the pipe when it is delivered, and a final inspection after installation. A driveway installed without a permit, with plastic pipe or by an unauthorized contractor is subject to fines and removal.
Rather not deal with the Henry County building department?
Get a free quote →Abbeville’s City inspector needs 48 hours’ advance reservation. Headland wants inspection requests emailed 24 hours ahead, with the permit and inspection log posted in a box on the job site, and it requires the completed inspection card before it issues a Certificate of Occupancy.
Local details that matter in Henry County
Water lines: running your own water line through a dirt road, ditch or right-of-way without approval is not allowed, because county maintenance equipment can damage buried lines.
Headland permits lapse: a Headland building permit is void if work has not begun within 180 days of issue. The Zoning Ordinance words it as no construction above the foundation within six months, and allows a lapsed permit to be renewed only once.
Flood zones outside the cities: FEMA lists Henry County, Abbeville, Headland and Newville as taking part in the National Flood Insurance Program, all on flood maps dated September 28, 2007. For a rural site in a mapped flood hazard area, the County Commission office on (334) 585-3708 is the place to start.
County roads near Headland: the City tells developers and builders to notify the Henry County Engineer when a project needs access onto a county-maintained road.
Fences in Headland: a permit is needed only for a new privacy or chain link fence, not to repair or replace an existing one.
Flood hazard areas in Abbeville: the City’s building inspector is its floodplain administrator under the City Code, and the permit application asks whether the property is in a special flood hazard area and has the applicant certify that the floor elevation protects the building against storm drainage.
Headland’s land-use rules: the City posts its Zoning Ordinance (amended October 1, 2024), Sign Ordinance (adopted November 12, 2024) and Subdivision Regulations (amended February 28, 2024) with its permit forms.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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 Henry County resources
- Henry County Commission
- Henry County Road Department: property regulations and driveway permits
- Henry County Driveway Policy (February 1, 2024)
- Standard Driveway Installation Packet
- Henry County E-911 addressing
- Henry County cities and towns
- Henry County Health Department (ADPH)
- City of Abbeville forms and documents
- City of Headland permits and licenses
- City of Headland Residential Building Permit Application
- City of Headland zoning ordinance and regulations
- FEMA Community Status Book: Alabama flood program communities
- Southeast Alabama (Division B) Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan
- City of Dothan building permits
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Henry County building permit FAQs
Does Henry County issue building permits?
The County publishes none. It states that unincorporated property has no zoning laws or land-use regulations; the county permit a rural builder needs is the driveway access permit.
Do I need a permit for a driveway on a county road?
Yes. Property owners must get a driveway access permit from the County Road Department, (334) 585-2735, and use new metal or concrete pipe installed by a licensed, insured contractor.
Who handles septic tanks in Henry County?
The Henry County Health Department, 505 Kirkland Street, Abbeville, 334-585-2660.
Who issues building permits in Headland?
The City of Headland office: call 334-785-5612 or email permits@headlandalabama.org. Roof work, window replacement, siding and gutters are all on the City’s permit list.
Who issues building permits in Abbeville?
The City of Abbeville at City Hall, 101 East Washington Street, (334) 585-6444. The City Code requires a permit from the City Clerk before a building is erected, remodeled or demolished, under the 2012 International Codes, and inspections by the City inspector need 48 hours’ notice.
Can I split my land without county approval?
Only if every new parcel is 3 acres or more. Dividing a larger parcel into parcels of less than 3 acres must comply with the county subdivision regulations.
How do I get an address for a new house?
Call the Henry County E-911 Office on (334) 585-1911. Staff visit the site to measure and take GPS coordinates, which can take up to 10 business days.
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This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Henry County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.