Jackson County states plainly that it has no zoning laws and does not require building permits, and that this applies only to land outside the jurisdiction of a municipality. What a rural project may still need from the County comes from Public Works at 395 Shelby Drive in Scottsboro (256-259-6037): a flood plain development permit, an access permit for a driveway on a county road, a utility permit, and guidance on the subdivision rules. Septic systems are permitted and inspected by the health department, and Scottsboro and Hollywood issue building permits of their own.
What approvals apply in Jackson County?
County approvals outside the municipalities
- Flood plain development permit before any development in an Area of Special Flood Hazard: new structures, additions, alterations, relocations and demolition, and also fill, grading, excavation, drainage work, road or bridge construction, subdivisions and individual water or sewer systems
- Access permit for a driveway or other access point onto a county road
- Utility permit for work in county right-of-way
- Subdivision rules when building on property that has been subdivided
- Septic permit, with a perc test and inspection, from the health department
Not required by the County
- A county building permit
- County zoning approval
The Commission’s letter adds two cautions. The absence of a county permit is not an exemption from state requirements for mobile homes or modular homes, and it is not an exemption from the Alabama and United States building codes.
Who issues building permits in each Jackson County city and town?
Thirteen municipalities lie in the county. Scottsboro and Hollywood publish a building permit process; for the rest, the County’s directory gives a town hall phone number and nothing about permits.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues building permits | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Scottsboro (county seat) | City of Scottsboro Building Department: building, plumbing/electrical/mechanical and sign permits, on paper or online in Cloudpermit; 2021 International Codes | City Hall, 316 S Broad Street · 256-574-3100; Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Hollywood | Town of Hollywood Building Inspector; the Town states it follows the 1999 Southern Standard Building Code | 29164 U.S. Hwy 72 · 256-259-4845 ext. 221 |
| Bridgeport | The published sources do not say what permit applies; the Division F hazard mitigation plan (2021–2022) lists a zoning ordinance and code enforcement for the City, so ask City Hall before building | 256-495-3892 |
| Stevenson | The published sources do not say what permit applies; the Division F plan lists a zoning ordinance and code enforcement for the City, so ask City Hall before building | 104 Kentucky Ave. · 256-437-3000 |
| Pisgah, Section, Hytop, Skyline and Woodville | None of the five posts a permit form or fee (Pisgah’s ordinance page has only water and payment ordinances). The Division F plan lists a zoning ordinance and code enforcement in each, so ask the town hall before building | Pisgah 256-451-3232 · Section 256-228-3280 · Hytop 256-587-6094 · Skyline 256-587-3335 · Woodville 256-776-2860 |
| Dutton, Langston, Pleasant Groves and Paint Rock | The published sources do not say; the Division F plan lists no zoning ordinance and no code enforcement in any of the four | Dutton 256-228-6392 · Langston 256-228-6414 · Pleasant Groves 256-587-9046 · Paint Rock Town Clerk 256-746-3449 |
| Unincorporated county | No building permit is required; flood plain, access and utility permits from Public Works | 395 Shelby Drive, Scottsboro, AL 35769 · 256-259-6037 |
The County Commission office is in the Courthouse at 102 E. Laurel Street, Suite 47, Scottsboro, on (256) 574-9280, option 8.
County forms and regulations
Public Works posts three applications and the documents behind them:
- Flood Plain Development Permit Application, a five-page form whose last section is the Flood Plain Administrator’s determination
- Jackson County Access Permit, a one-page driveway application read with the Access Management Policy
- Utility Permit
- Subdivision Regulations 2014
- Flood Ordinance, the County’s revised Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →The County also publishes two signed Commission letters confirming that it has no zoning laws or building permit codes; one of them covers subdivided property.
Fees
There is no county building permit fee, and the County’s flood plain and access permit forms state no fee. The published figures are municipal.
| Place | Building permit fee | Other published fees |
|---|---|---|
| Scottsboro | $15 for the first $1,000 of valuation plus $5 per additional $1,000 up to $50,000; $260 for the first $50,000 plus $4 per $1,000 to $100,000; $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 per $1,000 to $500,000; $1,660 plus $2 per $1,000 above that | Plumbing $40 for the first bath and $20 for each additional bath; HVAC $30 for the first $1,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000; moving a building $200 |
| Hollywood | The same valuation bands under Ordinance 05-02, starting at $15 for the first $1,000 plus $5 per additional $1,000 | Residential electrical $40 at 100 A and $60 at 200 A; plumbing $40 first bath, $20 each additional; HVAC $30 for the first $1,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000; swimming pool $30; sign $20; moving a building $200 |
For example, a $150,000 house in Scottsboro pays $460 plus 50 × $3, which is $610, before trade permits. Both municipalities double the fee when work starts without a permit.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
The County issues no trade permits. Scottsboro uses one combined plumbing, electrical and mechanical permit application and enforces the 2021 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes. Hollywood has separate electrical and plumbing permit applications and requires a certified master plumber, an HVAC board certified contractor and a certified electrician, each licensed to work in the town.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Documents for the county permits
Flood plain development permit
- Applicant, builder and engineer details
- Copy of the deed and the tax map (both required), and the survey if one exists
- Description of the work and the estimated cost
- The FIRM panel, its effective date and whether the site is in a regulatory floodway
- A copy of the FIRM map
- Under the ordinance: plans in duplicate drawn to scale showing elevations, existing and proposed structures, fill and drainage
Access permit
- County road number and location of the access point
- Driveway use: residential, commercial, industrial or agricultural
- Who will install it: the property owner, a timber owner or a licensed contractor
- Pipe material and length
- The center of the access point marked on site with white flagging ribbon
Septic applications go to the Jackson County Health Department, 204 Liberty Lane, Scottsboro; the Environmental Office is on 256-259-5882. In Scottsboro a building permit needs a plot plan by a licensed surveyor showing the dwelling and two sets of building plans, one of which is returned to the permit holder.
How to proceed in Jackson County: 6 steps
The County’s no-permit statement covers only land outside municipal jurisdiction.
Take the FIRM panel details from the state or FEMA flood map sites named on the County’s form.
Send it with the deed and tax map; the Flood Plain Administrator records whether the site is in a Special Flood Hazard Area or a regulatory floodway.
The Engineer’s office visits, sizes the pipe and approves the location before you or your contractor install it.
The health department sets the perc test, permit and inspection requirements.
The County’s Assistant Engineer advises on the subdivision rules that apply to the lot.
Rather not deal with the Jackson County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections
Because the County issues no building permit, it carries out no building inspections. Its own inspections are tied to its permits: the Engineer’s office inspects a proposed access point, and under the flood ordinance the permit holder must supply an as-built certification of the lowest floor elevation as soon as that floor is complete. Work done before that certification is at the permit holder’s risk, and missing certifications are grounds for a stop-work order.
In Hollywood, the Building Inspector takes messages on 256-259-4845 ext. 221. Septic systems are inspected by the health department.
Local details that matter in Jackson County
Driveway pipe: a residential driveway takes 24 to 40 feet of reinforced concrete pipe, or 20 to 40 feet of HDPE or polypropylene pipe where at least 12 inches of soil cover is available. Commercial, industrial and agricultural access points may use up to 100 feet of pipe. An access permit expires one year after approval.
Flood plain administration: the posted ordinance, a revision of the County’s April 24, 1990 ordinance, appoints the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency Director as Flood Plain Administrator. No work may start until the flood plain permit is issued, and a violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500.
Flood rules inside Scottsboro: the City has its own flood ordinance, administered by its office of community development, so the County’s flood plain permit is for land outside the municipalities.
Other agencies: the flood plain application warns that other local, state and federal permits may still be required.
Small jobs in Hollywood: Ordinance 05-02, in force since May 10, 2005, requires no building permit when the building cost is under $1,000 (a $15 fee applies if an inspection is needed) or when the work is reroofing, sidewalks or decks. A mobile home is treated as a house for permit purposes.
Hollywood’s code: the Town states that it adheres to the 1999 Southern Standard Building Code, and it wants two sets of architect-sealed plans for commercial, public and semi-public structures, prefabricated ones included.
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
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Get a free quote →Official Jackson County resources
- Jackson County: zoning and building permits
- Jackson County Public Works
- Jackson County Commission zoning and building letter
- Flood Plain Development Permit Application
- Jackson County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
- Jackson County Access Permit
- Jackson County Access Management Policy
- Jackson County Subdivision Regulations 2014
- Jackson County cities and town halls
- Jackson County Health Department (ADPH)
- City of Scottsboro Building Department
- Scottsboro Building Permit Fees
- Town of Hollywood permits
- Alabama EMA Division F Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Jackson County building permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit in Jackson County, Alabama?
Not from the County. Jackson County says it has no zoning laws and does not require building permits in areas outside the jurisdiction of a municipality.
Does that mean no rules apply?
No. The Commission’s letter says the lack of a county permit is not an exemption from state requirements on mobile or modular homes or from the Alabama and United States building codes, and flood plain, access and septic permits still apply.
Who do I call about building in a flood zone?
Jackson County Public Works, 256-259-6037, which posts the Flood Plain Development Permit Application. No work may start until that permit is issued.
Do I need a permit for a driveway?
Yes, on a county road. File the Jackson County Access Permit with Public Works and flag the access point; the permit is good for one year.
Who issues building permits in Scottsboro?
The City of Scottsboro Building Department at City Hall, 316 S Broad Street, 256-574-3100. You can download the application or apply online.
Who permits septic systems?
The Jackson County Health Department, 204 Liberty Lane, Scottsboro. Its Environmental Office number is 256-259-5882.
Can I get proof that the County has no zoning?
Yes. The County posts two signed Commission letters on its Zoning and Building Permits page stating that it has no zoning laws or building permit codes.
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More Alabama permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Jackson County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.