Jacksonville, Alabama Building Permit Guide

Building permits in Jacksonville are issued by the City’s Building Inspector, part of the Planning and Building Department at City Hall, 320 Church Avenue SE. The application is a two-page paper form filed with a scaled plat and construction plans. Exterior construction costing more than $10,000 needs Planning Commission approval before a permit can be issued, except for single-family and two-family homes, roofing and painting. The City enforces the 2021 International Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code.

What requires a building permit in Jacksonville?

The zoning chapter of the City Code requires a permit to excavate for or build any building or structure, accessory structures included, and to move, alter or repair one. The application form lists the project types the office sees.

Putting up a fence in Jacksonville needs a building permit, and the department can ask for a property survey to confirm corners, lines and easements. Fences may reach 8 feet on residential property but only 4 feet in the normal front yard; barbed wire, razor wire and electric fencing are not allowed on residential lots except to contain livestock.

Who issues permits in Jacksonville?

The Planning and Building Department has three divisions: Planning, Building and Code Enforcement. The Building Division, through the Building Inspector, covers building permits, inspections, flood zone information and sign permits, and the Building Inspector is the enforcing officer for the zoning chapter. Josh Barkley is the Planning and Building Director.

Jacksonville permit applications and forms

The Planning and Building Forms page holds the City’s applications as PDFs:

• Building Permit Application (updated July 1, 2024), which also serves as the application for the Certificate of Occupancy
• Building Permit Renewal Application, for a job that is substantially underway and progressing at a rate the Building Inspector approves
• Subcontractors List for Builders & Homeowners, a four-page list running from excavation and footing to pool contractor
• Sign Permit Application, filed with a scaled sketch and proof of bond or liability insurance
• Demolition Permit with Bond
• Use Inspection Application, signed by both the Building Inspector and the Fire Marshal before the Finance Office issues a business licence for a premises
• Application for Development Review, with its agent designation and utility information forms
• Floodplain Development Permit, with the venting affidavit, no-rise certificate, non-conversion agreement and floodproofing certificate
• Zoning, Rezoning or Pre-Zoning Application and the Planned Unit Development application

Permit costs and fees in Jacksonville

Jacksonville sets its permit fees by City Council schedule rather than in the Code. Section 24-675 has the Council establish the schedule of fees and charges for building permits, sign permits, appeals and amendments and requires it to be posted in the Building Inspector’s office; the electrical article says the same for electrical permit and inspection fees. The application form carries a “Cost of Project” line for the applicant and a “Due” line that the office completes.

Fees can be paid through the City’s online payment portal, which the department links from its page.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work

Trade work is applied for on the same Building Permit Application by ticking HVAC, electrical, plumbing or mechanical. Jacksonville adopted the 2021 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code on March 25, 2024.

The electrical article of the Code has several local rules. An electrical permit is required before any electrical work, and the applicant supplies plans, specifications or a wiring diagram showing conductor sizes. The owner of a premises may do electrical work on that premises without holding a contractor’s licence. Minor repair work, replacing lamps and plugging portable devices into installed receptacles need no permit. Wiring may not be covered up before it has been inspected.

The City adopted the 2021 International Fire Code with the State Fire Marshal’s regulations and deleted the residential code’s sprinkler requirement for one- and two-family dwellings (R313.2).

Application documents

The form also asks whether the project needs an ADEM NPDES construction general permit; working that out with ADEM is the applicant’s responsibility. For a septic system, the Calhoun County Health Department’s environmental office is on 256-237-4324.

How to apply: 6-step Jacksonville process

Jacksonville inspections

The Building Inspector carries out inspections and can be reached on 256-782-3840. By signing the application, the applicant agrees to notify the Building Inspector when construction is complete; the inspector then inspects the premises and issues or refuses the Certificate of Occupancy. Under the zoning chapter the final inspection is made within three days of that notice, and a refusal has to be given in writing with the reason.

A renewed permit is treated as expired if no inspection has taken place within 180 days of the permit being issued or within 180 days of the last inspection. Before the Finance Office issues a business licence for a premises, the Use Inspection Application has to carry the signatures of both the Building Inspector and the Fire Marshal.

Local Jacksonville details that matter

Planning Commission timing: the Commission must approve or disapprove a development plan within 30 days of submission, or the plan is deemed approved. After approval, the building permit has to be applied for and obtained within six months, or the project goes back to the Commission.

Permit life: a building permit expires when work stops for 90 days without the Building Inspector’s written approval, and in any case after six months of abandonment.

Floodplain: the Planning, Development and Stormwater Director administers the floodplain development article. New and substantially improved buildings in a mapped flood hazard area need the lowest floor at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation, and the City uses its own Floodplain Development Permit form.

Demolition: the application needs a demolition plan and schedule, debris disposal sites and haul routes, the bond, and written confirmation from every affected utility that service has been disconnected or protected.

Stormwater: the City runs an MS4 stormwater program, and developers of land in the city apply to the Planning Commission for approval of a Stormwater Management Plan under the stormwater run-off article.

Street numbers: the Building Inspector assigns street address numbers, which must be at least 2½ inches high and visible from the street.

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 Jacksonville permitting resources

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

• City of Jacksonville Planning and Building Department
• Planning and Building forms
• Jacksonville technical codes
• Jacksonville zoning page and maps
• Jacksonville Planning Commission
• City of Jacksonville online payment portal
• City Code Chapter 6: buildings and building regulations
• City Code Chapter 24: zoning
• City Code Chapter 12: floods and stormwater
• Calhoun County Health Department (ADPH)

Jacksonville building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit for a fence in Jacksonville, Alabama?

Yes. The City Code says fence installation requires a building permit, and the department may ask for a property survey. Residential fences can be up to 8 feet high, or 4 feet in the normal front yard.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. Roofing is one of the project types on the Building Permit Application. It does not need Planning Commission review unless staff ask for it.

How much does a building permit cost in Jacksonville?

The City Council sets the fee schedule, and the City Code requires it to be posted in the Building Inspector’s office at City Hall. The Code itself fixes only two points: a demolition permit costs the same as a building permit, and electrical fees double when work starts before the permit.

Which projects go to the Planning Commission?

Exterior construction costing more than $10,000, apart from single-family and two-family dwellings, roofing and painting. The Commission meets on the Thursday after the third Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m.

What repairs can I do without a permit?

Repairs that do not change the character of the structure and cost no more than $500, and interior painting.

How long does a permit last?

It stays valid while work continues. It expires when work stops for 90 days without written approval, or after six months of abandonment; a renewal application is available for jobs that are substantially underway.

Where is the Planning and Building Department?

At City Hall, 320 Church Ave. SE, open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Building Inspector’s number is 256-782-3840.

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