Marengo County’s website has no building department, permit form or fee schedule; its County Engineer page carries road reports only. The City of Demopolis is different: its Building Department at City Hall, 211 N Walnut Ave, reviews plans, issues building and trade permits, inspects and issues certificates of occupancy, charging $2.50 per $1,000 on small jobs and $37.50 plus $2 per additional $1,000 above $15,000. A regional plan in force from March 2021 names Demopolis and Linden as the only places in the county that enforce a building code.
What requires a permit in Marengo County?
Inside Demopolis
- New construction, renovations and additions
- Mobile and manufactured homes
- Sheds, swimming pools, fences and other accessory structures
- Moving or demolishing a building
- Temporary banners and permanent signs
- Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work, on a separate application
Rural Marengo County
- No county building permit application is published
- No county permit fee is published
- No county building inspection is published
Two things still apply on rural land: a septic system needs Health Department approval, and a manufactured home must be registered with the Revenue Commissioner within 30 days of purchase or of arriving in Alabama. The county also takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, and the regional plan assigns its floodplain rules to a Marengo County Floodplain Manager.
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Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in each Marengo County town?
| Place | Who issues building permits | Office and phone |
|---|---|---|
| Demopolis | City of Demopolis Building Department; Julius Rembert is the Building Official. Under Sec. 1-2 of the City Code every section, the building chapter included, also has force in the police jurisdiction unless it says otherwise | City Hall, 211 N Walnut Ave, Demopolis, AL 36732 · 334-431-1291 or 334-216-8748 |
| Linden | Listed in the 2021 regional plan as practising building code enforcement, zoning and subdivision regulation; the City’s website has no permit page | Linden City Hall, 211 North Main St. · (334) 295-5051 |
| Sweet Water | Not listed for building code enforcement; the Town’s ordinance page has nothing on building | Town Hall, 31380 Alabama Hwy 10 · (334) 994-4120 |
| Dayton, Faunsdale, Myrtlewood, Providence and Thomaston | Not listed for building code enforcement, zoning or subdivision regulation; none has a town government website with permit information | Faunsdale (334) 628-4871 · Myrtlewood (334) 295-4191 · Providence (334) 295-8419 · Thomaston (334) 627-3434 |
| Unincorporated county | No county building office is published, and the 2021 regional plan lists no zoning ordinance and no code enforcement for Marengo County | County Commission, 101 E. Coats Ave., Linden, AL 36748 · (334) 295-2200; Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
Applications Demopolis publishes
- Building Application and Permit, a one-page form with the fee calculation printed on it.
- Electrical, Plumbing or Mechanical Permit Application, one form for the three trades.
- Engineer’s Concurrence Form and the Certificate of Appropriateness application for historic preservation review.
- Zoning Change Application, Subdivision or Subdivide Request and the Board of Adjustment Application for Appeal.
- A Building Permit Process Chart and a sheet of Minimum Required Inspections.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Burn permits come from the Demopolis Fire Department and street cutting permits from Public Works, not from the Building Department.
Permit costs and fees
Demopolis prints its building permit fees on the application itself. They are worked from the total estimated cost of the project:
| Estimated project cost | City of Demopolis fee |
|---|---|
| $0 to $15,000 | $2.50 per thousand or fraction, $5 minimum |
| $15,001 to $3,000,000 | $37.50 for the first $15,000 plus $2 for each additional thousand or fraction |
| $3,000,001 to $8,000,000 | $6,000 for the first $3 million plus $1 for each additional thousand or fraction |
| $8,000,001 to $12,000,000 | $11,000 for the first $8 million plus $0.75 for each additional thousand or fraction |
| Over $12,000,001 | $14,000 for the first $12 million plus $0.25 for each additional thousand or fraction |
| Moving a building or structure | $10 |
| Demolition | $4 |
For example, a $150,000 project pays $37.50 plus 135 times $2, which is $307.50. The fee doubles if work starts before the permit is issued.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Demopolis takes electrical, plumbing and mechanical work on its combined trade application and enforces the 2020 National Electrical Code and the 2021 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes. The Fire Department enforces the 2021 International Fire Code and carries out fire and life safety inspections (334-289-1212). The City Code still carries an electrical permit schedule (Sec. 6-9) charged per circuit: $3 for 20 amperes and under, $4.50 for 21 to 30, $6 for 31 to 60, $7.50 for 61 to 150, $10.50 for 151 to 300, $15 for 301 to 400 and $21 above 400 amperes, with a $10 minimum permit.
Septic permits for the whole county go through the Marengo County Health Department, 303 Industrial Drive, Linden (334-295-4205); ask for the Environmental Office.
What a Demopolis application needs
- Applicant, owner and contractor names with the property address
- A description of the work and the intended use of the building
- A drawing of the lot showing every existing building and the new building or addition, with dimensions and distances to the lot lines
- Square footage of the buildings already on the lot and of the lot itself
- Width, length and number of stories of the new building or addition
- The total estimated cost
- Plans and specifications, filed with the application
Rather not deal with the Marengo County building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply in Marengo County: 5 steps
Demopolis and Linden regulate building inside their limits; the Commission office in Linden answers for rural land. Because the Demopolis Code also runs in the police jurisdiction, call the Building Official on 334-431-1291 before building just outside the city.
The City’s interactive zoning map is a guide only; the Zoning Administrator confirms the district.
Hand it in at City Hall with the lot drawing, plans and specifications, and pay the fee printed on the form.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors use the combined trade form.
Call the Building Official on 334-431-1291 or 334-216-8748 at least 24 hours before each one.
Inspections
Demopolis publishes a list of minimum required inspections and asks for at least 24 hours’ notice. When every required inspection has passed, the City issues the certificate of occupancy. Other inspections have their own contacts: stormwater management on 334-327-6701, and sewage and water leaks through Demopolis Water Works on 334-289-3328.
Local details that matter in Marengo County
Temporary permits in Demopolis: under Section 6-6 of the City code, a building permit is issued as temporary and becomes permanent only when the gross receipts tax on the construction materials has been reported and paid.
Demopolis boards: the Board of Adjustment meets on the 1st Tuesday of each month and the Planning Commission on the 2nd Tuesday, both at 5:15 p.m. in Rooster Hall, 217 Walnut Avenue.
Historic and flood rules: Demopolis has historic preservation guidelines with a Certificate of Appropriateness, and Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance 2024-03.
Flood program: the county, Demopolis, Linden, Providence and Thomaston take part in the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA lists Dayton, Myrtlewood and Sweet Water as not in the program.
Commission meetings: the County Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month; speakers must be on the agenda by the Thursday before.
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 Marengo County resources
- Marengo County Commission
- Marengo County manufactured home registration
- Marengo County Health Department contacts
- City of Demopolis Building Department
- City of Demopolis building permits
- City of Demopolis Building Application and Permit, with fee table
- City of Demopolis adopted building codes (effective June 1, 2023)
- City of Demopolis planning and zoning
- Demopolis Code of Ordinances
- Division C regional hazard mitigation plan (2021)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Marengo County building permit FAQs
Does Marengo County, Alabama require a building permit?
The County publishes no building permit, fee or inspection for rural land. Demopolis requires one inside the city, and a 2021 regional plan lists Linden as enforcing a building code as well.
How much is a building permit in Demopolis?
$2.50 per $1,000 of project cost up to $15,000, with a $5 minimum. Above that it is $37.50 plus $2 for each additional $1,000, so a $150,000 project pays $307.50.
Do I need a permit for a shed or a fence in Demopolis?
Yes. The City lists sheds, swimming pools and fences among the accessory structures that need a building permit.
Who is the Building Official in Demopolis?
Julius Rembert, at City Hall, 211 N Walnut Ave. Inspections are booked with him on 334-431-1291 or 334-216-8748.
Who handles septic permits in Marengo County?
The Marengo County Health Department’s Environmental Office, 303 Industrial Drive, Linden, 334-295-4205.
Which codes does Demopolis enforce?
Since June 1, 2023: the 2021 International Building, Existing Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fire and Fuel Gas Codes, the 2015 International Residential Code and the 2020 National Electrical Code.
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This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Marengo County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.