Pickens County, Alabama Building Permit Guide

Pickens County has no building permit for unincorporated land. The regional hazard mitigation plan published by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency lists the county with no zoning ordinance and no building code enforcement; what the county does have is subdivision regulations, a certified floodplain manager and membership of the National Flood Insurance Program. The County Engineer’s office answers on 205-367-2030. Written permit rules come from two of the 8 municipalities. Aliceville requires a building permit inside the city and in a building permit jurisdiction reaching 1.5 miles outside it, at a $45 filing fee plus $3.50 per $1,000 of valuation for homes. Reform posts a Building Permit Form on its website. Septic systems are handled by the Pickens County Health Department in Carrollton (205-367-8157).

What requires a permit in Pickens County?

The answer depends on the town. The only written permit rule published in the county is Aliceville’s.

Reform has its own Building Permit Form. For land outside every town and beyond Aliceville’s 1.5-mile band there is no county building permit. Dividing land comes under the county’s subdivision regulations, building in a mapped flood zone comes under its flood program, and a septic system still needs Health Department approval.

Who issues building permits in Pickens County?

Pickens County has 8 incorporated places. The table sets out what each one publishes, together with the entry for it in the Division C hazard mitigation plan (prepared in 2020 and published by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency), which records whether a jurisdiction has zoning and building code enforcement.

A parcel just outside Aliceville can still fall under the City’s permit rule, so measure the distance to the city limits before assuming no permit applies.

Pickens County permit types by office

• Aliceville building permit. Plans must be submitted before the City will issue it, and fees are paid when the application is filed.
• Aliceville flood development permit. Applied for on the City’s form, to the director of economic development as floodplain administrator, before any development activity in a flood hazard area.
• Reform building permit. The form is linked under Online Forms on the City’s home page, next to the business licence link.
• Septic permit. From the Environmental Office of the Pickens County Health Department, using the Alabama Department of Public Health’s onsite sewage forms.
• Business licences. Aliceville, Reform and Gordo each take business licence applications online.

Permit fees in Pickens County

There is no county building permit fee. Aliceville’s schedule is set out in Sec. 14-22 of its code, last amended by Ordinance No. 542 in May 2014:

The code gives its own examples: a $125,000 house is 125 × $3.50, a $437.50 permit fee, and a $500,000 non-residential building is 500 × $4.50, or $2,250. The $45 filing fee is listed separately. Aliceville may ask owners and builders for official documentation of the valuation.

Reform, Gordo, Carrollton and the smaller towns post no permit fees.

Trades, utilities and septic in Pickens County

Aliceville has adopted the 2006 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Gas and Fire codes and the 2005 National Electrical Code, and its building inspector must approve a construction site before any utility provider serves it. No separate electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit fees are published there or anywhere else in the county.

Septic tank requests anywhere in Pickens County go to the Environmental Office of the Pickens County Health Department, 80 William E. Hill Drive, Carrollton (office 205-367-8157).

Water and sewer come from different providers by area: the Pickens County Water Authority (90 Phoenix Ave, Carrollton, 205-367-8923), the Aliceville Water Sewer Board (205-373-2365), the Reform Water Department and the Gordo and Carrollton town systems.

Documents to prepare

Aliceville: plans for the construction or alteration, a stated valuation with documentation if the City asks for it, and the filing and permit fees at the time of application. A project in a flood hazard area adds the flood development permit application.

Reform: the completed Building Permit Form from the City’s website, returned to City Hall.

Septic sites: the Health Department’s onsite sewage application for the lot.

How to apply in Pickens County: 5 steps

Inspections in Pickens County

Aliceville’s building inspector enforces the City’s adopted codes, and utility providers may not connect a construction site in the City’s jurisdiction until the inspector or a designated representative has approved the service. The City publishes no inspection schedule or booking line beyond City Hall on 205-373-6611.

The county has no building inspection program: the hazard mitigation plan records no county code enforcement. Septic installations are checked by the Health Department.

Pickens County-specific points

Aliceville’s 1.5-mile band: the City defines its building permit jurisdiction as the area within 1.5 miles of the city limits that also lies in its police jurisdiction. Rural lots near town are inside it.

Flood zones in Aliceville: where a flood hazard area has no established base flood elevation, the lowest floor of new construction, basement included, must be at least 3 feet above the highest adjacent grade.

Moving buildings in Aliceville: whoever moves a building pays for any damage to City property.

Flood zones outside the towns: Pickens County takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated September 17, 2010, and the hazard mitigation plan credits the county with a certified floodplain manager. Aliceville, Carrollton, Gordo, Reform and Pickensville are in the program too; FEMA lists McMullen and Memphis as outside it.

County offices: county services are based in Carrollton, the county seat. The County Commission answers on 205-367-2020 and the County Engineer on 205-367-2030. The Pickens County Emergency Management Agency is at 155 Reform Street, Room 100 (205-367-2009).

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 sources — Pickens County

• City of Aliceville Code of Ordinances (Chapter 14, buildings)
• City of Aliceville
• City of Reform (online forms)
• Town of Gordo contact information
• Pickens County municipalities and elected officials
• Alabama EMA county mitigation plans (Division C plan)
• Pickens County phone directory (24th Judicial Circuit)
• Pickens County utility providers
• Pickens County Health Department
• Pickens County Health Department contact page
• Alabama Department of Public Health onsite sewage forms

Pickens County building permit FAQs

Does Pickens County issue building permits?

No. The county has no building permit, and the regional hazard mitigation plan lists it with no zoning ordinance and no code enforcement. It does apply subdivision regulations and flood rules; the County Engineer is on 205-367-2030. Written permit rules are published by the City of Aliceville and the City of Reform.

Do I need a building permit just outside Aliceville?

Yes, if the land is within 1.5 miles of the city limits and inside the Aliceville police jurisdiction. The City’s permit rule covers that band as well as the city itself.

How much is a building permit in Aliceville?

A $45 filing fee plus $3.50 per $1,000 of valuation for residential work, or $4.50 per $1,000 for non-residential work. Work under $2,000 has no fee.

Where do I get a building permit in Reform?

From the City of Reform. The Building Permit Form is on its website, and City Hall is at 104 3rd Ave SE, 205-375-6363.

Who issues septic permits in Pickens County?

The Pickens County Health Department, 80 William E. Hill Drive, Carrollton. Call 205-367-8157 and ask for the Environmental Office.

Which building codes does Aliceville use?

The 2006 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Gas and Fire codes and the 2005 National Electrical Code, adopted in June 2006.

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