The City of Rainbow City Building Department, 3700 Rainbow Drive (256-413-1230), issues permits and inspects all new construction and renovation in the city under the 2015 International Codes and the 2014 electrical code. Each permit has its own application on the department’s web page. Under Ordinance No. 559 a new house pays $0.095 per square foot for the building permit, $0.023 for electrical and $0.026 for plumbing, and commercial work is charged on the contract price.
What requires a building permit in Rainbow City?
The Building Department asks owners to call before any home improvement, business renovation or multifamily project, and gives these examples of work that needs a permit:
Building or installing
- Patios, driveways and concrete service walks
- Deck or patio covers
- Chimneys and garages
- Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning supply or exhaust systems
- Swimming pools
- Tool or storage sheds
Adding, changing or repairing
- Rooms, dormers, bay windows and other wall openings
- Water heaters and other plumbing; furnaces; electrical circuits
- Closing in a screened porch, or turning a garage into living space
- Roofing and siding
- Termite damage and porches
- Existing stone, brick or concrete, and outside wall coverings
- Interior wall coverings of restaurants
Changing the use of a building, for example from a shop to a restaurant or from a house to any commercial use, also needs a permit and may trigger a fire suppression system. Since April 11, 2022, roofers must obtain a roofing permit. Under the fee ordinance, storing building materials or setting up a temporary field office counts as work that needs a permit, and jobs of $100 or less carry no fee unless an inspection is required.
Who issues building permits in Rainbow City?
The Building Department is responsible for inspecting all new residential and commercial construction and renovations in the city, and it also inspects existing properties under the housing code. Joel Garmon is the Building Official.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Rainbow City Building Department |
| Address | 3700 Rainbow Drive, Rainbow City, AL 35906 |
| Building Official | Joel Garmon, (256) 413-1230 |
| Department office | (256) 413-1245, build@rbcalabama.com |
| Building Inspector | (256) 413-1240 |
| City Hall | (256) 442-2511; Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Septic systems | Etowah County Health Department, environmental office 256-439-2586 |
The fee ordinance applies to building within the corporate limits of Rainbow City. Etowah County’s website lists no building department for land outside the cities.
Rainbow City permit applications
The department posts each application as a separate download on its page:
- Building Permit Application and the Contractor Schedule, which lists every trade on the job with its estimated contract amount, materials included.
- Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC Permit Applications. The electrical and plumbing forms ask whether the applicant is a licensed contractor and for the State of Alabama registration number.
- Swimming Pool Permit Application, with separate residential and commercial checklists.
- Sign Permit Application.
- Land Disturbance Application and its one-page requirements sheet.
- Site Plan Checklist for developments.
- Home Builders Affidavit, Variance Application and Rezoning Application.
Contractors and subcontractors must hold a Rainbow City business licence. The City also posts its Zoning Base Map 2026, the zoning ordinance (No. 360), the flood ordinance (No. 537) and the subdivision regulations on the same page.
Rainbow City permit fees (Ordinance No. 559)
Fees are set by Ordinance No. 559, adopted April 11, 2022. Residential permits are priced by square footage. Commercial and roofing permits follow a table based on the contract price.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home, building permit | $0.095 per sq ft |
| New home, electrical permit | $0.023 per sq ft |
| New home, plumbing permit | $0.026 per sq ft |
| Detached garage or unfinished basement | $0.048 per sq ft |
| Remodel | $25 plus $0.90 per $1,000 |
| Minimum on any permit | $25 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →For example, a 2,000 sq ft house pays $190 for the building permit, $46 for electrical and $52 for plumbing, before the mechanical permit.
| Contract price | Building or roofing permit fee |
|---|---|
| $100 or less | No fee unless an inspection is required; $25 per inspection |
| $101 to $2,000 | $25 |
| $2,001 to $50,000 | $15 for the first $2,000, plus $5 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $260 for the first $50,000, plus $4 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $460 for the first $100,000, plus $3 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $500,000 | $1,660 for the first $500,000, plus $2 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
A $200,000 commercial contract therefore pays $460 plus 100 × $3, which is $760. When a plan check is required it costs half of the building permit fee.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Moving a building | $50 |
| Demolition | $25 |
| Swimming pool, including electrical | $35 |
| Public pool | $75 |
| Gasoline or fuel tank | $37.50 each |
| Satellite dish | $25 |
| Fire prevention permit, when required | $25 |
| Each additional inspection | $25 |
| Street cut | Performance bond or $500 cash deposit, held for one year |
| Work started before the permit is issued | Fees doubled |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Rainbow City
The Building Department issues the trade permits under the 2014 electrical code and the 2015 International Codes. For a new house, electrical and plumbing are charged per square foot as shown above; other work uses these schedules.
| Trade permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, issuing the permit | $10 |
| Electrical, temporary service (new construction only) | $10 |
| Electrical, mobile home service | $25 |
| Electrical service, up to 200 A | $5 |
| Electrical service, 200–400 A | $10 |
| Electrical service, 401–600 A | $15 |
| Sign requiring electricity | $25 |
| Plumbing, issuing each permit | $10, plus $2.50 per fixture and $5.50 for the house sewer |
| Mechanical, $101 to $2,000 of work | $25 |
| Mechanical, $2,001 to $15,000 | $25 plus $3 per $1,000 |
| Mechanical, $15,001 to $50,000 | $49 plus $1.40 per $1,000 |
| Mechanical, $50,001 to $100,000 | $99 plus $1 per $1,000 |
Larger electrical services, outlets, fixtures, appliances and motors each have their own line in the ordinance, and mechanical work over $100,000 is charged at lower rates per $1,000. A residential mechanical permit costs the same as a commercial one.
Rather not deal with the Rainbow City building department?
Get a free quote →Plans and documents Rainbow City asks for
The City’s Site Plan Checklist doubles as its building plan checklist.
Site plan
- Vicinity map, north arrow, scale and date
- Location of structures
- Flood plains, wetlands, watercourses and steep slopes
- Required bufferyards and landscaping
- Parking, including accessible spaces, and curb cuts
- Easements and rights-of-way
- Signs, phases, finished floor elevation and utility lines
- Solid waste receptacles
- Runoff calculations, stormwater management and erosion control BMPs
- On-site fire protection and the sight triangle at the entrance
Building plans
- Codes used in the drawings
- Footing plan
- Floor plan
- Details sheet
- Elevations
- Plumbing, mechanical and electrical drawings
- Whether the building requires sprinklers
With the application, file the Contractor Schedule naming each contractor and subcontractor, with contact details and the estimated contract amount for every trade.
How to apply for a Rainbow City permit: 6 steps
The department invites a call on (256) 413-1230 before any home or business project.
Variance requests go to the Board of Adjustment by email to build@rbcalabama.com.
Building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, pool and sign each have a form, plus the Contractor Schedule.
It must be complete before any land disturbing activity starts.
Deliver the package to 3700 Rainbow Drive; commercial jobs may owe a plan checking fee of half the permit fee.
Work begun before the permit is issued doubles the fees.
Rainbow City inspections
The Building Official and the Building Inspector carry out the inspections; the inspector’s line is (256) 413-1240 and the department office is (256) 413-1245. The fee ordinance covers the normal inspections in the permit fee and charges $25 for each additional inspection that circumstances require.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →The City also inspects existing rental property under its Rental Inspection Ordinance and publishes a Rental Inspection Checklist, and a change of use is inspected against the requirements for the new use group.
Local Rainbow City rules that affect a project
Land disturbance: any land disturbing activity of 1.0 acre or more needs a permit under Ordinance No. 490. The application includes a map of the property and a Best Management Practices plan designed for a 25-year, 24-hour storm, with post-construction runoff no greater than before. The fee is $25 for an individual single-family residence and $100 for all other applications. The City decides within 14 days; with no response after 30 days the application is deemed approved, and a plan certified by a QCP lets work begin on submittal.
Swimming pools: residential pools follow the 2015 International Residential Code and commercial pools the 2015 International Building Code. The plot plan must show the pool, the equipment, distances to the property line, the fence and any retaining wall. Doors and windows with direct access to the pool need alarms, and gates must be self-closing. An owner-builder may pull the permit with a subcontractors list and each subcontractor’s contract; a subcontractor whose job cost is $5,000 or more needs an Alabama General Contractor licence for swimming pools. Plans for pools at public assembly locations go to the Etowah County Health Department.
Retaining walls: walls over 48 inches tall need an engineer’s stamped drawing, and guard rails are required on walls more than 30 inches above grade next to a walking path.
Planning Commission: meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month at 3:30 p.m. in the council chambers.
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
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Official Rainbow City permitting resources
- City of Rainbow City Building Department (applications and ordinances)
- City of Rainbow City contact page
- Etowah County Health Department
Rainbow City building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a new house in Rainbow City?
$0.095 per square foot, so $190 for a 2,000 sq ft house, plus $0.023 per square foot for electrical and $0.026 for plumbing. The minimum on any permit is $25.
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Rainbow City?
Yes. Roofers have had to obtain a roofing permit since April 11, 2022, and the fee follows the contract price.
Do I need a permit for a shed, driveway or patio?
The City lists tool and storage sheds, driveways, patios, concrete service walks and deck or patio covers among the work that needs a building permit.
How much is a remodel permit?
$25 plus $0.90 per $1,000 for a residential remodel.
Which codes does Rainbow City use?
The 2015 International Codes and the 2014 electrical code, for every permit issued since July 1, 2016.
What happens if work starts without a permit?
The permit fees are doubled, and the ordinance sets a fine of not less than $500 on conviction.
Who is the Building Official in Rainbow City?
Joel Garmon. The department is at 3700 Rainbow Drive and answers on (256) 413-1230.
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More Alabama permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Rainbow City permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.