Tallapoosa County is one of the Alabama counties with its own building department. The Tallapoosa County Building Department, 125 N. Broadnax St. in Dadeville, (256) 825-1002, issues permits for residential and commercial construction, additions, remodeling and manufactured home utility connections, and its inspectors enforce the building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical codes. A house is valued at $85 per sq ft of living space plus $25 per sq ft of unoccupied space, or the contract amount if that is higher, and the permit fee is worked out on a sliding scale that starts at $16.25 for the first $1,000.
What requires a permit in Tallapoosa County?
The Building Department says it issues permits for both residential and commercial construction. Its packets and permit worksheet show what that covers.
Building Department permits
- New construction, residential or commercial
- Additions, with drawings
- Alterations and remodeling or repairs of existing structures
- Utility connections for manufactured homes
- Swimming pools
- Demolition
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical (HVAC) work, each on its own permit
Needed before the building permit
- A valid E-911 address
- A septic permit from the county Health Department, or proof of approval for a community sewer system
- A recorded copy of the property deed, when the owner is the builder
- A Floodplain Development Permit for any development in a flood hazard area; the County Building Inspector is the Floodplain Administrator
The county publishes no list of exempt work. The department’s notice on sewage is blunt: no permit is issued until the septic or sewer requirement is met.
Who issues building permits in Tallapoosa County?
The Census Bureau lists 9 cities and towns wholly or partly in Tallapoosa County. Three run their own building departments, and the county department covers the unincorporated county.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues building permits | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Tallapoosa County | Tallapoosa County Building Department, 125 N. Broadnax St., Room 12, Dadeville | (256) 825-1002 |
| Alexander City | City of Alexander City Building Department, 281 James D. Nabors Dr., through the City’s PLL portal; $6 per $1,000 residential or $8 per $1,000 commercial plus a $10 issuance fee, under the 2021 International Codes and 2020 NEC. The City Code makes the building code controlling inside the corporate limits; its electrical permit rules also cover the service area of the city electrical system, and a property outside the limits that connects to a City gas main needs the City’s gas permit and inspection | (256) 329-6712 |
| Dadeville (county seat) | City of Dadeville Building Department, 265 North Broadnax Street; permits are paid at City Hall, and the Building Inspector keeps hours Tuesday to Thursday, 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. The City’s permit sheet uses the same sliding scale as the county, from $16.25 for the first $1,000, and its packet cites the 2018 ICC codes and 2017 NEC | 256-825-9242 |
| Tallassee (partly in Elmore County) | City of Tallassee Building Department, 3 Freeman Avenue; inspections are requested by text to 334-452-5504. The City posts building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications and a Permit Exclusions sheet, under which a one-story detached shed of up to 120 sq ft and a fence not over 6 feet need no permit; the building application asks for the square footage and cost of the project. Its planning fee schedule charges $100 for a final plat in the police jurisdiction | 334-283-6571 |
| Jacksons’ Gap and New Site | The published sources do not say who issues the permit. The 2021 regional hazard mitigation plan records code enforcement in both and a zoning ordinance in Jacksons’ Gap; ask the town hall, or the county Building Department | Jacksons’ Gap (256) 825-8518; New Site (256) 234-2049 |
| Camp Hill and Daviston | The 2021 plan records no zoning ordinance and no code enforcement in either town; ask the county Building Department whether its permit applies to the address | Camp Hill (256) 896-4148; Daviston (334) 275-0170 |
| Goldville and Waverly (Waverly lies almost entirely outside the county) | The published sources do not say; ask the county Building Department | (256) 825-1002 |
The plan cited is Phase Three-A of the East Alabama Regional Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (January 2021), published by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. For the county as a whole it records code enforcement but no zoning ordinance. Todd Flurry is the county’s Chief Building Inspector. The department’s own forms describe it as the office that inspects and permits construction in Tallapoosa County.
Tallapoosa County permit packets and forms
The Building Department works from printed packets rather than an online portal. Complete the packet and return it with the supporting documents to the department in Dadeville.
- Residential Packet. The permit application, separate checklists for a contractor and for a homeowner, the fee schedule, the Home Builders licensure exemption affidavit, the Certification of Intended Use, the inspection schedule, code notes, and the mobile home and swimming pool requirements.
- Commercial Packet. The same structure with checklists for a contractor and for a property owner building for themselves.
- Permit worksheet. An Excel workbook with a sheet for each permit: building, commercial, electrical, electrical service only, plumbing, HVAC and demolition.
- Certification of Intended Use. A sworn statement that the space is an R-1 private home or an R-3 rental or business use, and that carports, garages, porches and decks will not be used as living space.
- Sewer Authorization Form and the department’s sewage and septic notice.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →County Engineering, a separate office on Highway 280, publishes the Subdivision Regulations adopted on January 13, 2025, the Floodplain Development Ordinance adopted on July 8, 2024, and a utility agreement for work in county rights-of-way.
Permit costs and fees in Tallapoosa County
The packets set the valuation, and the county’s permit worksheet turns it into a fee. The valuation is the contract amount between owner and contractor, or $85 per sq ft of living space plus $25 per sq ft of unoccupied space (carport, garage, porch), whichever is greater. Those per-square-foot figures are valuations, not fees.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| First $1,000 of valuation | $16.25 |
| Over $1,000 to $50,000 | $6.25 per $1,000 |
| Over $50,000 to $100,000 | $5.25 per $1,000 |
| Over $100,000 to $500,000 | $4.25 per $1,000 |
| Over $500,000 | $3.25 per $1,000 |
| Commercial permits, additional line marked CICT fee | $1 for every $1,000 of valuation |
| Demolition permit, as shown on the worksheet | $40 plus a $10 issuance fee |
| Mobile home electrical inspection | $25 each time the inspector comes out, by check or money order |
| Third, fourth and fifth re-inspection | $50, $100 and $150 |
For example, a house with 2,000 sq ft of living space and a 400 sq ft garage is valued at $180,000 unless the contract is higher. The fee is $16.25, plus $306.25 for the next $49,000, $262.50 for the next $50,000 and $340 for the last $80,000: $925 in total, before the electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits. The worksheet’s own sample shows $1,371.25 on a valuation of $285,000.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits in Tallapoosa County
The county issues the trade permits itself and prices them by item. All subcontractors must hold their state trade licences and be named on the subcontractor list, and all sub permits must be bought before the dry-in inspection is scheduled.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Issuance fee, each electrical, plumbing and HVAC permit | $10 |
| HVAC | $10 for the first $1,000 of the job and $2 per $1,000 above that, plus the issuance fee |
| Electrical outlets, 1 to 5 | $2 |
| Electrical outlets, 6 to 15 | $3.50 |
| Electrical outlets, 16 to 25 | $5 |
| Electrical outlets, 26 to 40 | $6.50 |
| Electrical outlets, 41 to 60 | $8 |
| Electrical outlets, 61 to 80 | $9.50 |
| Electrical outlets, 81 to 100 | $11 |
| Appliance circuit (range, dryer, dishwasher, water heater, clothes washer, disposal, 220–230V) | $3.50 each |
| Service, 100 amp | $14 |
| Service, 200 amp | $15 |
| Service, 400 amp | $16 |
| Most plumbing fixtures | $2.50 each |
| Gas system outlet, water piping or treating, sewer | $5 each |
| Grease trap | $10 |
The packets work the HVAC fee through for a $2,000 system: $10 issuance, $10 for the first $1,000 and $2 for the second, $22 in all. A Manual J load calculation is required on every HVAC permit. Septic permits are not issued by the Building Department: they come from the Tallapoosa County Health Department, whose environmental health line is 256-329-5116.
Application documents for Tallapoosa County projects
House built by a contractor
- Permit application from the packet
- Home builder’s licence for work over $10,000, or a general contractor’s licence
- Certification of Intended Use
- Subcontractor list and proof of state trade licences
- Valid E-911 address (E-911 office, 256-825-8490)
- Plans: at least a foundation plan, floor plan and elevation detail
- Site plan showing utilities, septic and driveway
- Copy of the contract with the homeowner
- Copy of the septic permit
Commercial building
- General contractor’s licence for work over $50,000
- Plans stamped by a licensed professional engineer or architect
- Certification of intended use and occupancy classification
- Life safety plan for means of egress
- Architect’s or engineer’s certification on ADA restroom design and on state fire code compliance
- Engineers’ reports for new or upgraded electrical and HVAC systems, and for structural concerns in an existing building
- List of utilities involved, site plan, E-911 address and septic permit
Rather not deal with the Tallapoosa County building department?
Get a free quote →A homeowner building their own house swaps the licence for the affidavit claiming exemption from the Home Builders Licensure Law and must bring a recorded copy of the deed. A two-storey house needs a floor and ceiling system layout or design before the permit is issued, and every job needs a jobsite box holding the permit and its documents.
How to apply in Tallapoosa County: 6 practical steps
Inside Alexander City, Dadeville or Tallassee, go to the city; otherwise start with the county Building Department on (256) 825-1002.
Call E-911 on 256-825-8490, and apply to the Health Department’s environmental office on 256-329-5116.
Residential or Commercial, from the Building Department page, with the permit worksheet.
Plans, site plan, licences, subcontractor list, the intended-use affidavit and, for owner-builders, the exemption affidavit and deed.
Bring it to 125 N. Broadnax St., Room 12, Dadeville; the fee is figured on the valuation.
Each inspection needs 24 hours’ notice by phone.
Inspections and closeout in Tallapoosa County
Call 256-825-1002 at least 24 hours ahead. The residential packet lists the stages included in the building permit:
- Temporary power: no inspection once a building permit is issued; call the department for the release.
- Foundation: footing, block and floor framing before the subfloor; or, for a slab, footing, in-slab plumbing and the slab with steel before the pour. The inspector must see water in the drains, and poured walls are inspected before pouring.
- Dry-in: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, gas lines and framing in place and approved before insulation, with pressure on the gas lines and fire caulking at plates and penetrations.
- Insulation: before any wall covering.
- Permanent power: only after the septic system is installed and approved, with ceilings and wall coverings up, all switches, plugs and devices in, and most light fixtures installed.
- Final: devices and lights, ground fault protection and drainage away from the house.
Re-inspection fees are listed as $50 for the third, $100 for the fourth and $150 for the fifth. Before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued, the department needs the completed Alabama duct and building envelope tightness certification form.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Tallapoosa County-specific permitting considerations
Codes in use: the packet states that the county follows the 2015 ICC building code for residential and commercial buildings and the 2008 National Electrical Code.
Blower door and duct testing: a department memorandum of September 23, 2019 says the duct leakage and blower door testing rules of the Alabama Energy and Residential Code are enforced from that date.
Site rules in the packet: driveway pipe of at least 15 inches, grade sloping 6 inches away from the house over 10 ft, no water standing in the right-of-way, and portable toilets for workers.
Swimming pools: a pool contractor needs a general contractor’s licence and a state business licence. An owner installing their own pool brings the deed and signs the own-contractor affidavit. A variance from the pool fence rules is available only with a signed release and indemnification agreement.
Mobile homes: the owner must be present at the electrical inspection to pay the $25 fee and sign the permit, and the inspector needs access inside to check the panel.
Flood hazard areas: under the ordinance adopted July 8, 2024, a Floodplain Development Permit from the County Building Inspector is required before any development starts.
County Engineering hours: the office at 20121 Highway 280, Dadeville (256-825-1062) is open Monday to Thursday, 5:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.
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 Tallapoosa County resources
- Tallapoosa County Building Department
- Tallapoosa County Residential Packet
- Tallapoosa County Commercial Packet
- Tallapoosa County permit worksheet (Excel)
- Permanent power requirements
- Sewage and septic notice
- Tallapoosa County Engineering & Highway
- Tallapoosa County Floodplain Development Ordinance (July 8, 2024)
- Tallapoosa County Subdivision Regulations (January 13, 2025)
- Tallapoosa County Health Department
- City of Alexander City Building Department
- City of Dadeville Building Department
- City of Tallassee Building Department
- East Alabama Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan (Alabama EMA, Division D)
Tallapoosa County building permit FAQs
Does Tallapoosa County issue building permits?
Yes. The Tallapoosa County Building Department in Dadeville issues residential and commercial building permits and the electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits that go with them.
How much is a building permit in Tallapoosa County?
It is figured on valuation: $16.25 for the first $1,000, then $6.25, $5.25, $4.25 and $3.25 per $1,000 as the value rises. A house valued at $180,000 comes to $925.
Can I build my own house without a contractor?
Yes. Sign the affidavit claiming exemption from the Home Builders Licensure Law, provide a recorded copy of the deed, and do not offer the house for sale for at least a year.
Do I need a septic permit first?
Yes. The department will not issue a building permit without the septic permit or proof of sewer approval, and permanent power is not released until the septic system is installed and approved.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 256-825-1002 at least 24 hours in advance.
Who permits work in Alexander City and Dadeville?
Each city’s own Building Department: Alexander City on (256) 329-6712 and Dadeville City Hall on 256-825-9242.
Where is the Building Department?
At 125 N. Broadnax St., Room 12, Dadeville, AL 36853. Phone (256) 825-1002, fax (256) 827-2029.
Simplify Tallapoosa 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.
Ready to break ground in Tallapoosa County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Tallapoosa County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Alabama permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Tallapoosa County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.