Vestavia Hills Building Safety issues the City’s building and trade permits, and applications are submitted and paid for in the City’s OpenGov Online Services portal. Residential and commercial permits both cost $9 per $1,000 of contract cost plus a $41 issuance fee, with a residential plan review fee of $25 to $125. Inspections need 24 hours’ notice and are carried out between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. or 1:00 and 3:00 p.m.; working without a permit doubles the fee and adds $100.
What requires a permit in Vestavia Hills?
The City’s permit FAQ gives a short, broad list, and its application list shows the separate permits Building Safety issues.
Work that needs a permit
- Demolition of any structure
- All new construction
- Remodeling, additions and alterations
- Deck construction
- Re-roofing
- Irrigation systems
- Plumbing, gas, heating and cooling, and electrical work
- All commercial projects
Separate permits and applications
- Erosion control for all new construction, issued before the building permit
- Land Disturbing Permit, with an ADEM permit on any lot over one acre
- Dumpster or portable storage unit on the job site
- Driveway, street cutting and blasting
- Swimming pools and elevator shafts
- Fire alarm, fire main, hood suppression and sprinkler systems
- Permanent and temporary signs
- Tree preservation
- Noise Waiver for weekend or after-hours work
A fence appears in the City’s submittal list, which asks for a plot plan with the exact fence location.
Who issues building permits in Vestavia Hills?
Building Safety enforces the City’s codes and ordinances, reviews plans, issues permits and contractor business licences, and inspects the work. Keith Blanton is the Building Official and Plans Examiner. The City Engineer handles land disturbance security deposits and inspects the site before a deposit is returned.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Building Safety, City Hall, 1032 Montgomery Highway, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216 |
| P.O. Box 660854, Vestavia Hills, AL 35266-0854 | |
| Phone and fax | 205-978-0125; fax 205-978-0213 |
| inspections@vhal.org | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; inspectors are in the office from 7 to 8 a.m. |
| Online filing | Vestavia Hills Online Services (OpenGov), Building Safety tab |
| Fire Department approvals | 205-978-0225 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The City permits work inside Vestavia Hills, which lies mainly in Jefferson County. Its submittal lists ask for Jefferson County Health Department approval where a lot uses a septic system, and for the Sewer Impact Fee Receipt where it is on sewer.
Vestavia Hills permit applications and contractor licences
Open the Online Services portal, choose the Building Safety tab and pick the application; each opens on a page that explains its requirements. First-time users sign up with an email address and password. After staff approve an application, the City emails a payment link, or you can pay by cash or check at Building Safety.
Applications listed by the City include Residential and Commercial Building, Electrical, Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing, Irrigation, Swimming Pool, Driveway, Street Cutting, Land Disturbing, Blasting, Elevator Shaft, four Fire System Construction applications, three Sign Permit applications, Small Cell Facilities, Tree Preservation, Dumpster/Portable Storage Unit, Noise Waiver, Permit Fee Waiver and the Subcontractors List. The Flood Plain Development Application is marked as not available while it is under revision.
- Contractor business licence: every general contractor and subcontractor needs one before working in the city. The card holder must apply personally with a driver’s licence and the state card; employees and representatives are not issued a licence.
- Residential work over $10,000: the general contractor shows a current Alabama Home Builders card, and the City licence is issued in exactly that name.
- Commercial work over $100,000: the general contractor shows a current Alabama general contractor’s licence, and every subcontractor needs a City licence too.
- Homeowners: no City licence is needed to act as your own general contractor, but for work over $10,000 you sign a notarized Home Builder License Exemption Form, and anyone you hire needs a subcontractor’s licence.
Permit costs and fees in Vestavia Hills
These figures are from the City’s Building Safety Fees page.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Fee item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residential or commercial building permit | $9 per $1,000 of contract cost, plus a $41 issuance fee |
| Subcontractor permit (electrical, low voltage, mechanical, plumbing, gas, irrigation, fire protection) | $9 per $1,000 of contract cost, plus a $41 issuance fee |
| Residential plan review, dwelling under 2,500 sq ft | $100 |
| Residential plan review, dwelling over 2,500 sq ft | $125 |
| Residential plan review, addition | $50 |
| Residential plan review, renovation | $25; $100 when over 50% of the structure is involved |
| Land Disturbing Permit, residential | $400; a security deposit may be required by the City Engineer |
| Land Disturbing Permit, commercial | $1,000; a security deposit may be required by the City Engineer |
| General contractor licence | $312 ($300 plus a $12 issuance fee) |
| Subcontractor licence | $162 ($150 plus a $12 issuance fee) |
| Sign permit | $30 permanent; $25 temporary; $25 real estate |
| Re-inspection | $50; the first re-inspection is free |
| Failure to cancel an inspection | $40 |
| Work done without a permit | Double the permit fee, plus a $100 penalty |
For example, a new house over 2,500 sq ft with a $450,000 contract pays $4,050 plus $41, which is $4,091, and $125 for plan review. A $20,000 addition pays $221 and a $50 plan review fee. The City’s permit FAQ also asks for a $100 land disturbing application fee when a new house is submitted. Demolition, moving, street cut and tree preservation fees are quoted by Building Safety on request.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Estimated value | Commercial plan review |
|---|---|
| $0 to $50,000 | $250 |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | $500 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $500 plus $1.25 per $1,000 above $100,000 |
| $500,001 to $1,500,000 | $1,000 plus $0.80 per $1,000 above $500,000 |
| $1,500,001 to $3,000,000 | $1,800 plus 0.12% of the value above $1,500,000 |
| $3,000,001 to $6,000,000 | $3,600 plus 0.05% of the value above $3,000,000 |
| $6,000,001 and more | $5,100 plus 0.035% of the value above $6,000,000 |
Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits in Vestavia Hills
Each trade files its own subcontractor permit in the portal and pays $9 per $1,000 of its contract plus $41. Before that, the trade contractor must hold a City business licence, and Building Safety checks the state card in person:
- Plumbers and gas fitters: a current Alabama Master Plumber or Gas Fitter card. No licence is issued to a journeyman.
- Electricians: a current Alabama Master Electrician’s card. Again, journeymen are not licensed.
- Mechanical contractors: a current Alabama Heating and Air card.
Fire alarm, fire main, hood suppression and sprinkler work each have their own Fire System Construction application with guidelines. Building Safety inspects all new commercial, educational and recreational structures for life safety.
Application documents by project
New house
- Two hard-copy sets of plans with detail sheets
- A digital copy of the plans
- Jefferson County Health Department approval for a septic system, or the Sewer Impact Fee Receipt (pink copy) for sewer
- Plot plan to check setbacks
- Plot plan showing erosion control
- $100 land disturbing application fee
New commercial building
- Two hard-copy sets of plans with detail sheets
- A digital copy of the plans
- Sewer Impact Fee Receipt (pink copy)
- Landscape plans
- Site plan showing erosion control
- Erosion control application fee and the plan review fee
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →- Room addition: two sets of plans and a plot plan; the sewer receipt if plumbing fixtures are added on sewer; Health Department approval if bedrooms are added on septic.
- Deck: two sets of plans with detail sheets.
- Fence: a plot plan with the exact fence location.
- Commercial renovation: two sets of plans, and the sewer receipt if fixtures are added.
How to apply: 6-step Vestavia Hills process
The card holder for each general and trade contractor applies for a City business licence with the state card and a driver’s licence.
Collect the pink Sewer Impact Fee Receipt or the Jefferson County Health Department approval.
New construction needs the Erosion Control Permit before the building permit; lots over one acre also need ADEM coverage and a Land Disturbance Permit.
Pick the building application under the Building Safety tab and deliver the two paper plan sets and digital copy.
Once staff approve the application, pay online by card or at Building Safety by cash or check.
Email inspections@vhal.org a day ahead with the project number, address, inspection type and contractor contact.
Vestavia Hills inspections
Request an inspection by email to inspections@vhal.org, which the City says is fastest, or by calling 205-978-0125. Have the project number, the address with any floor or suite number, the type of inspection, the date you want and the contractor’s name and phone number ready.
- 24-hour notice is required, and no same-day inspections are performed.
- Requests are scheduled in the order received.
- Inspections take place between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. and between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
- Contractors must call in the rough inspections (framing, electrical and mechanical) and the finals.
- Nothing is scheduled without a permit or licence in place.
A missed cancellation costs $40 and a second or later re-inspection $50; both must be paid in full before a new inspection is booked. When a project with a land disturbance deposit is finished, call Building Safety so the City Engineer can inspect the site and release the deposit.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Local Vestavia Hills details that matter
Erosion control comes first: no building permit is issued for new construction until the Erosion Control Permit is in place, and the application needs a site plan showing the erosion measures.
Dumpsters and storage units: a permit is required whenever a dumpster or portable storage unit is used on a job site, and contractors are responsible for removing debris.
Noise Waiver: weekend or after-hours work needs a waiver, requested in the portal at least 2 business days ahead. The approved waiver must be kept on site.
Trees: the zoning ordinance’s tree preservation rules protect any tree with a caliper of at least 6 inches, and Building Safety takes the Tree Preservation Application.
Signs: sign permits are filed online, and the rules are in Article 11 of the Zoning Ordinance.
Permit records: issued residential and commercial permits can be searched on the City’s OpenGov transparency portal.
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 Vestavia Hills permitting resources
- Vestavia Hills Building Safety
- Vestavia Hills Online Services portal (OpenGov)
- Vestavia Hills Building Safety Fees
- Licenses, forms and permit applications
- Building Safety general information: codes, erosion control and inspections
- Vestavia Hills FAQs: Permits & Licenses
- Vestavia Hills signage
- Vestavia Hills Code of Ordinances (Municode)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Vestavia Hills building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Vestavia Hills?
$9 per $1,000 of contract cost plus a $41 issuance fee, for homes and commercial buildings alike. A $450,000 house is $4,091, plus $125 for plan review if it is over 2,500 sq ft.
Do I need a permit for a deck or a new roof?
Yes. The City names deck construction and re-roofing among the work that needs a permit. A deck application needs two sets of plans with detail sheets.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Vestavia Hills?
The City’s submittal list covers fences and asks for a plot plan showing the exact fence location.
Can a homeowner act as their own contractor?
Yes, without a City business licence. For work over $10,000 the homeowner signs a notarized Home Builder License Exemption Form, and every person hired must hold a subcontractor’s City licence.
When are inspections done?
Between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. and between 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. on weekdays, with 24 hours’ notice. There are no same-day inspections.
What is the penalty for working without a permit?
The permit fee is doubled and a $100 penalty is added.
Which codes does Vestavia Hills use?
The 2021 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Gas, Existing Building, Energy Conservation and Fire Codes, the 2017 ANSI A117.1 accessibility standard and the 2020 National Electrical Code.
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More Alabama permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Vestavia Hills permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.