Outside the cities and towns, Walker County does not require a building permit. Its Engineering Department page says the county has no zoning except around the Walker County Airport, has no building regulations, does not require building permits for structures and does not issue a certificate of occupancy. What the county does require is a county business licence for every contractor, a permit for underground utilities in county right-of-way, and plat approval for subdivisions. Septic systems go through the Walker County Health Department, and inside Jasper the City’s Building Inspections Department (205-221-8529) issues building, plumbing, HVAC and electrical permits.
What requires a permit in Walker County?
The county’s statement covers land outside the municipalities. It expressly leaves out environmental matters, which belong to the Health Department.
Not required by the county
- A building permit for a house, shop, barn or other structure
- Zoning approval, except in the area around the Walker County Airport, Bevill Field
- A certificate of occupancy
- County building inspections
Required in the unincorporated county
- A Walker County business licence for any contractor working in the county
- A permit before installing underground utilities on or under county right-of-way
- Plat approval for every subdivision of land
- Health Department approval for septic systems
- Notice to the county before timber hauling on county roads
Inside a municipality the county statement does not apply; the city or town sets its own rules.
Who handles permitting in Walker County?
The Census Bureau counts 11 cities and towns wholly or partly in the county. Jasper and Cordova publish their permit rules.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | What the official sources say | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Jasper (county seat) | City Building Inspections Department, City Hall Annex behind City Hall: issues building, plumbing, HVAC and electrical permits, reviews plans and inspects; applications through the Jasper Public Portal. The City code adopts the 2024 International Building Code inside the corporate limits and sets fees by cost of the building, starting at a $50 flat fee up to $1,000. Its older one and two family dwelling and excavation and grading sections (Sec. 5-20 and 5-120) are written for the corporate limits and the police jurisdiction, so call the department before building a house just outside the city line | 205-221-8529 |
| Cordova | The City’s Zoning Ordinance, adopted April 8, 2025, requires a building permit issued by the Planning Commission before excavation, construction, moving or alteration; repairs, painting and wallpapering that do not change the character of the structure and cost $1,000 or less are exempt. The ordinance includes building, electrical, plumbing and manufactured home permit applications | (205) 483-9266 |
| Carbon Hill, Dora, Oakman, Parrish and Sumiton | The 2021 regional hazard mitigation plan lists each as enforcing a building code. The published sources give no permit form or fee for any of them, so ask City Hall | Carbon Hill (205) 924-9961; Dora (205) 648-3211; Oakman (205) 622-3232; Parrish (205) 686-9991; Sumiton (205) 648-3261 |
| Eldridge, Kansas and Sipsey | Also listed in the 2021 plan as enforcing a building code; the published sources do not say how to apply, so ask the town hall | Eldridge (205) 924-4383 |
| Nauvoo (partly in Winston County) | The published sources do not say; the 2021 plan does not list Nauvoo as enforcing a building code. Ask Town Hall | (205) 697-5890 |
| Unincorporated Walker County | No building permit, no zoning outside the airport area, no certificate of occupancy | Engineering: 205-265-3898 |
The plan is the Northwest Alabama Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Action Plan, effective January 19, 2021, published by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. It also names Walker County itself as enforcing a building code. The county’s current Engineering page says the opposite and is the newer statement.
Glenn Peek is the County Engineer. The Engineering Department is at the airport, 198 Biddle Drive, and its mailing address is 1801 3rd Avenue South, Suite 113, Jasper, AL 35501.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Walker County permit types and review categories
- Contractor business licence. Applied for on the county Business License Application. A contractor building a structure expected to cost more than $10,000 must show the County Clerk a State General Contractor’s or Home Builders licence, or proof of exemption.
- Underground Utility Permit. Applied for at the Engineering Department with at least one complete set of drawings of the proposed locations and a letter of request.
- Subdivision plat. Reviewed by the County Engineer, who certifies it to the County Commission. The regulations cover every subdivision of land in the unincorporated county.
- Timber hauling. The county posts its timber hauling requirements on the Engineering page.
- Road vacation. Requested by letter to the District Commissioner and the County Engineer, defining the stretch of road and listing the adjoining owners; a 30-day advertisement and a public hearing follow.
Inside the territory of a municipal planning commission, the county’s subdivision role is limited to approving the plat.
Permit costs and fees in Walker County
With no county building permit there is no county building permit fee. The amounts the county does publish are these.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Final subdivision plat inspection fee | $150 plus $10 per lot, or the actual cost of construction inspection, whichever is less |
| Fine for breaching the Subdivision Regulations | $250 to $1,000 for each lot sold, offered for sale, transferred or leased |
| Contractor operating without the company name on its trucks | Up to $100 per offence, each day counted separately |
| Contractor business licence | Calculated on the Gross Contractor Rate table in the county’s licence schedule |
A 20-lot subdivision would therefore pay no more than $350 for final plat inspection. The licence schedule on the county’s Forms page is dated September 2, 2026.
Jasper sets its building permit fees in Section 272 of its zoning ordinance, last amended on October 7, 2025. A job costing up to $1,000 pays a $50 flat fee plus any required inspection fee. Above that, the base is $100 for the first $1,000 on jobs up to $50,000, $345 for the first $50,000 on jobs up to $100,000, $545 for the first $100,000 on jobs up to $500,000 and $1,745 for the first $500,000 on larger jobs, each plus a fee the City calculates on the total cost. Demolition is $100 for a residential structure and $250 for a commercial one, plus dumping costs. Cordova’s ordinance leaves permit fees to the City Council.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas permits in Walker County
The county issues no trade permits. Its licence schedule still reaches the trades: plumbing and gas fitting contractors must be licensed by the State as a plumber or gas fitter to get the county business licence, and a general contractor, or an owner acting without one, may not let a subcontractor start until the subcontractor has shown its county licence.
In Jasper, plumbing, HVAC and electrical permits come from the Building Inspections Department along with the building permit. Septic permits everywhere in the county are handled by the Walker County Health Department at 705 20th Avenue East, Jasper (205-221-9775).
Application documents for Walker County projects
Contractor licence
- County Business License Application
- State General Contractor’s or Home Builders licence for structures over $10,000, or proof of exemption
- State plumber or gas fitter licence, for those trades
- Company name shown on company trucks
- For subcontractors: company name, address and contract amount
Underground utility permit
- Permit application to the Engineering Department, 198 Biddle Drive, Jasper, AL 35503
- At least one complete set of drawings showing every location that affects the right-of-way
- A letter of request to place the utility in the right-of-way
- An application to amend the permit before any change from the approved location
A subdivision plat that relies on septic tanks needs a Certificate of Approval from the Walker County Health Department before the county signs it.
Rather not deal with the Walker County building department?
Get a free quote →How to proceed in Walker County: 6 practical steps
The county’s no-permit statement stops at the city and town limits.
Apply through the Jasper Public Portal or call Building Inspections on 205-221-8529.
Cordova’s Planning Commission issues building permits; elsewhere, ask City Hall or Town Hall whether it issues one.
Contact the Walker County Health Department on 205-221-9775 before building.
Every contractor and subcontractor working in the county needs one.
Call 205-265-3898 about underground utilities in the right-of-way or a land division.
Inspections and closeout in Walker County
The county carries out no building inspections and issues no certificate of occupancy in the unincorporated area. Under the Subdivision Regulations the County Commission may employ inspectors to check subdivision work against the approved plans, with the cost charged to the owner.
Jasper’s Building Inspections Department inspects permitted work for code compliance. The City asks that inspections be scheduled as far in advance as possible by calling 205-221-8529, or through the Jasper Public Portal. The office is open from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
Walker County-specific permitting considerations
Airport zoning: the one zoned area in the unincorporated county is the land around the Walker County Airport, Bevill Field, where the Engineering Department is also based.
Jasper’s codes are recent: the City lists the 2024 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Plumbing and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code. Repairs worth $100 or less that do not change the character of a structure, painting and wallpapering are the only work its ordinance exempts, and a Jasper permit expires if nothing has been built above the foundation within 90 days.
Cordova permits also lapse in 90 days if no work has been done above the foundation, and an application for a site without public sewer needs a preliminary Health Department finding on the soils first.
Utility depth: fiber optic, power, sewer and gas lines in county right-of-way need at least 42 inches of cover and other utilities 36 inches. Lines run parallel to the road, no more than 5 ft inside the right-of-way measured from its outer edge, and crossings under paved roads are bored, jacked or tunneled and encased.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Floodways: land within a floodway may not be platted for residential occupancy or building sites. FEMA lists Walker County as a National Flood Insurance Program participant with flood maps dated October 30, 2025, so ask Engineering on 205-265-3898 before building in a mapped flood hazard area outside the towns.
Vacated roads: if the Commission approves a road vacation, the roadway is divided evenly between the adjoining owners and the county stops maintaining it.
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 Walker County resources
- Walker County Commission
- Walker County Engineering Department (zoning and building statement)
- Walker County forms and documents
- Subdivision Regulations of Walker County
- Walker County underground utility permit policy
- Walker County Business License Schedules and Tables
- Walker County Health Department
- City of Jasper Building Inspections
- Northwest Alabama Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Action Plan (Alabama EMA)
- Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board
- Alabama Division of Construction Management
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Walker County building permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit in Walker County?
Not from the county. Walker County says it does not require building permits for structures outside the municipalities. Inside Jasper and Cordova you need the city’s permit, and the other towns may require one too.
Does Walker County have zoning?
Only in the area around the Walker County Airport, Bevill Field. The rest of the unincorporated county has no zoning rules.
Will the county issue a certificate of occupancy?
No. The county states that it does not issue one.
Does my builder need a county licence?
Yes. Walker County requires a business licence for any contractor operating in the county, and a state general contractor’s or home builder’s licence must be shown for a structure expected to cost more than $10,000.
Who issues building permits in Jasper?
The City of Jasper Building Inspections Department, in the City Hall Annex, 205-221-8529.
Where do I get a septic permit?
From the Walker County Health Department, 705 20th Avenue East, Jasper, 205-221-9775.
Simplify Walker 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 Walker County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Walker County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Alabama permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Walker County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.