Winston County, Alabama Building Permit Guide

No Winston County building department or county building permit appears in any official listing. The regional hazard mitigation plan in force from January 2021, compiled from information the counties supplied, records building code enforcement in Haleyville only, zoning in Haleyville and Double Springs, and floodplain management by the county, Haleyville and Double Springs. In Haleyville the City Clerk issues building permits under the 2007 zoning ordinance, which exempts painting, wallpapering and repairs of $500 or less. Septic permits come from the Winston County Health Department, 110 Legion Road, Double Springs (659-247-8300).

What requires a permit in Winston County?

The published rules are Haleyville’s. Its zoning ordinance, No. 2007-02, makes a building permit a condition of starting work inside the city.

For land outside Haleyville, no county building permit requirement is published. The approvals that do apply countywide are the Health Department’s septic permit and, in flood hazard areas, the floodplain rules the county administers as a National Flood Insurance Program community.

Who issues building permits in Winston County?

Seven cities and towns lie wholly or partly in the county, according to the Census Bureau.

The plan is the Northwest Alabama Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Action Plan, effective January 19, 2021, published by the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. The phone number shown for the County Commission office is the one the Alabama Secretary of State lists at that address.

Permit categories in Winston County

• Haleyville building permit. Applied for at City Hall on the City’s form. The City Clerk checks the plans against the zoning ordinance and other City codes before issuing it, and writes the reason on the application if it is refused.
• Haleyville Certificate of Occupancy. Required before any new, moved or altered building is used.
• Haleyville temporary uses. Temporary certificates cover such things as a real estate sales office, for up to one year, or a tent meeting, for up to 15 days.
• Septic permit. Issued by the Winston County Health Department.
• Business licence. Issued by the Winston County Probate Judge’s office, 25125 Hwy 195, Double Springs (205-489-5219).

In Haleyville’s industrial districts, a development plan must be approved by the Planning Commission before a building permit is issued.

Permit costs and fees in Winston County

No county construction fee is published. Haleyville’s zoning ordinance sets one figure: the building permit fee for a temporary housing unit is $10, except for manufactured homes in the MH-1 district, which pay the fees in the Haleyville Code. Water and sewer fees are charged by the Haleyville Water and Sewer Board. For any other project in Haleyville, the fee comes from the City Clerk on (205) 486-3121.

Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas in Winston County

No county trade permits are published. Haleyville’s ordinance has the City Clerk check a building application against the City’s other codes as well as zoning, so trade questions there go to City Hall.

Septic tanks and other onsite sewage systems are permitted by the Winston County Health Department at 110 Legion Road in Double Springs; the office number is 659-247-8300. Haleyville will not accept a manufactured home without either a sewer hook-up permit or a septic permit from the appropriate authority.

Application documents

Every Haleyville building permit application must come with a map or plat drawn to scale. The ordinance lists what it has to show:

• the actual shape, proportion and dimensions of the lot;
• the shape, size and location of every building to be erected, altered or moved, and of buildings already on the lot;
• the existing and intended use of each building;
• the setback and side lines of buildings on adjoining lots;
• existing utilities or drainage, if the Planning Commission or City Clerk asks.

For a septic permit, the Health Department is the place to start, before the house site is fixed.

How to proceed in Winston County: 5 steps

Inspections and closeout in Winston County

In Haleyville, once the owner tells the City Clerk that a building is ready, the City has three days to make the final inspection and either issue the Certificate of Occupancy or refuse it in writing with the reason. No building may be used until that certificate is issued.

No building inspection program is published for the unincorporated county or the other towns.

Local considerations in Winston County

Accessory buildings in Haleyville: they may not stand in a required front or side yard, may not exceed two storeys, and must be at least 5 ft from every lot line.

Manufactured homes in Haleyville: a building permit is required, the home needs its own water meter, and axles, wheels and tongues must come off.

Two offices in Double Springs: the County Commission office is at 11 Blake Drive, while the Probate Judge’s office, which handles business licences and records, is at 25125 Hwy 195.

Flood program: FEMA lists Winston County, Haleyville, Double Springs and Addison as National Flood Insurance Program participants, the County with flood maps dated September 16, 2011. Lynn is on FEMA’s list of communities not in the program.

Zoning questions in Haleyville: the City posts its zoning ordinance and map online and directs questions to the Mayor’s Office on 205-486-3121.

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 — Winston County

• Alabama Secretary of State: Winston County offices
• Winston County Probate Judge
• Winston County Health Department
• City of Haleyville zoning ordinance and map
• Zoning Ordinance of Haleyville, Ordinance 2007-02
• Northwest Alabama Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Action Plan (Alabama EMA)

Winston County building permit FAQs

Does Winston County issue building permits?

No county building permit or building office is published. The 2021 regional plan lists Haleyville as the only place in the county that enforces a building code.

Who issues building permits in Haleyville?

The City Clerk, or a person the City designates, at City Hall, 911 21st St., (205) 486-3121.

Do I need a permit for small repairs in Haleyville?

Not for painting, wallpapering or repairs of $500 or less that do not change the character of the structure.

Does Double Springs have zoning?

The 2021 regional plan records zoning in Double Springs. Call Town Hall on (205) 489-5447 before building.

Where do I get a septic permit in Winston County?

From the Winston County Health Department, 110 Legion Road, Double Springs, 659-247-8300.

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