Bolthole Index

Jefferson County, Alabama

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Tarrant, Alabama

Inside Tarrant city limits in Jefferson County, Alabama, the city administers its own zoning ordinance1 and issues building permits through its building inspector2. Septic permits for lots without public sewer come from the Jefferson County Department of Health, not City Hall3. Jefferson County's rules apply only outside the city.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the City of Tarrant has its own zoning ordinance1
Building permits
Issued by the City of Tarrant building inspector; residential fee is $8.50 per $1,000 of job cost, $50 minimum2
Building code
International Building Code adopted by the city4
Septic
County health department permit, when not on public sewer3
Manufactured homes
Class A and B in R-AH; only Class A outside manufactured-home parks5
Minimum lot, AG zone
3 acres and 100 ft width6
RVs in flood zones
Under 180 consecutive days, or built to new-construction standards7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Tarrant Building Department

Building permits and building inspections inside Tarrant city limits

(205) 849-2800 ext. 1402

cmuir@tarrant.gov

1133 East Lake Blvd, Tarrant, AL 35217

Septic permits

Jefferson County Department of Health - Community Environmental Protection Division

Onsite sewage disposal (septic) permits in Jefferson County

205-930-1230

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Tarrant means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Tarrant, Alabama have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and manufactured homes?

Yes. Tarrant administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside city limits, and the code contains multiple zoning districts1. Check the district before you buy, because the rules change from one to the next.

In the AG Agricultural Zone, all developments need at least 3 acres and 100 feet of lot width6. Recreational camps and river camps are listed as permitted there, but a site plat must go to the commission for approval8. In the R-AH Affordable Housing Development Zone, only Class A and Class B manufactured homes are allowed, and only Class A homes may sit outside manufactured-home parks5.

Living in an RV on a lot in a flood hazard area is limited: the RV must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days, licensed and ready for highway use, or else meet the city's new-construction anchoring and elevation rules7. We could not confirm Tarrant's rules on tiny homes or short-term rentals; ask the building inspector.

Do you need a building permit in Tarrant, and who issues it?

Tarrant has its own building inspector, and the city adopted the International Building Code as its building code4. Applications are made in person: the city asks applicants to come to City Hall to schedule inspections and apply for permits2.

Residential permits cost $8.50 per $1,000 of job cost with a $50 minimum, and commercial permits cost $9.50 per $1,000 with a $55 minimum2. Application forms for residential, commercial, electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing and erosion-control work are posted on the city's Building Department page2.

The building inspections officer can be reached at (205) 849-2800 ext. 1402 or cmuir@tarrant.gov2. We could not confirm whether Tarrant offers an owner-builder exemption or what its certificate-of-occupancy requirements are, so ask that office before you start.

How do septic permits work inside Tarrant?

Septic permits for Tarrant addresses come from the county, not the city. Alabama law requires a permit from the local health department before installing or repairing an onsite system on property that is not connected to public sanitary sewer9. In Jefferson County that office is the Jefferson County Department of Health, Community Environmental Protection Division, at 205-930-123010.

Check sewer availability first: before buying land, ask the city sewer authority or the health department whether the lot can connect to city sewage11. If it cannot, soil testing decides whether an onsite system is suitable11. In Jefferson County the building permit follows the health department's septic construction permit10.

Building a home in Tarrant: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district with the City of Tarrant and read the district rules, such as the 3-acre minimum in AG6.
  2. Ask whether public sewer reaches the lot11.
  3. If not, apply to the Jefferson County Department of Health for a septic permit3.
  4. Apply for the building permit at Tarrant City Hall2.
  5. If the lot is in a flood hazard area, plan for the lowest floor at least 1 foot above base flood elevation where that data exists12.
  6. Schedule inspections through the building inspector2.

What stays with Jefferson County, and what to check before you buy

Land outside Tarrant city limits follows Jefferson County's rules, not the city's. Septic permits are handled by the county health department for every address, city or not9. Jefferson County's population density is 596.4 people per square mile13, and its typical home insurance premium is about $1,925 a year14; both are county-level figures.

Watch-outs

  • Tarrant's flood hazard rules apply to mapped special flood hazard areas, and in approximate A-Zones without base flood data the lowest enclosed floor must be at least 3 feet above the highest adjacent grade12.
  • Fees on the city's building page may change, so confirm current amounts with the building inspections officer before budgeting2.
  • We could not confirm Tarrant's rules on private wells, subdivision approval, or lot coverage; ask the building inspections officer at (205) 849-2800 ext. 14022.

Sources

  1. Appendix A - ZONING (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Tarrant Building Department (cityoftarrant.com)
  3. Onsite Sewage Disposal (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  4. library.municode.com (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sec. 5.05. R-AH Affordable Housing Development Zone (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sec. 5.06. AG Agricultural Zone (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  7. Sec. 4-52. Specific standards (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  8. Sec. 5.06. AG Agricultural Zone (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  9. Soil and Onsite Sewage (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  10. Jefferson County Department of Health - Community Environmental Protection Division (jcdh.org)
  11. alabamapublichealth.gov (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  12. Sec. 4-52. Specific standards (Tarrant), quoted and re-checked
  13. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
  14. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Tarrant

Tarrant’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Buildings inside Tarrant city limits.

    • The adopted code is identified as the International Building Code as written by the International Code Council.
    “Building code. The International Building Code as written by the International Code Council; the adopted building code of the City of Tarrant, Alabama.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Tarrant city limits; Tarrant administers its own zoning ordinance.

    • The code contains multiple zoning districts and zoning administration provisions.
    “An ordinance of June 5, 2006, enacted new zoning provisions for the city.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    All developments in the AG Agricultural Zone.

    • The AG requirement is stated as applicable to all developments.

    minimum lot area: >= 3 acres · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet

    “General lot and open space requirements. (Applicable to all developments.) (1) Min. lot area—3 acres. (2) Min. lot width—100 ft.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Dwellings in the AG Agricultural Zone.

    • Building height is measured in stories under Sec. 4.05.
    • No single story may be greater than 14 feet from floor to ceiling under Sec. 4.05(e).

    maximum building height: <= 3 stories (subject to Sec. 4.05(e) story-measurement rule)

    “Building heights shall be measured in "stories" with no single story permitted greater than fourteen (14) feet from floor to ceiling.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed in Tarrant special flood hazard areas.

    • For the temporary option, the RV must be onsite fewer than 180 consecutive days.
    • It must be fully licensed and ready for highway use if licensed, on wheels or its jacking system, attached only by quick-disconnect utilities and security devices, and have no permanently attached structures or additions.
    • Otherwise it must meet all new-construction anchoring, elevation, and enclosure requirements.

    temporary placement duration: < 180 consecutive days (must satisfy all listed temporary-placement conditions)

    “All recreational vehicles placed on sites must either: 1. Be on the site for fewer than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days, fully licensed and ready for highway use if it is licensed, on its wheels or jacking system, attached to the site only by quick disconnect type utilities and security devices, and has no permanently attached structures or additions; or 2. The recreational vehicle must meet all the requirements for "new construction," including the anchoring and elevation requirements of section 4-52, provisions (3)a. and (3)c.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Recreational camps, river camps, and similar uses in the AG Agricultural Zone.

    • The use is listed as permitted in the AG Zone subject to the cited section.
    • Proposals must be submitted to the commission for approval with a site plat showing structures, recreational areas, and similar features.
    “Recreational camps, river camps, etc., subject to section 5.06 (j).”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Class A and Class B manufactured homes in the R-AH Zone; only Class A homes are allowed outside manufactured-home parks.

    • Only Class A and Class B manufactured homes are permitted in R-AH.
    • Only Class A manufactured homes are permitted in other than manufactured-home parks.
    • Class C manufactured homes are prohibited in manufactured-home parks.
    “Only Class A and Class B manufactured homes shall be permitted within the R-AH Zone. Further, only Class A manufactured homes shall be permitted in other than manufactured home parks. [...] Class C manufactured homes are prohibited.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    New homes and residential development inside Tarrant city limits where public sewer availability is relevant.

    • ADPH directs applicants to check with the city sewer authority or local health department for city sewage availability.
    • If city sewage is unavailable, soil testing is required to determine suitability for onsite sewage.
    • The Tarrant R-AH district requires manufactured-home parks to be adequately served by water and sanitary sewer facilities meeting Jefferson County Health Department and City of Tarrant requirements.
    “Before you purchase land to build a home or set up a mobile home or modular home, check with the city sewer authority or local health department to see if the property is located near or available for city sewage disposal.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in Tarrant areas of special flood hazard, including Zones A, A1-30, AE, and AH as applicable.

    • In A1-30, AE, AH, and A areas with base flood data, residential and non-residential structures must have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated at least 1 foot above base flood elevation.
    • For approximate A-Zones without base flood data, new construction and substantial improvements must have the lowest enclosed floor elevated at least 3 feet above highest adjacent grade.
    • Zone A development must also meet Sections 4-51 and 4-52(1)-(4).
    • Additional floodway, enclosure, manufactured-home, recreational-vehicle, anchoring, and accessory-structure requirements apply.

    minimum elevation above base flood elevation: >= 1 foot (where base flood elevation data is available) · minimum elevation above highest adjacent grade: >= 3 feet (special flood hazard areas without base flood elevation data)

    “All development in Zone A must meet the requirements of section 4-51 and sections 4-52 (1) through (4).”

Rules another office applies inside Tarrant

Tarrant does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Onsite sewage systems serving property inside Tarrant city limits when the property is not connected to public sanitary sewer.

    • The local county health department administers the permit process under Alabama law.
    • ADPH coordinates the onsite sewage program in county health departments.
    “Alabama State Law requires homeowners and businesses not connected to a public sanitary sewer to obtain a permit from the local health department prior to installing a new system or making repairs to an existing onsite system.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installing or repairing an onsite sewage disposal system inside Tarrant city limits when not connected to public sanitary sewer.

    • A permit is required before installation or repair.
    • The application goes to the local county health department.
    • A Permit to Install is issued only after the application and plans meet the rules.
    “Before the construction of an onsite sewage disposal system, you must submit an Application for a Permit to Install an Onsite Sewage Disposal System to your local county health department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Tarrant or Jefferson County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from Tarrant building permits or inspections.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate-of-occupancy requirements for buildings inside Tarrant city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Tarrant city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Tarrant city limits.
  • Well permit — Private water wells inside Tarrant city limits.
3 more unanswered
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Tarrant publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Jefferson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Jefferson County: county rules, score and offices