Bolthole Index

Lauderdale County, Alabama

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Florence, Alabama

Florence, Alabama has its own zoning ordinance1, and the city building department issues building permits for new construction2. Septic permits are separate: the Lauderdale County Health Department handles them for Florence addresses that are not on city sewer3. Land outside city limits follows Lauderdale County's rules.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the City of Florence building department2
Zoning
City of Florence zoning ordinance applies inside city limits1
Septic permit
Permit to Install from the Lauderdale County Health Department3
Owner-builder
Exempt from state home-builder licensing if you build your own home and supervise it yourself4
RV as short-term rental
Prohibited5
Street frontage
Building sites must abut a dedicated street for at least 30 feet6
Flood zones
Lowest floor at least 1 foot above base flood elevation where BFE data exists7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Florence Building Department

Building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside Florence and its planning jurisdiction

(256) 760-6325

110 West College St. Suite 216, Florence, AL 35630

Septic permits

Lauderdale County Health Department (Environmental Office)

Septic (onsite sewage) permits for Lauderdale County, including addresses inside Florence

256-764-7453

4112 Chisholm Road, Florence, Alabama 35630

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 15, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Florence, Alabama have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Florence, Alabama has a city zoning ordinance that applies inside city limits1. Single-family homes are allowed in planned residential developments in the R-1 and R-2 districts, subject to Planning Commission subdivision approval8. Such a development must cover at least 1 acre9.

Florence's zoning does not reach beyond the city line in most cases: the building department says zoning regulations do not apply in the planning jurisdiction outside city limits2. For RVs, Florence's code bars using a recreational vehicle as a short-term rental5 and bars camping on streets, alleys and public property10. We could not confirm a rule on living in an RV or tiny home on a private lot, or the minimum lot size and setbacks for ordinary districts; ask the Florence building department before you buy.

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

Yes. The City of Florence building department requires building permits for new construction, additions, renovations to a dwelling, storage buildings over 200 square feet and demolitions or moving of structures2. The office also requires a permit within the 3-mile planning jurisdiction outside city limits2. Florence's building code references the International Building Code, at least for short-term rental structures11.

The City of Florence building department can be reached at (256) 760-63252. New residential drawings can usually be reviewed and permitted within two or three working days2. Septic permits stay with the county health office, covered below. Land outside Florence and its planning jurisdiction is handled under Lauderdale County's rules.

Can you build your own house in Florence?

Alabama exempts an owner from state home-builder licensing when the owner builds a one- or two-family home on their own property, supervises it personally and does not offer it for sale4. That exemption covers licensing only; it does not replace a Florence building permit12. Subcontractors must be licensed if their portion costs more than $10,0004.

Homeowners may do residential plumbing themselves if it meets the plumbing code2. We could not confirm Florence's rules for owner-builder electrical work, so ask the building department.

How do septic permits work inside Florence?

Septic permits for Florence addresses come from the Lauderdale County Health Department, not the city. Before building an onsite sewage system, you must submit an Application for a Permit to Install to your local county health department3. Call 256-764-7453 and ask for the Environmental Office13.

Check first whether city sewer is available to the property; if it is not, soil testing is required14. In the wider county, about 29% of soils rate "not limited" for a conventional drain field, so many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system15. We could not confirm Florence's rules on connecting to public sewer.

Building a home in Florence: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm zoning and the district with the Florence building department1.
  2. Confirm the lot abuts a dedicated street for at least 30 feet6.
  3. If the lot is not on city sewer, get a Permit to Install from the Lauderdale County Health Department3.
  4. Check flood status: in mapped flood zones the lowest floor must be at least 1 foot above base flood elevation7.
  5. Apply for the building permit at the city building department2.
  6. If you act as your own contractor, confirm you qualify for the state owner-builder exemption4.

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

Septic permits stay with the Lauderdale County Health Department for every address in the county, city or not16. A driveway onto a state highway needs a state permit through the ALDOT District Administrator17.

For context, Lauderdale County's effective property tax rate is 0.4%18, and the county sees about 57 inches of rain a year19. Land outside Florence is covered on the Lauderdale County page.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Florence's minimum lot size, setbacks, building height or minimum home size; ask the City of Florence building department at (256) 760-63252.
  • A recreational vehicle cannot be used as a short-term rental in Florence5, and camping on streets or public property is unlawful10.
  • Construction that disturbs 1 acre or more needs a separate permit from the city engineer's office; ask the building department how it applies2.

Sources

  1. Appendix C - Zoning - Sec. XIII. Planned residential development (Florence), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Florence Building Department (florenceal.org)
  3. Can I Live On This Lot?, quoted and re-checked
  4. Exemptions (Alabama statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 5 - Short-Term Residential Rental Regulations - Sec. 5-327. Accommodation standards (Florence), quoted and re-checked
  6. library.municode.com (Florence), quoted and re-checked
  7. Sec. 19-85. Specific technical standards (Florence), quoted and re-checked
  8. Appendix C - Zoning - Sec. XIII. Planned residential development (Florence), quoted and re-checked
  9. Appendix C - Zoning - Sec. XIII. Planned residential development (Florence), quoted and re-checked
  10. Sec. 16-13. Camping on streets (Florence), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 5 - Short-Term Residential Rental Regulations - Sec. 5-327. Accommodation standards (Florence), quoted and re-checked
  12. EXEMPTIONS, quoted and re-checked
  13. Lauderdale County Health Department (Environmental Office) (alabamapublichealth.gov)
  14. alabamapublichealth.gov, quoted and re-checked
  15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  16. Soil and Onsite Sewage, quoted and re-checked
  17. ALDOT Permit Manual (Alabama statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 15, 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 Florence

Florence’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Structures used for short-term rentals inside Florence city limits.

    • The cited provision specifically addresses short-term-rental structures and references the current International Fire Code, International Building Code, and International Property Maintenance Code.
    • The excerpt does not establish the complete list or edition of every building code adopted citywide.
    “All structures used for short-term rentals shall satisfy the current International Fire Code, International Building Code, and International Property Maintenance Code as adopted by the City of Florence.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Florence city limits; the City of Florence zoning ordinance applies.

    “The minimum P.R.D. area shall be one (1) acre. Planned residential developments are subdivisions and must be approved by the planning commission.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts and planned residential development controls inside Florence city limits.

    • The opened code excerpt confirms zoning ordinance districts and R-1/R-2 references through the planned-residential-development provisions, but it is not a complete district schedule.
    “Single-family residences will be permitted in a P.R.D. planned residential developments will be permitted subject to planning commission subdivision approval in R-1 single-family/conventional lot and R-2 single-family/small lot districts.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Use of recreational vehicles as short-term rentals inside Florence city limits.

    • The prohibition is within the short-term-rental accommodation standards and does not by itself resolve every form of RV occupancy on private land.
    “No recreational vehicles shall be used as a short-term rental.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping in Florence city parks.

    • Camp trailers, camp wagons, tents, and other camping shelters must be registered for a campsite.
    • Camping must occur in areas designated by the director as camping areas.
    • The provision applies to parks.
    “Camp trailers, camp wagons, tents or other type of camping shelters must be registered for a campsite. All camping must be done in the areas designated by the director as camping areas.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Limited — Camping upon any street, alley, or public property inside Florence city limits.
      “It shall be unlawful for any person to camp upon any street, alley or public property within the city.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwelling units used as short-term rentals inside Florence city limits.

    • The cited rule addresses short-term-rental use of ADUs and does not establish unrestricted general ADU occupancy.
    “(5) additional dwelling units (adus) (i.e., carriage houses, converted garages).”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Planned residential developments and subdivisions inside Florence city limits.

    • The minimum P.R.D. area is one acre.
    • P.R.D.s are subdivisions.
    • Planning Commission approval is required.

    minimum P.R.D. area: 1 acre

    “The minimum P.R.D. area shall be one (1) acre. Planned residential developments are subdivisions and must be approved by the planning commission.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Every structure erected or moved onto a building site inside Florence city limits.

    • The site must provide safe and convenient access for servicing, fire protection, and required off-street parking.
    • The building-site definition also states that every building site must abut a dedicated street for at least thirty feet.

    minimum dedicated-street frontage: >= 30 feet

    “every building site shall abut upon a dedicated street for at least thirty (30) feet.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New construction and substantial improvements of structures or manufactured homes in Florence special flood hazard areas designated A, AE, or AH where BFE data is available.

    • The lowest floor, including basement, must be elevated no lower than one foot above the base flood elevation.
    • Enclosure, nonresidential floodproofing, manufactured-home, utility, and other technical requirements also apply under the cited section.

    minimum elevation above BFE: >= 1 foot

    “where bfe data is available, new construction and substantial improvement of any structure or manufactured home shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated no lower than one (1) foot above the base flood elevation (also referred to as the design flood elevation).”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — General building-permit requirements for land inside Florence city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Florence city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Florence city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Florence city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Florence city limits.
14 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Florence publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lauderdale County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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