Bolthole Index

Shelby County, Alabama

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Alabaster, Alabama

Alabaster, Alabama requires a building permit for new construction inside city limits, issued by the city's Building Official1. The city also runs its own zoning through its Planning and Zoning Department2. Septic permits on lots without public sewer come from the Shelby County Health Department, not the city3. Land outside city limits falls under Shelby County instead.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside Alabaster city limits; apply to the city's Building Official1
Building code
2021 International Building Code adopted by the city4
Zoning
Yes, city zoning with its own Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustments2
Septic
Shelby County Health Department approval where public sewer is not available35
Owner-builder
Owners may act as their own contractor with material supervision, still with permits and plans6
RV living
Not confirmed for private lots; flood-hazard areas limit RVs to fewer than 180 consecutive days7
Manufactured homes
Allowed in the R-8 and MHD districts with a city installation permit89
Minimum lot (R-1)
20,000 square feet10

Who to call

Building permits

City of Alabaster Building and Engineering Services

Building permits, plan review and inspections inside Alabaster city limits

(205) 664-6823

1953 Municipal Way, Suite 102, Alabaster, AL 35007

Planning & zoning

City of Alabaster Planning and Zoning Department

Zoning, rezoning and subdivision requests inside Alabaster city limits

(205) 664-6823

1953 Municipal Way, Alabaster, Alabama 35007

Septic permits

Shelby County Health Department

Septic (onsite sewage) approval for lots in Alabaster and the rest of Shelby County that are not on public sewer

(205) 685-4178

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 Alabaster means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Alabaster, Alabama?

Yes. Inside Alabaster city limits, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, demolition, occupancy changes and regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing work all require a permit from the Building Official1. The city enforces the 2021 International Building Code4.

Alabaster allows owners to act as their own contractor if they provide material supervision themselves; the handbook still requires the usual permits and plans6. Under Alabama law, an owner-builder exemption covers a one- or two-family home the owner will occupy, and any subcontractor whose portion costs more than $10,000 must be licensed11.

A new building cannot be occupied until the Building Official issues a Certificate of Occupancy12. The residential permit application lists an issuance fee of $50.00, alongside separate plan review, floodplain review and permit fees whose amounts the application leaves to the fee schedule13.

Who issues building permits in Alabaster, and how do you reach them?

The City of Alabaster issues its own building permits through Building and Engineering Services at 1953 Municipal Way, Suite 102; the phone number is (205) 664-682314. Zoning questions go to the Planning and Zoning Department, which the city lists at the same number15.

Shelby County's Permits and Inspections office does not issue building permits for addresses inside Alabaster. Its rules cover unincorporated Shelby County and the few cities that have handed zoning to the county. Ask the city first, and ask the Shelby County Health Department only about septic3.

Does Alabaster have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Alabaster has its own zoning, administered by the Planning and Zoning Department, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Zoning Adjustments2. The city publishes a zoning map and an ordinance listing its districts16. Rules depend on the district, so find your parcel's district before you plan anything.

In the R-1 single-family district, lots need at least 20,000 square feet10, one-story homes need 2,000 square feet of livable floor area17, and buildings are limited to 35 feet in height18. R-1 setbacks are 50 feet front, 50 feet rear and 15 feet on the sides19. In the R-2 district, the minimum lot is 15,000 square feet20. In R-3, setbacks drop to 30 feet front and 20 feet rear21.

Manufactured homes are a permitted use in the R-8 district8 and in the MHD park and subdivision district, where structures are capped at 20 feet in height922. Subdivision proposals go to the Planning and Zoning Commission23.

How do septic permits work inside Alabaster?

Septic permits in Alabaster come from the Shelby County Health Department, not the city. Where public sewer is not available, the city's permit handbook asks for Shelby County Health Department approval of the private sewage disposal system3. Alabama's onsite sewage rules require the application and a Permit to Install before any construction begins5.

Call the Shelby County Health Department at (205) 685-417824. Countywide, only about 19% of soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so many lots without sewer need a site evaluation or an engineered system25. We could not confirm whether private wells inside Alabaster need a permit; ask the Alabaster Building Official and the county health department.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Alabaster?

We could not confirm a city rule on living in an RV on a private lot in Alabaster; the code sections we found cover camping in public parks only. Ask the Planning and Zoning Department at (205) 664-6823 before parking an RV as a dwelling15.

One rule is confirmed: in areas of special flood hazard, an RV must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days, be licensed and ready for highway use, and have no permanent additions, or else meet new-construction anchoring and elevation rules7. We found no Alabaster rule defining tiny homes or accessory dwelling units, so confirm both with the Planning and Zoning Department. Manufactured homes are a defined use in the R-8 and MHD districts, with a city mobile-home installation permit8.

Building a home in Alabaster: the steps, in order

  1. Find your parcel's zoning district and confirm the home is allowed there, with the Planning and Zoning Department16.
  2. If the lot has no public sewer, get approval from the Shelby County Health Department before applying for the building permit5.
  3. Submit the permit application with a site plan, footing and foundation plan, floor plan, framing plan and electrical, mechanical and plumbing layout26.
  4. If the site is in a mapped flood hazard area, the lowest floor must be at least one foot above base flood elevation where that elevation is published27.
  5. Pass the inspections: initial site, footing and foundation, framing, insulation and final, with written release between stages28.
  6. Receive the Certificate of Occupancy before moving in12.

What stays with Shelby County, and what to check before you buy in Alabaster

Septic approval stays with the Shelby County Health Department for every address in the county, city or not3. The county's own building, zoning and RV rules apply only to unincorporated land; see the Shelby County page for land outside city limits.

Before you buy, check the parcel's zoning district, whether public sewer reaches it, and whether it sits in a flood hazard area27. Shelby County's effective property tax rate is 0.4%29.

Watch-outs

  • Alabaster's minimum floor areas and 50-foot setbacks in R-1 can rule out small homes and tiny homes on lots in that district1719.
  • We could not confirm Alabaster rules for accessory dwellings, tiny homes, private wells, driveway permits or short-term rentals; call the Planning and Zoning Department at (205) 664-682315.
  • Septic is not a city permit: skipping the Shelby County Health Department step can stall a building permit on lots without sewer3.

Sources

  1. Permitting Procedure Handbook v22 (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  2. Planning and Zoning Department (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  3. cityofalabaster.com (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  4. Building and Engineering Services (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  5. Can I Live On This Lot? (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  6. Permitting Procedure Handbook v22 (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  7. Sec. 107-60. Specific standards (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  8. Sec. 111-75. R-8 Manufactured and Mobile Home Residential District (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  9. Sec. 111-85. MHD Manufactured and Mobile Home Park and Subdivision District (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  10. Sec. 111-68. R-1 Single-Family Residential District (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  11. Exemptions (Alabama statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Permitting Procedure Handbook v22 (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  13. Residential Permit Application (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  14. City of Alabaster Building and Engineering Services (cityofalabaster.com)
  15. City of Alabaster Planning and Zoning Department (cityofalabaster.com)
  16. Planning and Zoning Department (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  17. Sec. 111-68. R-1 Single-Family Residential District (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  18. Sec. 111-68. R-1 Single-Family Residential District (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  19. Sec. 111-68. R-1 Single-Family Residential District (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  20. Sec. 111-69. R-2 Single-Family Residential District (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  21. Sec. 111-70. R-3 Single-Family Residential District (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  22. Sec. 111-85. MHD Manufactured and Mobile Home Park and Subdivision District (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  23. Planning and Zoning Department (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  24. Shelby County Health Department (shelbyal.com)
  25. 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
  26. Permitting Procedure Handbook v22 (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  27. library.municode.com (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  28. Permitting Procedure Handbook v22 (Alabaster), quoted and re-checked
  29. Effective property tax rate: 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 Alabaster

Alabaster’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, occupancy changes, and regulated electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing work inside Alabaster city limits.

    • An application and required fee must be filed with the Building Official.
    • Applicants must be city-licensed contractors or property owners acting as their own contractor and providing material supervision.
    • Submittals vary by project size, nature, location, and complexity.
    “shall first make application to the Building Official and obtain the required permit for work.”
  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    Owners constructing or acting as contractor for property inside Alabaster city limits.

    • The owner must act as their own contractor and provide material supervision themselves.
    • The handbook separately requires applicable permits and plans.
    “Applicants for permits must be contractors licensed to do business in the City of Alabaster, or owners of property when acting as their own contractor providing material supervision themselves.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction inside Alabaster city limits.

    • The city page states that the 2021 International Building Code and Appendices replaced the 2015 Alabaster Code of Ordinances.
    “The City of Alabaster adopted the 2021 International Building Code and Appendices to replace the Alabaster Code of Ordinances (2015).”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted building construction and regulated trade work inside Alabaster city limits.

    • Inspections include initial site, footing/foundation, framing, insulation, final building, and applicable electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, fire, and life-safety inspections.
    • Work may not proceed beyond successive inspection points without written release.
    “The City of Alabaster Building Official upon notification from the permit holder or his agent shall make the following inspections and such other inspections as necessary”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    New buildings and occupancy or use changes inside Alabaster city limits.

    • Required systems must be inspected and released.
    • The final inspection must find no violations.
    • Site final inspections must be approved before issuance.
    “A new building shall not be occupied or a change in the occupancy, nature or use of a building or part of the building until the City of Alabaster Building Official has issued a Certificate of Occupancy.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Alabaster city limits.

    • The city administers zoning through its Planning and Zoning Department, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Board of Zoning Adjustments.
    “The Planning and Zoning Department helps applicants with all Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment requests.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Alabaster city limits.

    • The official city planning page links to the ordinance code listing zoning districts and provides a city zoning map.
    • Opened district sections include E, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-8, MHD, and other districts.
    “City of Alabaster Zoning Map Click here to access the Ordinance Code listing Zoning Districts.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the R-1 district inside Alabaster city limits.

    • One-story dwellings require 2,000 square feet of livable floor area.
    • More-than-one-story dwellings require 1,400 square feet on the first floor and 2,400 square feet total.

    minimum livable floor area, one-story: >= 2000 square feet · minimum first-floor livable floor area, more-than-one-story: >= 1400 square feet · minimum total livable floor area, more-than-one-story: >= 2400 square feet

    “Minimum livable floor area: One-story dwelling 2,000 square feet More than one-story dwelling: First floor 1,400 square feet Total dwelling 2,400 square feet”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the R-1 district inside Alabaster city limits.

    • Minimum lot width is also 100 feet.

    minimum lot area: >= 20000 square feet

    “Minimum lot area 20,000 square feet Minimum lot width 100 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in the R-3 district inside Alabaster city limits.

    • Side setback is 13 feet between dwellings, with at least one side setback of 10 or more feet.

    front setback: >= 30 feet · rear setback: >= 20 feet · side separation between dwellings: >= 13 feet (At least one side setback must be 10 or more feet.)

    “Minimum building setbacks: Front 30 feet Rear 20 feet Side 13 feet between dwellings, with at least one side setback of 10 or more feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    Manufactured/mobile-home parks and subdivisions in the MHD district inside Alabaster city limits.

    • The MHD section also states that maximum height of any structure is 20 feet.

    maximum building height: <= 20 feet

    “Maximum building height 20 feet [...] Maximum height of any structure shall be 20 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed in areas of special flood hazard inside Alabaster city limits.

    • The RV must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, fully licensed and ready for highway use, on wheels or a jacking system, attached only by quick-disconnect utilities and security devices, and without permanent structures or additions; otherwise it must meet new-construction anchoring and elevation requirements.

    maximum consecutive stay: < 180 days (Must meet new-construction requirements if the exception is not satisfied.)

    “All recreational vehicles placed on sites must either: 1. Be on the site for fewer than 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 have no permanently attached structures or additions; or 2. Meet all the requirements for new construction, including the anchoring and elevation requirements of subsection (3)a and c of this section.”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured and mobile homes in the MHD district inside Alabaster city limits.

    • MHD permits manufactured and mobile homes and imposes park/subdivision dimensional, access, sewer or approved health-department system, water, buffer, anchoring, and installation requirements.
    • A city mobile-home installation permit is required.
    “Permitted uses in the MHD Manufactured and Mobile Home Park and Subdivision District include the following: (1) Manufactured homes. (2) Mobile homes.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Allowed (with conditions) — Manufactured and mobile homes in the R-8 district inside Alabaster city limits.
      “Permitted uses in the R-8 Manufactured and Mobile Home Residential District include the following: (1) Single-family dwellings. (2) Day care homes. (3) Manufactured homes.”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Onsite sewage matters inside Alabaster city limits when public sewer is unavailable.

    • Shelby County Health Department approval is required for private sewage disposal installation.
    • The Alabama Department of Public Health coordinates onsite sewage programs through county health departments.
    “or if public sewer is not available, an approval from the Shelby County Health Department for private sewage disposal system installation.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New onsite sewage disposal systems inside Alabaster city limits where public sewer is unavailable.

    • Application must be submitted to the local county health department.
    • Approval and permit issuance must precede construction.
    • Plans must meet applicable 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.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private sewage disposal inside Alabaster city limits where public sewer is unavailable.

    • Private sewage disposal requires Shelby County Health Department approval.
    • An onsite sewage permit is required before construction.
    “or if public sewer is not available, an approval from the Shelby County Health Department for private sewage disposal system installation.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision proposals inside Alabaster city limits.

    • The Planning and Zoning Commission hears subdivision items and makes recommendations to the City Council.
    • Current subdivision and development regulations are linked by the city.
    “The Planning and Zoning Commission hears all subdivision items and makes recommendations to the City Council on the Annexation and Rezone of property.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in designated special flood hazard areas inside Alabaster city limits.

    • For A1-30, AE, AH, and A zones with estimated BFE, new construction and substantial improvements must meet elevation requirements.
    • Lowest floors must be elevated at least one foot above BFE where BFE data is available.
    • Manufactured homes and recreational vehicles have additional anchoring, elevation, or temporary-placement requirements.

    minimum elevation above base flood elevation: >= 1 foot (Where base flood elevation data is available.)

    “Where base flood elevation 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 foot above the base flood elevation.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Residential permit applications inside Alabaster city limits.

    • The application lists separate floodplain review, plan review, base primary, permit, and issuance fees.
    • The issuance fee shown is $50.00; other amounts are blank or schedule-based.
    • Fees may include system development, meter charge, and sewer tap fees where applicable.

    issuance fee: 50 USD

    “Flood Plain Review Fee $ _____________ Plan Review Fee $ _____________ Base Primary Fee $ _____________ Permit Fee $_____________ Issuance Fee $ 50.00”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Residential and commercial permitting inside Alabaster city limits.

    • Residential applications require plans and attachments, site plan, footing/foundation plan, floor plan, framing plan, electrical/mechanical/plumbing layout, and applicable sewer or health-department approval.
    • Commercial, multifamily, and industrial projects require design-team review before issuance.
    “Accessory structures, Residential renovations and new Single Family Dwellings require a completed building permit application along with any necessary attachments that fully describe the nature of the proposed work.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Alabaster city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Alabaster city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Alabaster city limits.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Alabaster city limits.
  • Well permit — Private wells inside Alabaster city limits.
3 more unanswered
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Alabaster publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Shelby County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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