Birmingham building department

Birmingham’s Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits (PEP) issues building and trade permits inside Birmingham city limits. The Permitting Division’s front counter is in City Hall, Room 210, at 710 20th Street North.

For a building permit that includes plans, the counter staff:

1. reviews the application
2. opens a case number
3. routes the plans to the reviewers who need to see them, which can include Planning, the Fire Department, Building, and the MPG (mechanical, plumbing, gas) plans reviewers

Small repairs and minor projects can usually be permitted over the counter. Trade permits are handled at the counter or online.

Online Permit Center (Accela)

The city is partway through moving from its old permitting system to the Online Permit Center, which runs on Accela. Once the move is finished, all permits will go through it. For now, some permit types still use paper applications.

Before you apply, use the city’s Birmingham Permit Guide, an interactive questionnaire that tells you which permits you need.

To apply online:

1. Create an account and turn off your browser’s pop-up blocker. The city recommends Chrome.
2. Pick your application from the modules. Applications take 4–5 screens and ask for:
   • the site address
   • applicant contact information
   • licensed contractor information
   • project details
   • document uploads
   • payment, if any fee is due up front
3. Track it on the “My Records” page. You can see each review step, view and pay fees, add documents, and print the issued permit. Watch your email: the city sends notices when an application is incomplete.

When fees are due. It depends on the permit type. You may pay some fees when you apply, an initial fee with more added during review, after plan review, or only before the permit is issued. To pay, find the record and choose “Pay Fees Due.” Not every application sends an email when fees are due yet, so check your records.

Help. Online permit questions go to 205-254-2904 or [email protected].

Codes and the Building Plans Review Sheet

Birmingham enforces its own 2024 Technical Code, effective October 1, 2024. The city’s Building Plans Review Sheet lists the applicable codes:

Code	Edition
International Building, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Fire, and Existing Building codes	2021
National Electrical Code	2020
NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (educational and day-care occupancies)	2021
ICC/ANSI A117.1	2017
Energy	2021 IECC, as modified by the 2024 Technical Code
Storm shelters	ICC 500-2020
Elevators	ASME A17.1 (state jurisdiction)

Commercial and change-of-use projects. The Building Plans Review Sheet must be completed and included in the plan set for new construction, additions, and projects that change a building’s use. Single-family homes and single-family garages are exempt. Tenant infill or office remodels with no change of use complete a shorter version. Commercial plans must include a COMcheck based on the 2021 energy code.

Fire review. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service runs its own plan review checklist, covering:

• hydrant distance
• fire apparatus access within a 150-foot hose lay
• fire department connection within 100 feet of a hydrant
• Knox boxes
• emergency responder radio coverage

Fire alarms, sprinklers, kitchen hoods, underground fire lines, and fuel tanks each need a separate permit and plan review.

The city’s Building Codes page also posts the zoning ordinance (February 2025 edition), the subdivision regulations (July 2016), the soil erosion ordinance, and the stormwater post-construction ordinance.

Floodplain development

Any development in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area needs a floodplain development permit in addition to the building and trade permits. This includes fences, retaining walls, accessory structures, fill, grading, paving, utility replacement, and demolition.

• How to apply: online, or pick up a paper application at Room 210 (205-254-2904).
• Review time: typically 3 to 5 business days.
• Pre-application meeting: recommended; schedule it at 205-254-2252.
• Supporting documents, depending on the project:
  • an elevation certificate
  • a topographic survey
  • grading and drainage plans
  • no-rise certification for work in a floodway
  • substantial improvement calculations

Inspections and closeout

The Inspection Services Division inspects building, electrical, plumbing, gas, and mechanical work. Call 205-254-2211 to schedule. The city says inspections are scheduled between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m., Monday through Friday.

When all trades have passed final, the contractor returns the signed inspection card to PEP to get a certificate of occupancy or a certificate of completion.

Role	Contact
Deputy Director, Inspection Services	Darren Whitt, 205-254-2224
Senior Plans Examiner	Richard Sanders, 205-254-2252
Chief Building Inspector	Daryl Fox, 205-254-2220
Chief Mechanical, Plumbing & Gas Inspector	Doug Wisham, 205-254-2222
Chief Electrical Inspector	Alex Jones, 205-254-2130

Business licenses

City of Birmingham business licenses are handled by the Tax and License Division in Room TL-100, on the first floor of City Hall, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.