Montgomery County building department

The Montgomery County Engineering Department issues building permits for the unincorporated parts of the county that lie outside the police jurisdictions of the City of Montgomery and the Town of Pike Road. Each of those police jurisdictions extends 3 miles beyond the city or town limits. A property can have a Montgomery mailing address and be outside city limits, yet still be in the City of Montgomery’s permitting area. If you are within about 3 miles of either municipality, confirm which office has jurisdiction before you apply.

When a permit is required

A county building permit is required before construction begins on any structure larger than 200 square feet. The county’s published permit rules focus on whether the site is in a flood-prone area. The fee depends on that determination.

The county’s Flood Plain Administrator decides whether each permitted structure is:

• outside a flood-prone area: you pay the base fee only
• in a flood-prone area: you need an engineer’s elevation certificate and a no-rise certificate, the first floor must be at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, and the sliding-scale fee applies
• undetermined: the Flood Plain Administrator inspects the site and decides; if it turns out to be flood-prone, the sliding-scale fee applies

The landowner or builder provides the elevation and no-rise certificates. Flood-prone construction must follow the Montgomery County Floodplain Prevention Ordinance effective December 16, 2025.

Permit fees

The county’s fee schedule (effective October 1, 2005) sets a $100 minimum for any permit. Outside flood-prone areas, a permit costs $100 per structure if construction starts within six months of issuance.

For structures in flood-prone areas, the fee is based on construction cost:

Construction cost	Fee
$0 – $3,000	$100
$3,000.01 – $15,000	$100 + $10 per additional $1,000
$15,000.01 – $100,000	$150 + $2 per additional $1,000
$100,000.01 – $500,000	$320 + $1 per additional $1,000
$500,000.01 – $1,000,000	$720 + $0.40 per additional $1,000
Over $1,000,000	$920 + $0.15 per additional $1,000

“Per additional $1,000” includes any fraction of $1,000. If construction starts without a required permit, there is an additional $100 fee.

Who to call

Need	Contact
Building permits and floodplain determinations	Building Inspector Perry L. “Lonnie” McGough, (334) 832-1312
Engineering main office	(334) 832-1310; fax (334) 832-7190
Office location	100 South Lawrence Street, 2nd Floor (Room 294 for right-of-way permits), Montgomery; mail to P.O. Box 1667, Montgomery, AL 36102-1667

Subdividing land outside city limits

A Commission resolution adopted December 7, 1998 covers subdivisions outside any municipality’s jurisdiction that will use on-site sewage (septic). It requires lots of at least 1 acre with at least 100 feet of road frontage.

Under Act 97-422, the process works like this:

1. The County Engineer reviews the plat and certifies to the County Commission whether it meets county regulations.
2. At least 10 days before the Commission considers the plat, notice of the Engineer’s decision goes by certified mail to the owner or developer, adjoining owners, and affected utilities.
3. If the Commission approves the plat, it is filed with the Probate Office.

This process does not apply inside municipal limits or to transfers to an immediate family member.

For the county to take over maintenance of subdivision streets, the streets must meet road standards set by a January 8, 1990 resolution:

Location and lot size	Right of way	Street section
Inside a police jurisdiction, lots under 2 acres	50 ft	Curb and gutter, 31 ft pavement back-to-back, sidewalk (lot size set by the City Planning Commission)
Inside a police jurisdiction, lots 2 acres or more	60 ft	Ditch section, 24 ft pavement, no sidewalks
Outside police jurisdiction	60 ft	Ditch section, 20 ft pavement, no sidewalks (lot size set by the Health Department)

All drainage ditches must be concrete-lined before the county will maintain them.

Driveways and utilities in county right of way

Driveway turnouts. The Engineering Department installs driveway turnouts on county roads at no charge. The property owner buys the drainage pipe, and the Engineering Maintenance Superintendent sets its size and type. The county provides the clay gravel and the labor. Large vertical pipe headwalls are not allowed. To request a turnout, call your maintenance district:

• District I: (334) 264-6289
• District II: (334) 288-3712
• District III: (334) 562-9490

Utility work. Utility work in county right of way needs a permit and bond from the Engineering Department, Room 294, before work starts. Under the county’s standards:

• Lines run parallel to the road within the outermost 5 feet of the right of way.
• Fiber, power, sewer, and gas lines need 42 inches of cover; other utilities need 36 inches.
• Lines 2 inches or larger must be encased under pavement.
• Open-cutting county roads is not allowed; crossings must be bored.

State licensing

Under the Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board, residential work costing more than $10,000 requires a licensed home builder. Residential roofing over $2,500 requires a roofers license and a $10,000 bond. Check the contractor’s license before you sign a contract.