St. Clair County building department

St. Clair County does not issue building permits in unincorporated areas. The County Commission’s letter dated September 8, 2025 says:

• the county has no zoning rules and regulations
• it does not require a building permit in unincorporated areas
• the Commission does not require a certificate of occupancy

The same letter names three things that still apply: state contractor licensing, floodplain restrictions, and sales and use tax. The County Engineer also handles subdivision plats and work in the county right of way.

If the property is inside a city or town, that municipality’s own permit and zoning rules apply instead.

Floodplain development permit

Building in a mapped flood hazard area requires a permit through the County Engineer (205-594-2190). The county’s Flood Management page has:

• the current Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (February 2020) and earlier versions
• the county flood map (June 19, 2012)
• the Application for Permit to Develop in a Special Flood Hazard Area

The application asks for:

• Site information: the FIRM flood zone and panel, the base flood elevation, the required lowest floor elevation, and the elevation of utilities and mechanical equipment.
• Floodway work: a “No-Rise” certification.
• Work on existing buildings: the market value of the structure and the cost of the proposed work. If improvements over a rolling 10-year period total 50% or more of the structure’s market value, substantial-improvement rules apply.
• Large developments: if a subdivision or other development has 50 lots or 5 acres (whichever is less), the developer must provide base flood elevation data.

Conditions of the permit:

• It is void if work has not started within 180 days of issuance, and it is valid for one year.
• An on-site inspection is required when the lowest floor or lowest horizontal supporting member is in place. A certified FEMA Elevation Certificate (Form 81-31) must be on site at that inspection.
• A final inspection is required when the building is ready for occupancy.
• Permanent electrical service will not be energized until the project complies.

Subdividing land

New Subdivision Regulations for Unincorporated Areas were adopted at the July 14, 2026 County Commission meeting and took effect August 15, 2026. They are posted on the County Engineer’s Subdivision Regulation page.

The county’s separate “Requirements for Recording a Subdivision Plat” policy (effective February 11, 2020) treats any land division meant for residential or commercial development as a subdivision. A division of a larger tract given to family members for personal use is not treated as a subdivision. Before the plat can be recorded with Probate, it needs:

1. A preliminary plat to the County Engineer, who checks curve data and road grades and screens for floodplain
2. A legible legal description, a notarized owner signature, and the surveyor’s name, signature, registration number, and seal
3. Approval signatures from the town or city, if the property is incorporated
4. Approval from the St. Clair County Health Department
5. Approval or correspondence from Alabama Power
6. Sign-off from the E-911 office on road names and addresses
7. Printing at a scale no smaller than 1 inch = 200 feet

The County Engineer signs last, and then the plat is recorded with Probate. The Engineer may waive some of these steps for re-surveys or divisions not intended for development.

Driveways, culverts, and right-of-way work

The County Engineer / Road Department is at 31588 Highway 231, Ashville (P.O. Box 100), phone 205-594-2190. It takes requests for driveway pipe and other right-of-way work. Utility work in county right of way needs a Permit for Work on County Right of Way. Under county Policy No. 6:

• Buried lines need 30 inches of cover, or 24 inches under side ditches.
• Crossings under paved roads must be bored, jacked, or tunneled and encased.
• Open cuts are allowed only with the Engineer’s permission.

Addresses

The E-911 office assigns addresses using a measured system of 1,000 numbers per mile. Even numbers are on the right in the direction numbering runs. The E-911 business office is at 1610 Cogswell Avenue, Suite 105, Pell City (205-338-9911). Request an address for a new home there.

Sales and use tax on construction

The county letter says sales and use tax applies during and after construction. The owner or contractor must open an account with the St. Clair County Sales and Use Tax Office. The county rate is 1% for sales delivered inside Pell City city limits and 2% everywhere else in the county, including unincorporated areas.

Licensing

Even without a county permit, state contractor licensing applies. Under Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board rules:

• A home builders license is required for residential work costing more than $10,000.
• Residential roofing over $2,500 requires a roofers license and a $10,000 bond.
• Where a county has adopted no residential code, the Board applies the 2015 International Residential Code when it investigates contracts signed on or after February 13, 2022.

St. Clair County’s Licensing Division issues state business privilege licenses, which expire every September 30. It also handles manufactured home decals, renewable each October and November. The Compliance Officer’s phone is 205-594-2116.