Building permits in Birmingham, Alabama
Of the 12 common home projects we have verified in Birmingham, 7 need a permit outright and 5 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 2 official sources
Verified against official sources- Project types verified
- 13
- in Birmingham
City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits (PEP), Permitting & Inspection Division
- City Hall, Room 210, 710 20th Street North, Birmingham, AL 35203
- Phone: (205) 254-2904
- Email: OnlinePermitCenter@birminghamal.gov
- Official permit page
- Permit portal
- Official fee schedule
Look up a permit in Birmingham
Birmingham runs an online permit portal. Many local portals let you check application status, search permit records, and view inspection results without calling the office.
What needs a permit in Birmingham
Of the 12 common home projects we have verified in Birmingham, 7 need a permit outright and 5 depend on size or scope. Click any project for the full rule, fee, and how to apply.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bathroom Remodel Permit | It depends | Before any bathroom work beyond painting, papering, flooring, cabinets, countertops and... | ...10/1/2024), Article V: "Building permit fees shall be determined at a rate of $9.50... |
| Deck Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...10/1/2024), Article V: "Building permit fees shall be determined at a rate of $9.50... |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Any size | $9.50 per $1000.00 valuation for alterations", "Minimum permit fee .. |
| EV Charger Permit | Permit required | Any size | $9.50 per $1000.00 valuation for alterations", "Minimum permit fee .. |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Any size | ...1, Chapter 9, Article VIII, Section 3 (Miscellaneous Fees): "Fence Permit"... |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | Before installing, replacing, enlarging or relocating a heating, cooling or ventilation... | $9.50 per $1000.00 valuation for alterations", "Minimum permit fee .. |
| Patio Permit | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not published |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | length of water service repaired or replaced, and no more than 50% of the service | $9.50 per $1000.00 valuation for alterations", "Minimum permit fee .. |
| Pool Permit | Permit required | Any size | Electrical and plumbing permits: $9.50 per $1,000.00 valuation, minimum $125.00 each... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | Before reroofing a home in a historic or design review district, and before any reroof... | ...10/1/2024), Article V: "Building permit fees shall be determined at a rate of $9.50... |
| Shed Permit | It depends | floor area of an accessory structure for a one- or two-family dwelling; the exemption applies only when the Planning Division approves it | ...10/1/2024), Article V: "Building permit fees shall be determined at a rate of $9.50... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | $9.50 per $1000.00 valuation for alterations", "Minimum permit fee .. |
| Water Heater Permit | Permit required | Any size | $9.50 per $1000.00 valuation for alterations", "Minimum permit fee .. |
Planning a project in Birmingham?
Hire it out
Sponsored
Licensed contractors usually pull the permit as part of the job. Comparing a few local quotes before you commit is the useful next step.
Compare local contractor quotes on Angi
Sponsored link. PermitNotebook may earn a fee if you request quotes through it. Partners never influence our permit data.
Planning several things at once? Check your whole project
Birmingham permit fees compared with nearby Alabama localities
| Alabama locality | Deck Permit | HVAC Permit | Electrical Permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | ...permit fees shall be determined at a rate of $9.50... | $9.50 per $1000.00 valuation for alterations", "Minimum... | $9.50 per $1000.00 valuation for alterations", "Minimum... |
Each cell is the opening clause of that Alabama jurisdiction's own fee schedule; the full wording and source sit on each permit page.
Birmingham penalty for work started without a permit
Birmingham publishes what it charges when work begins before the permit, quoted here from the schedule or permit page we verified.
-
Work begun before the permit pays a doubled fee (section 104.2).
Birmingham bathroom remodel permit page · last checked
The Alabama statute, the after-the-fact permit path and who may pull the permit: building without a permit in Alabama.
Birmingham permit questions, answered from the data
- Do you need a permit in Birmingham?
- For most projects, yes. Of the 13 permit types we have verified for Birmingham, 7 always require a permit (for example a deck permit), 5 depend on size or scope (a bathroom remodel permit, for instance). Each Birmingham permit type's page states the exact rule and its source.
- How much does a permit cost in Birmingham?
- Birmingham publishes a fee for 12 of the 13 permit types we cover, each quoted on its page from the jurisdiction's own schedule (linked on every page that carries one). Fees are set by City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits (PEP), Permitting & Inspection Division; we do not estimate or mark them up.
- Where do you apply for a permit in Birmingham?
- City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits (PEP), Permitting & Inspection Division issues permits in Birmingham, with an online portal for applications, plan uploads and status checks, and takes questions at (205) 254-2904. The Birmingham official page and portal are linked in the office section above.
- What is the penalty for building without a permit in Birmingham?
- Birmingham publishes its own charge for work started before the permit: Work begun before the permit pays a doubled fee (section 104.2). That is the local bill; the Alabama statute, the after-the-fact permit path and who may pull the permit are on the Alabama building-without-a-permit page.
How the Birmingham pages were verified. 13 permit types, 3 distinct official sources, most recently checked . Every rule is read from City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering & Permits (PEP), Permitting & Inspection Division or the applicable code and cited on its page; anything we could not confirm for Birmingham is marked rather than estimated. How we verify.