City Building Permits
Florence, AL - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in Florence, Alabama. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Corporate city limits and the 3-mile planning jurisdiction, with some exceptions
- Department
- Building Department, City of Florence
- Address
- 110 West College St., Suite 216, Florence, AL 35630
- Phone
- 256-760-6325
Online Permit Portal
Platform: Eproval • Account required: Yes • Submission: In-person only
Application Process
- Confirm the project is inside Florence city limits or the planning jurisdiction.
- Prepare plans and required forms; Florence states six complete sets of printed plans stamped by an Alabama-licensed architect or engineer are required for submissions that need plan review.
- Submit through the Eproval portal or to the Building Department.
- Complete plan review and respond to corrections if needed.
- Pay permit fees and any contractor license fees.
- Obtain permit issuance, then schedule inspections with the department.
General Requirements
Florence states permits are required within its 3-mile planning jurisdiction; the public permit pages also cover building, trade, sign, flood, and land-disturbance permits
Required Documents
- Six printed sets of plans for plan review where required; department forms; stamped drawings when required
- Building code
- Florence activates and enforces its adopted building code through local ordinances; the public pages reviewed did not present a single concise code-adoption summary
- Contractor requirements
- Florence states a city contractor license fee applies for projects inside city limits; gas work must be done by a certified gas contractor
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- New single-family residential construction starts at $49.00 per heated square foot and $12.25 per unheated square foot
- Plan check fee
- One-half of the building permit fee when a plan is required
- Permit fee formula
- Mixed; square-foot based for new single-family residential, valuation-based for other residential/commercial work, and flat fees for certain permits
- Reinspection fee
- Work started before permit is doubled; plumbing reinspection fee is $20; gas callback fee is $20; outside normal hours inspection rate is $25 per hour; demolition fee is $50; moving fee is $100
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Building Department, City of Florence to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Contact the Building Department; public pages also reference inspection workflows through department staff (contact)
- Inspection hours
- Department office hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Typical inspection sequence: Permit application, review, issuance, required rough and final inspections, then certificate of occupancy when applicable
Florence publishes separate inspection fee tables and callback fees in the fee schedule
Additional Resources
- Building code: Florence activates and enforces its adopted building code through local ordinances; the public pages reviewed did not present a single concise code-adoption summary
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- License lookup guide: Alabama Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Alabama Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Alabama hub: Alabama Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Building Department, City of Florence before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Florence Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in Florence, AL?
- Florence states permits are required within its 3-mile planning jurisdiction; the public permit pages also cover building, trade, sign, flood, and land-disturbance permits
- How much does a building permit cost in Florence, AL?
- The minimum permit fee is New single-family residential construction starts at $49.00 per heated square foot and $12.25 per unheated square foot. Fees are calculated as: Mixed; square-foot based for new single-family residential, valuation-based for other residential/commercial work, and flat fees for certain permits. Plan check fee: One-half of the building permit fee when a plan is required.
- How do I apply for a building permit in Florence, AL?
- 1. Confirm the project is inside Florence city limits or the planning jurisdiction. 2. Prepare plans and required forms; Florence states six complete sets of printed plans stamped by an Alabama-licensed architect or engineer are required for submissions that need plan review. 3. Submit through the Eproval portal or to the Building Department. 4. Complete plan review and respond to corrections if needed. 5. Pay permit fees and any contractor license fees. 6. Obtain permit issuance, then schedule inspections with the department.
- How do I schedule a building inspection in Florence, AL?
- Inspections can be scheduled via: Contact the Building Department; public pages also reference inspection workflows through department staff.
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