City Building Permits
Saraland, AL - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in Saraland, Alabama. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Saraland's Building Department issues permits and performs inspections within the city and also oversees planning, zoning, variances, and special use exceptions. The planning jurisdiction extends 1.5 miles beyond city limits for planning matters, but building-permit authority should be confirmed with the city for each site.
- Department
- Building Department
- Address
- 933 Saraland Blvd. South, Saraland, AL 36571
- Phone
- 251-679-5502
Online Permit Portal
Platform: City website webforms • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Application Process
- Confirm the project is in Saraland's building jurisdiction and identify the needed permit type.
- Download or complete the applicable building, trade, land-disturbance, sign, right-of-way, tree, or six-month investigation permit materials.
- Submit the permit form and supporting plans to the Building Department, either through the city website permit pages or directly with the department.
- For grading or disturbance work, include the required grading, drainage, erosion-control, and engineering calculations.
- City staff review the application for code, zoning, floodplain, and development compliance.
- Pay the required fees and obtain the permit before beginning work.
- Request the required inspections and complete final approvals or certificate-of-occupancy steps where applicable.
Typical processing time: Saraland's zoning and development ordinance gives the Building Official 30 days to rule on complete building permit applications unless extended by agreement.
Source: Building Department
General Requirements
Saraland states permits are issued for demolition, new construction, renovation, land disturbance, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sign, right-of-way, and tree-related work.
Required Documents
- Permit application
- Project valuation
- Plans
- Permit-specific submittals
- Site grading and drainage plan (for land-disturbance)
- Erosion-control information (for land-disturbance)
- Permit validity
- Individual permit pages show some permits, such as tree permits, valid for 6 months. The city's business-licenses and permits page states permits other than rental licenses are valid for 6 months and may be extended once for free, with a second extension for a $75 fee.
- Building code
- Effective July 2019, Saraland lists 2014 NEC, 2015 IPMC, 2015 IFC, 2015 IBC, 2015 IMC, 2015 IPC, 2015 IRC, and 2015 IEBC.
- Owner-builder
- Not clearly summarized on the reviewed main building page.
- Contractor requirements
- Applicants should comply with Alabama state licensing and any local business-license requirements. Permit forms and right-of-way permits request contractor city business license information where applicable.
Fees
- Reinspection fee
- The business-licenses and permits page states a second permit extension costs $75 after the free first extension.
- Payment note
- The city collects permit information through online forms or the department directly. Confirm payment method with the Building Department before filing.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Building Department to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Building Department (phone)
- Inspection hours
- Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with a notice that staffing hours were shifting to 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Typical inspection sequence: Structural, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical inspections are performed as applicable to the permit.
Additional Resources
- Building code: Effective July 2019, Saraland lists 2014 NEC, 2015 IPMC, 2015 IFC, 2015 IBC, 2015 IMC, 2015 IPC, 2015 IRC, and 2015 IEBC.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Business License
- Six-Month Investigation Application
- 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 before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Saraland Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in Saraland, AL?
- Saraland states permits are issued for demolition, new construction, renovation, land disturbance, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sign, right-of-way, and tree-related work.
- How do I apply for a building permit in Saraland, AL?
- 1. Confirm the project is in Saraland's building jurisdiction and identify the needed permit type. 2. Download or complete the applicable building, trade, land-disturbance, sign, right-of-way, tree, or six-month investigation permit materials. 3. Submit the permit form and supporting plans to the Building Department, either through the city website permit pages or directly with the department. 4. For grading or disturbance work, include the required grading, drainage, erosion-control, and engineering calculations. 5. City staff review the application for code, zoning, floodplain, and development compliance. 6. Pay the required fees and obtain the permit before beginning work. 7. Request the required inspections and complete final approvals or certificate-of-occupancy steps where applicable.
- How long does it take to get a building permit in Saraland, AL?
- Typical processing time is Saraland's zoning and development ordinance gives the Building Official 30 days to rule on complete building permit applications unless extended by agreement..
- How do I schedule a building inspection in Saraland, AL?
- Inspections can be scheduled via: Building Department.
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