Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Loxley, Alabama

Loxley’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Minor excavation, construction or alteration inside Loxley city limits costing under $100

  • Exemption applies only if the activity does not violate any section of the zoning ordinance.
  • Does not exempt electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing work regulated by the technical codes as stated in the handbook (not verified for this exception).

  cost threshold for no building permit: < 100 USD (provided such activity does not violate any section contained in this ordinance)

  “building permits shall not be required for any excavation, construction, or alteration, the cost of which is less than one hundred ($100.00) dollars, provided such activity does not violate any section contained in this ordinance.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Required — New construction, alteration, repair or moving of buildings inside Loxley city limits, including accessory structures and signs

    “applicants for permits must be contractors licensed to do business in the city of loxley or owners of the property when acting as their own contractor and providing the supervision themselves.”

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Owner-occupied or owned property inside Loxley city limits where the owner acts as own contractor

  • Owner must provide the supervision personally.
  • Applies to permits under the handbook's technical-code permit process.

  “applicants for permits must be contractors licensed to do business in the city of loxley or owners of the property when acting as their own contractor and providing the supervision themselves.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Loxley city limits

  • Adopted list is as printed in the 03.19.2024 handbook: 2018 IBC, 2018 IRC, 2018 IPC, 2018 IMC, 2018 IFGC, 2018 IECC, 2017 NEC, 2015 IFC, ICC A117.1-2017, 2018 ISPSC, 2018 IEBC, 2018 IPMC.
  • Zoning ordinance Section 9.3.1 also refers to the 'building code of the city of loxley' and the international building code.

  “adopted codes - 2018 international building code 2018 international residential code 2018 international plumbing code 2018 international mechanical code 2018 international fuel gas code 2018 international energy conservation code 2017 national electrical code 2015 international fire code”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings and premises inside Loxley city limits before certificate of occupancy

  • Handbook charges reinspection fees (first reinspection no charge, second $50, third $100 plus minimum two days) and lists separate commercial and residential inspectors on the city website.
  • Specific inspection types and schedule are not stated in the sections read.

  “it shall be the duty of the building official of the city to make a final inspection thereof, to issue a certificate of occupancy if the building or premises is found to conform with the provisions of this ordinance”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Land, buildings or structures erected, moved or altered in use inside Loxley city limits

  • Building official makes a final inspection before issuing the certificate; refusal may be appealed to the Board of Adjustment and Appeals (Section 4.2.4).

  “no land or building or other structure or part thereof erected, moved or altered in its use shall be used or occupied until the building official of the city shall have issued a certificate of occupancy.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Loxley city limits (Loxley city's own Zoning Ordinance, 2021-07-12 PDF, administered by the city building official)

  • The ordinance is the 2021 version; later rezoning ordinances amend individual parcels (for example Ordinance Nos. 2024-44, 2025-35, 2025-40, 2026-01, 2026-03 listed on cityofloxley.com) and were not reviewed line by line.
  • Zoning does not apply outside the city limits; police-jurisdiction land is excluded by the ordinance's definition 'within the city'.

  “the provisions of this ordinance shall be administered and enforced by the building official of the city.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Land inside Loxley city limits: residential districts R-LA, R-LB, R-2, R-3, GPH-1, TH-1, MH-1; commercial B-1, B-1A, B-1B, B-2; industrial M-1; agricultural-open space A-O (Zoning Ordinance Article VII)

  • The ordinance text was opened only for the residential, A-O and commercial district sections surfaced by search; the full district list and any later district amendments were not fully checked.

  “7.2 residential districts 16 7.2.1 r-la residential single family a. uses permitted: single family dwelling units excluding townhouses and patio garden homes.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings and farms in the Agricultural-Open Space (A-O) district inside Loxley city limits

  • Applies to uses permitted in A-O under Section 7.5.1.

  minimum lot area: >= 3 acres · minimum lot width at building line: >= 150 feet

  “7.5.4 required lot area, width, etc.:7 minimum lot area minimum lot width at building line minimum depth of front yard minimum depth of rear yard minimum width of each side yard maximum building area maximum building height: feet stories off-street parking requirement per family dwelling unit 1 3 acres 150 50 50 25 25 % 35 2 1”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-LA residential single family district inside Loxley city limits

    “d. required lot area, width etc. minimum lot area 12,000 square feet 34 minimum lot width at building line minimum depth of front yard minimum depth of rear yard minimum width of each side yard minimum side yard abutting street maximum building area as % of gross lot area maximum building height: feet stories off-street parking spaces required per bedroom18 maximum density per acre 7.2.2 100 feet 35 feet 30 feet 12 feet 35 feet 30 % 35 2 1 n/a”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Farms and single-family dwellings in the A-O district inside Loxley city limits

  • Setbacks from the 7.5.4 table.

  minimum front yard depth: >= 50 feet · minimum rear yard depth: >= 50 feet · minimum side yard width: >= 25 feet

  “minimum lot area minimum lot width at building line minimum depth of front yard minimum depth of rear yard minimum width of each side yard maximum building area maximum building height: feet stories off-street parking requirement per family dwelling unit 1 3 acres 150 50 50 25 25 % 35 2 1”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Farms and single-family dwellings in the A-O district inside Loxley city limits

  • Maximum building area as a percentage of gross lot area.

  maximum building area: <= 25 percent of gross lot area

  “minimum lot area minimum lot width at building line minimum depth of front yard minimum depth of rear yard minimum width of each side yard maximum building area maximum building height: feet stories off-street parking requirement per family dwelling unit 1 3 acres 150 50 50 25 25 % 35 2 1”

• Building heightSpecified

  Farms and single-family dwellings in the A-O district inside Loxley city limits

  • Maximum height and stories from the 7.5.4 table.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet · maximum stories: <= 2 stories

  “minimum lot area minimum lot width at building line minimum depth of front yard minimum depth of rear yard minimum width of each side yard maximum building area maximum building height: feet stories off-street parking requirement per family dwelling unit 1 3 acres 150 50 50 25 25 % 35 2 1”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Single mobile dwelling on an individual lot in the Agricultural-Open Space (A-O) district inside Loxley city limits, where the Board of Adjustment and Appeals permits it

  • Requires board of adjustment permission for the use.
  • Minimum lot size one acre with 150 feet minimum width.
  • Lot must have access to a public road.
  • Planning commission permit, valid two years and renewable through the building official.
  • Mobile dwelling must comply with all city codes; board may add conditions.

  minimum lot size: >= 1 acre · minimum lot width: >= 150 feet

  “single mobile dwellings: where single mobile dwellings are permitted by the board of adjustment and appeals in a-o district they shall be subject to the following regulations: 1. such mobile dwellings shall be in compliance with all codes of the city of loxley. 2. the minimum lot size shall be one acre with a one hundred fifty (150) feet minimum width. 3. the lot must have access to a public road.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Limited — Occupying a mobile dwelling (manufactured or mobile home) as a dwelling inside Loxley city limits, general rule outside any single-lot exception

    “no mobile dwelling shall be occupied for dwelling purposes unless the same is located in a mobile dwelling park or subdivision. mobile dwellings may not be used as accessory structures.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions and subdivision plats inside Loxley city limits

  • Preliminary plat application fee $250 plus $30 per lot; final plat application fee $150 plus $30 per lot (handbook).
  • Subdividers must connect to central water and sanitary sewer where reasonably accessible; otherwise alternative supply and disposal must meet public health rules (Section 6.1.5).

  preliminary plat application fee: 250 USD (plus $30 per lot) · final plat application fee: 150 USD (plus $30 per lot)

  “subdivision application fee: - preliminary plat application........................................................ $250 plus $30 per lot - amendments…............................................................................................................ $50 - final plat application................................................................... $150 plus $30 per lot”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building, plan review, demolition and mobile home permit fees inside Loxley city limits (handbook dated 03.19.2024)

  • Fees are in addition to any required impact fees.
  • A later 06.28.2024 handbook revision exists and was not opened; its fee schedule may differ.
  • Valuation for new construction is set by appraisal, signed contract, or the ICC valuation table.
  • Work commencing without a valid building permit is prohibited; penalties listed.

  new residential construction permit fee: 5 USD per $1,000 of valuation · new commercial construction permit fee: 6 USD per $1,000 of valuation · residential plan review fee: 50 USD (flat fee) · residential demolition permit fee: 75 USD · mobile home setup permit fee: 35 USD

  “fees will be $5.00 per $1,000 of the valuation amount for residential and $6.00 per $1,000 of the valuation amount for commercial.”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit application process inside Loxley city limits

  • Application filed with the building department on the city form with the required fee and a description of the work.
  • Reinspection and stop-work rules apply during construction.
  • Site plan review for commercial, industrial, office or multi-family projects goes to the building official, city engineer, city planner and planning commission (zoning Section 4.6).

  “each application for a permit, with the required fee, shall be filed with the building department on a form provided for that purpose and shall contain a description of the proposed work consistent with the requirements of the adopted codes.”

Rules another office applies inside Loxley

Loxley does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite sewage systems on land inside Loxley city limits (Loxley is in Baldwin County; the Baldwin County Health Department, part of the Alabama Department of Public Health, administers the permit)

  • Health department service area is the county; the page does not name Loxley specifically.
  • City sewer connection is a separate question (see utility_connection).

  “alabama state law requires owners of property to obtain a permit from the local health department prior to installing a new onsite sewage disposal system or making repairs to an existing system.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New onsite sewage disposal system on land inside Loxley city limits (Baldwin County Health Department)

  • Soil test by a registered soils professional, with application and fee, submitted to the health department.
  • If the soil test shows restrictions, a registered engineer must design the system.
  • Health department reviews materials and visits the site; permit issued to the owner when requirements are met.
  • Permit is also required before repairing an existing system.

  “alabama state law requires owners of property to obtain a permit from the local health department prior to installing a new onsite sewage disposal system or making repairs to an existing system.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New or repaired onsite sewage disposal system inside Loxley city limits

  • Installer must request health department inspection before the system is covered.

  “7. the installer must contact the health department for an inspection before covering the system.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Loxley or Baldwin County directly.

• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a dwelling inside Loxley city limits
• Living in an RV — Occupying a recreational vehicle on private land inside Loxley city limits
• Camping on your land — Temporary tent or camper camping on private land inside Loxley city limits
• Tiny homes — Occupying a tiny home on land inside Loxley city limits
• Accessory dwellings — Second dwelling unit on a lot inside Loxley city limits

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.