Union Springs, AL Building Permits, Zoning & Septic Rules

Inside Union Springs, Alabama, the city has its own zoning ordinance that divides the city into use districts, and City Hall is the first stop for permits.¹² Septic permits for properties off public sewer come from the Bullock County Health Department.³⁴ We could not confirm a city building-permit requirement, so ask City Hall before you start.

At a glance

Building permit: Not confirmed; ask City Hall, which handles city permits²
Zoning: City zoning ordinance divides Union Springs into use districts shown on a zoning map¹
Septic: Permit from the Bullock County Health Department when off public sewer³
Manufactured homes: Must be in authorized parks or subdivisions, with limited exceptions⁵
Owner-builder: Alabama allows owners to act as their own contractor on one- or two-family homes they will occupy⁶
RV living: RV parks must meet county health sewer requirements; residential RV rule not confirmed⁷

Who to call

Building permits

City of Union Springs City Hall

First contact for Union Springs city permits, licenses and records, and for zoning questions

334-738-2720

212 Prairie Street North, Union Springs, AL 36089

Septic permits

Bullock County Health Department, Environmental Office

Septic tank requests and onsite sewage permits

334-730-4306

674 Hicks Industrial Boulevard, Union Springs, Alabama 36089

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Union Springs means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Union Springs, Alabama?

We could not confirm a city building-permit requirement, inspection schedule or certificate-of-occupancy rule for Union Springs. City Hall lists permits among the services it provides, so call 334-738-2720 and ask what your project needs.²

The city's zoning ordinance sets use districts, and a project must fit the district shown on the zoning map for its parcel.¹ We also could not confirm the adopted building code or a published building-permit fee schedule.

Who handles permits and zoning in Union Springs?

Union Springs City Hall at 212 Prairie Street North handles city permits, licenses and records; call 334-738-2720.² We did not find a separate published building-inspector or planning counter, so ask City Hall to route you.

Bullock County has no county-wide zoning, but that applies to unincorporated land, not to a lot inside the city.⁸ Inside Union Springs, the city's own ordinance applies.¹

Does Union Springs have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and manufactured homes?

Union Springs divides the city into several use districts, and the location, boundaries and area of each district are shown on the zoning map.¹

Manufactured homes must be placed in authorized manufactured home parks or subdivisions, except in the AG-1 agriculture district, and in the RSF-1, RSF-2 and RSF-3 districts need conditional approval from the Union Springs Planning Commission.⁵ Each recreational vehicle park must have public or private sewer or on-site sewer meeting Bullock County Health Department requirements.⁷ We could not confirm tiny-home, minimum-lot-size, setback or accessory-dwelling rules, so ask City Hall.

How do septic permits work inside Union Springs?

Alabama law requires a property not connected to a public sanitary sewer to get a permit from the local health department before installing a new system or repairing an existing one.⁹ For Union Springs addresses off sewer, that is the Bullock County Health Department's Environmental Office at 334-730-4306.⁴

The application goes to the county health department, a Permit to Install is issued only if plans are complete, and the installer must be licensed by the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board.³ Conventional drain fields rate poorly here, since about 0% of soils in the county rate as not severely limited, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered system.¹⁰

Building a home in Union Springs: the steps, in order

Call City Hall at 334-738-2720 to confirm the zoning district, any permits and whether public sewer is available.²
If you are off public sewer, apply to the Bullock County Health Department for a Permit to Install before building.³
If you plan a manufactured home, confirm the district and Planning Commission approval.⁵
If you will act as your own contractor, note that Alabama's owner-builder exemption covers one- or two-family residences you will occupy.⁶

Watch-outs

We could not confirm Union Springs' building permit, certificate of occupancy, minimum lot size, setback, tiny-home or well rules; ask City Hall at 334-738-2720.²
Bullock County's lack of county-wide zoning does not mean a lot inside Union Springs is unregulated, because the city sets its own zoning.¹

Sources

Written October 10, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Union Springs publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bullock County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Union Springs, Alabama

At a glance

Who to call

Do you need a building permit in Union Springs, Alabama?

Who handles permits and zoning in Union Springs?

Does Union Springs have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and manufactured homes?

How do septic permits work inside Union Springs?

Building a home in Union Springs: the steps, in order

Watch-outs

Sources

Answers from the rulebook for Union Springs

Union Springs’s own rules

Rules another office applies inside Union Springs

Still unanswered