Building permits, zoning and land rules in Dallas County, Alabama

Yes. Dallas County's E-911 addressing page says that anyone planning to build a new home or business must first contact the Dallas County Emergency Management Department at (334) 874-2515 to obtain a building permit, and then contact the E-911 Data Management Office to request an address¹. The county source does not state a permit fee, an inspection requirement, an adopted building code or whether incorporated municipalities run separate permit systems, so ask Emergency Management about those before ordering plans¹. Alabama law allows county commissions to adopt building laws and codes⁸. The county's separate Permit to Develop belongs to the subdivision plat and road-development process, not to an ordinary house³. Alabama's owner-builder licensing exemption applies to one- and two-family homes an owner builds for personal use, but it covers contractor licensing, not the county building permit⁷.

Building permits start with the Dallas County Emergency Management Department at (334) 874-2515, which is at 102 Church Street, Selma, AL 36702^1,9. Septic permits, subdivision review and county-road access are handled by other offices, so the building permit does not replace them. For a subdivision, new subdivision road, or county-road access question, contact the Dallas County Engineering Department at (334) 874-2503 or visit 102 Church St, 1st Floor, Selma, AL 36701³. Engineering reviews proposed subdivision plats, and the County Engineer issues a Permit to Develop before subdivision construction begins³. Engineering also installs a qualifying driveway turnout on county road right-of-way at no charge when the landowner buys and supplies the drainage pipe specified by the department³. For septic, call the Dallas County Health Department Environmental Office at 334-872-5887¹⁰.

We could not confirm a countywide zoning ordinance for unincorporated Dallas County from an official county source⁵. The county hazard plan says Selma and Orrville have zoning ordinances, while Valley Grande had none when the plan was written, so zoning inside a city follows that city's ordinance⁴. Alabama counties generally lack broad land-use authority, although special local laws and narrow powers can authorize zoning or land-use controls in particular circumstances¹¹. That uncertainty means a rural parcel should not be advertised as unrestricted: the available information does not settle RV occupancy, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size, setbacks, lot coverage, building height, or minimum lot size. Ask the Dallas County Commission which rules govern the parcel, and separately verify whether the land is inside a municipality or its applicable jurisdiction because municipal rules are not answered by the county information. Subdivision creation remains regulated even though general zoning is unconfirmed³.

A Dallas County property that is not connected to a public sanitary sewer needs a septic permit from the local health department before a new onsite system is installed or an existing system is repaired¹². Submit the application and complete plans to the Dallas County Health Department; construction may begin only after the Permit to Install is issued, and the installer must be licensed by the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board¹³. The Dallas County Health Department Environmental Office handles onsite sewage systems and can be reached at 334-872-5887^2,10. Septic permits for every address in Dallas County, city or not, come from that office, and the application includes soils information, a legal description, a plot plan and a vicinity map⁶. The applicant must contact the health department before beginning installation⁶. Only 11.8% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make soil suitability and system cost an early contingency in any land contract¹⁴.

We could not confirm an official Dallas County rule allowing or prohibiting long-term RV living, temporary camping, or tiny-home occupancy on private land in unincorporated areas⁵. Ask the Dallas County Commission about the proposed use and ask the Dallas County Health Department how wastewater must be handled before placing or occupying a unit^2,10. Alabama does recognize a qualifying manufactured home as a residence when it meets the state's dimensional, permanent-chassis, utility, and HUD Seal conditions, but that statewide recognition does not settle local siting requirements¹⁵. An RV or custom tiny house should not be treated as a manufactured home unless it actually meets that definition.

1. Call the Dallas County Emergency Management Department at (334) 874-2515 to obtain the building permit, then contact the E-911 Data Management Office for an address once the permit is issued¹. Ask the Dallas County Commission about floodplain review or land-use restrictions on the parcel⁵.
2. Call the Dallas County Health Department Environmental Office at 334-872-5887, establish whether public sewer is available, and apply for a septic Permit to Install when the property will use onsite sewage^10,13.
3. If acting as your own contractor, confirm that the project meets Alabama's owner-builder licensing exemption and that every subcontractor who crosses the state's licensing threshold is properly licensed⁷.
4. Contact Dallas County Engineering for a driveway connecting to a county road, or submit ALDOT Form BM-111 when access will connect to a state highway^3,16.
5. If dividing land or developing subdivision roads, complete County Engineer review and obtain the Permit to Develop before construction³.

Put septic feasibility first: only 11.8% of Dallas County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so obtain a site evaluation before the purchase becomes final¹⁴. The county averages 53.8 inches of precipitation a year, while 91.6% of its land has a slope of 15% or less and 70.8% is wooded; those figures help frame drainage, clearing, and access work but do not replace a parcel survey¹⁴. Confirm legal road access with Dallas County Engineering when the entrance meets a county road, and use ALDOT's permit process for a state-highway entrance^3,16. Also confirm municipal boundaries, floodplain status, deed restrictions, available utilities, and the exact tax assessment before closing.