Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Valley Grande, Alabama

Valley Grande’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New residential construction inside Valley Grande city limits

  • Projects with valuations under $10,000 do not require a building permit, per the FAQ.
  • Mobile homes must be permitted before placement (see manufactured_home_occupancy).
  • Work started before a permit is obtained is subject to a $100.00 per day fine added to the permit price (Ordinance 2018-88 section 1).

  valuation threshold below which no building permit is required: < 10000 USD (projects under $10,000 per FAQ)

  “all new construction in valley grande requires a valid building permit issued by the city of valley grande.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New construction inside Valley Grande city limits

  • The city page lists the adoption ordinance by title only; the edition of the International Building Code adopted is not stated there.
  • Ordinance 2018-88 refers to inspections under section 109 of the IBC-2003.

  “ordinance #2004-08 adoption of international building code”

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction inside Valley Grande city limits, performed by the city building inspector

  • Four inspections are listed: footings before concrete, slab or floor framing before slab concrete, rough-in before wall coverings, and final when the structure is ready for occupancy.
  • The inspection fee must be paid by the general contractor before each inspection; re-inspections carry an additional fee.
  • Mobile homes: all inspections (electrical, plumbing, HVAC) are made at one time when the structure is ready for occupancy.

  required inspections for new construction: 4 count

  “inspections there are 4 required inspections. failure to submit to these inspections will cause the issuance of a stop-work-order.”

• Local zoningAbsent

  Land inside Valley Grande city limits: the city has no zoning ordinance

  • Restrictive covenants may apply: some subdivisions, developers and land owners have restrictive covenants that may stipulate certain restrictions, and the property owner must check them before construction or placing a mobile home.
  • Copies of some developer restrictive covenants are on file at city hall.
  • Building, septic, mobile-home permit and floodplain rules still apply (see those topics).

  “at this time the city of valley grande does not have a zoning ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsNot published

  Zoning districts inside Valley Grande city limits

  • No zoning ordinance exists, so no districts are published.
  • Restrictive covenants may impose district-like limits in some subdivisions.

  “at this time the city of valley grande does not have a zoning ordinance.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile and manufactured homes placed inside Valley Grande city limits

  • A city permit is required before delivery and set up, and any structure moved in or placed must be permitted before placement.
  • Permit fee and inspection fee apply (see permit_fees).
  • Restrictive covenents may apply to some subdivisions.

  “mobile homes are required to be permitted prior to placement within the city limits of valley grande.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  New construction on a parcel inside Valley Grande city limits

  • A FEMA floodplain certification is issued by the city with the building permit, at no charge, after the flood zone is verified.
  • Flood insurance is required for financing in special flood hazard areas, per the city page's general statement.

  “federal law requires that the property on which you propose to build be identified with respect to the flood zone in which it exists.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permits and mobile-home permits inside Valley Grande city limits, under Ordinance 2018-88

  • Section 7 of the ordinance copy has a blank effective date ('____, 2018'); the adoption date is not stated on the copy opened.
  • The city departments page states a mobile-home fee of $750 for double-wide and $500 for single-wide, which conflicts with Ordinance 2018-88 section 4 ($650 and $400 plus $100 inspection). Which schedule governs must be confirmed.
  • Fees shown are the ordinance schedule. A project value of $0 to $10,000 has no fee.
  • Residential valuation is assigned at $60 per sq. ft. for finished and conditioned areas.

  residential valuation per finished sq ft: 60 USD per sq ft (finished / conditioned areas) · single-wide mobile home permit fee: 400 USD (plus $100 inspection fee) · double-wide or larger mobile home permit fee: 650 USD (plus $100 inspection fee) · building permit fee project value $50,001 to $150,000: 250 USD (first $50,000 plus $5.00 for each additional thousand or fraction thereof)

  “$250.00 for the first $50,000 plus $5.00 for each additional thousand or fraction thereof, to and including $150,000.”

• Permit processPublished

  New construction and mobile-home permits inside Valley Grande city limits

  • Permits are generally issued within 1 to 3 days after a complete application.
  • Required before permit: 911 address, FEMA floodplain certification, licensed contractor and plumbing, heating/air and electrical licenses with Valley Grande business licenses, septic permit copy, and fee payment.
  • Power release follows the city inspections (see building_inspection).

  “the following requirements must be met in order to conform with applicable laws and ordinances in effect at this time.”

Rules another office applies inside Valley Grande

Valley Grande 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 (septic) systems on land inside Valley Grande city limits, administered by the Dallas County health office of the Alabama Department of Public Health

  • The city does not run its own septic permit program; the city requires a copy of the county septic permit before issuing its building permit.
  • Septic permits are issued by the county health officer, not the city.

  “5. septic permit issued by the county health inspector, a copy of this must be provided to the city.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New septic systems for homes inside Valley Grande city limits

  • A county septic permit must be obtained before the city will issue a building permit; a copy must be provided to the city.
  • The city's mobile-home permit also requires a copy of the county health officer's septic tank permit.

  “a copy of the permit issued by the county health officer to install a septic tank.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Valley Grande or Dallas County directly.

• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for new homes inside Valley Grande city limits
• Septic inspection — Septic system inspections for homes inside Valley Grande city limits
• Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation for a home inside Valley Grande city limits
• Well permit — Private water wells on land inside Valley Grande city limits
• Agricultural exemption — Agricultural-use exemption from city permits inside Valley Grande 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.