Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Attalla, Alabama

Attalla’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Attalla city limits (City of Attalla zoning ordinance, July 2003, Section 4 jurisdiction clause)

  • The ordinance is the 2003 version linked from the city's Building & Revenue Department page; amendments after 2003 were not checked.
  • The city's Building & Revenue Department lists zoning among its duties.

  “the requirements and standards contained in this ordinance shall apply to all areas within the corporate boundaries of the city of attalla.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in the A-1 agricultural zoning district inside Attalla city limits (the ordinance's 'minimum standards for all dwellings' paragraph appears within the A-1 section, pages 88-91)

  • Also a roof pitch of 3:12 and landscaping requirement under the same paragraph.

  minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: >= 800 square feet

  “a. minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: eight hundred (800) square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential zoning district inside Attalla city limits

  • The 14,000 sq ft figure applies to lots served by municipal sewer.
  • Lots not served by municipal sewer must contain at least the minimum plus any additional area the Etowah County Health Department deems necessary for on-site sewage disposal.

  minimum lot size (municipal sewer): >= 14000 square feet (lots not served by municipal sewer need more area as determined by the Etowah County Health Department) · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet

  “a. minimum lot size: fourteen thousand (14,000) square feet for lots served by municipal sewer.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — A-1 agricultural zoning district inside Attalla city limits

    “a. minimum lot size: one acre (43,560 square feet) for all lots.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  A-1 agricultural zoning district inside Attalla city limits

  • Additional setback may be required under Article III section 7 of the ordinance (not read).

  front yard setback: >= 40 feet (measured from the edge of the right-of-way line) · side yard setback: >= 15 feet · rear yard setback: >= 40 feet

  “c. minimum front yard setback: forty (40) feet from the edge of the right-of-way line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residential zoning district inside Attalla city limits

    “c. minimum front yard setback: thirty-five (35) feet from the edge of the right-of-way line.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential zoning district inside Attalla city limits

  maximum impervious surface area: <= 25 percent of lot area

  “maximum impervious surface area: twenty-five (25) percent.”

• Building heightSpecified

  A-1 agricultural zoning district inside Attalla city limits

  • Structures exempt from height requirements are governed by Article III section 3.1 (not read).

  maximum structure height: <= 35 feet (or two and one half (2.5) stories; structures exempt under Article III section 3.1 excepted)

  “f. maximum structure height: thirty-five (35) feet or two and one half (2.5) stories for all structures that are not exempt from height requirements, as specified in article iii, section 3.1 of this ordinance.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residential zoning district inside Attalla city limits

    “f. maximum structure height: thirty-five (35) feet or two and one half (2.5) stories for all structures that are not exempt from height requirements, as specified in article iii, section 3.1 of this ordinance.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory residential dwelling units in the R-1 single-family residential district inside Attalla city limits

  • Permitted only in single-family dwellings in the R-1 district, subject to Article IV section 6.
  • Maximum 500 gross square feet or 25% of the primary dwelling's improved floor area, whichever is less.
  • No formal lease of the unit; informal arrangements only.
  • The unit must be attached to or contained within the primary dwelling; no accessory structure may be used or modified as the unit.
  • Only one exterior entrance to the unit is permitted.
  • Sewage needs must be met by the existing sewage service, and no separate utility meters are allowed.
  • Section 6.5 (limit on number of units) was not read within budget.

  maximum floor area: <= 500 gross square feet (or 25 percent of the total improved floor area of the primary residential dwelling, whichever is less)

  “accessory residential units shall contain not more than five hundred (500) gross square feet or twenty-five (25) percent of the total improved floor area of the primary residential dwelling, whichever is less.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permit fees for work inside Attalla city limits

  • The fee schedule is in Ordinance 2022-7 (linked as a PDF on the city page); the PDF itself was not opened, so amounts are not recorded here.

  “attalla permit fees ord. 2022-7 download pdf file”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process inside Attalla city limits

  • The page publishes the building permit application and asks residents to call or visit city hall for questions; step-by-step review and inspection sequence are not stated on the page.

  “you may call or go by city hall with questions pertaining to these areas.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Attalla city limits
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Attalla city limits
• Inspections — Inspections of new homes inside Attalla city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for new homes inside Attalla city limits
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Attalla 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.