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

Henry County does not list a building department, building inspector or permit office for unincorporated property, so a general county residential building permit appears not to be required². The county has not published an explicit statement confirming that conclusion, and we could not confirm its inspection or certificate-of-occupancy practice; ask the county before ordering materials or starting work². City limits change the answer because each municipality can apply its own rules⁴. The City of Headland expressly requires building permits for residential and commercial work, including new construction, additions, remodeling, roofs, replacement windows, accessory structures, pole barns, detached garages, gutters, siding and brick work³.

Henry County does not list a county building department, inspector or permit office for unincorporated land². For work inside Headland, obtain the required building permit through the City of Headland office³. The Henry County Road Department issues the driveway access permits and requires one for access onto a public right-of-way and approves the site and pipe size for a standard installation^1,4. The Henry County Health Department's Abbeville office handles septic (onsite sewage) applications and permits^5,11. For a covered subdivision outside municipal limits, submit the proposed plat to the County Engineer for review before County Commission consideration¹⁰.

Unincorporated Henry County has no county zoning districts or land-use regulations, but property inside a city limit follows that municipality's zoning and building rules, while septic permits still come from the Henry County Health Department^4,5. On unincorporated land, county zoning sets no minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, lot-coverage limit or building-height limit⁴. That does not erase subdivision, septic, floodplain or private deed restrictions⁴. RVs, tiny homes, manufactured homes, accessory dwellings and temporary camping are unrestricted by county zoning on unincorporated land⁷. Covered land divisions remain subject to county subdivision review, with specific exclusions for some agricultural and other divisions¹⁰.

Any home or business in Henry County that isn't connected to a public sanitary sewer needs a permit from the Henry County Health Department before a septic system is installed or repaired, under Alabama's statewide onsite sewage law^6,11. Before construction starts, the applicant submits a permit application that typically includes professional soils information, a legal description, a plot plan and a vicinity map, and the health department reviews the soil-test results before issuing a permit¹². Installation can't begin before the health department is contacted, and some lots turn out to be unsuitable for a conventional system, requiring an engineered alternative instead¹². The Henry County Health Department's Abbeville office, at 505 Kirkland Street, handles these applications alongside its other environmental services¹¹.

County zoning does not restrict RV living, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured-home occupancy, accessory dwellings or temporary camping on unincorporated Henry County land⁷. Municipal rules can differ inside city limits⁴. A manufactured home remains subject to Alabama installation and occupancy rules: a certified installer must install it, and the home must comply with the Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission's uniform standards before occupancy⁸. An owner may act as contractor for the owner's own one-family or two-family residence when the owner provides all material supervision and the home is for the owner's use rather than sale⁹. That owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensing; it does not waive any applicable local permit, inspection or occupancy rule⁹.

1. Verify whether the parcel is inside a city limit, because municipal zoning and permits can differ from the rules on unincorporated land⁴.
2. If the project is in Headland, obtain the city's required construction permit; for unincorporated land, confirm the county's permit and inspection practice before work begins^2,3.
3. For a covered subdivision, submit a complete application to the County Engineer at least 30 days before County Commission consideration; approval leads to a Permit to Develop, and home construction must wait until the final plat is recorded¹⁰.
4. Contact the Henry County Health Department before installing or repairing septic; submit the application, soil information and plans for review^6,11.
5. Obtain a driveway access permit from the Henry County Road Department for access onto a public right-of-way^1,4.
6. Use a certified installer and satisfy state standards before occupying a manufactured home⁸.

Get a septic site evaluation early because the Henry County Health Department reviews soil information before issuing an onsite sewage permit, and some lots may need an engineered system rather than a conventional one¹². Confirm whether the parcel is inside a city limit before relying on the county's no-zoning rule; municipal requirements vary, and Headland maintains zoning rules and requires construction permits^1,3. For a covered subdivision, budget $100 for a minor subdivision or group development, or $500 plus $0.25 per linear foot of new road for a major subdivision; the separate E911 addressing fee is $250¹⁰. Floodplain development follows the county's Flood Damage Prevention Resolution, which the Henry County Emergency Management Agency administers¹⁰, and each subdivision lot must contain a flood-free building site¹⁰. Confirm public-right-of-way access with the Road Department before assuming an existing path can serve as the driveway^1,4.