Bolthole Index

Jefferson County, Alabama

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Pleasant Grove, Alabama

Pleasant Grove, Alabama, a city in Jefferson County, lists its own Building Department and building permit page, so building permits inside city limits come from the city1. The city's own zoning code bars manufactured homes used as single-family dwellings outside a mobile home park2. Septic permits come from the Jefferson County Department of Health, and the building permit follows only after that permit is issued3.

At a glance

Building permits
Issued by the City of Pleasant Grove Building Department1
Zoning
City zoning code with districts such as E-1, R-1, R-2 and RG456
Septic
Jefferson County Department of Health permit, then the building permit3
Manufactured homes
Not allowed as single-family dwellings outside a mobile home park2
Minimum home size
1,400 sq ft in R-1; 1,200 sq ft in R-278
Driveways
Permit required from the city's planning, engineering and permits department9
Floodplain
Lowest floor at least two feet above base flood elevation where data exist10
Tiny homes
Not confirmed; ask the Building Department1

Who to call

Building permits

City of Pleasant Grove Building Department

Building permits and inspections inside Pleasant Grove city limits; the page also links builders license, mechanical, plumbing and electrical permits, and stormwater land disturbance

(205)744-1726

[email protected]

501 Park Road, Pleasant Grove, Alabama 35127

Septic permits

Jefferson County Department of Health - Community Environmental Protection Division

Onsite sewage disposal (septic) permits and site evaluations in Jefferson County, including inside city limits

(205) 930-1230

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Pleasant Grove, AL, and who issues it?

Pleasant Grove has its own Building Department, and its city page links a building permit application, a builders license page, mechanical, plumbing and electrical permits, and stormwater land disturbance information1. Inside Pleasant Grove city limits, start there, not at Jefferson County Development Services, which serves unincorporated land.

We could not confirm which residential building code the city has adopted, whether it has an owner-builder exemption, or its fee schedule, so ask the Building Department before you budget. Alabama's Home Builders Licensure Law has a statewide exemption for an owner who acts as their own contractor on a one- or two-family home for their own use11. A driveway inside the city also needs a permit from the city's department of planning, engineering and permits before it is installed9.

Who do you call at the Pleasant Grove Building Department?

The City of Pleasant Grove Building Department is at 501 Park Road, Pleasant Grove, Alabama 351271. For immediate assistance, the city's inspector page gives (205)744-1726 and the email [email protected]1.

That page names a City Inspector and Chief Building Official, but it does not state an inspection schedule, so confirm by phone what inspections your project needs1.

Does Pleasant Grove have zoning, and what does it mean for homes, lots and setbacks?

Pleasant Grove adopts its own zoning by district, and the rules differ by district. In the R-1 single-family district, the minimum lot is 14,000 square feet with a 100-foot width4. In R-2, the minimum lot is 10,000 square feet with an 85-foot width5. In the E-1 estate district, lots need 1 acre and a 150-foot width12. Where sanitary sewers are unavailable in either single-family district, the 15,000-square-foot lot area required by the county health department must be met instead5.

Minimum livable floor area is 1,400 square feet in R-17 and 1,200 square feet in R-28. In the RG garden home district, the front setback is 20 feet (10 feet with an enclosed garage), the rear setback is 25 feet and the side setback is 0 feet6.

We could not confirm a general lot-coverage limit, so ask the Building Department.

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Pleasant Grove?

Pleasant Grove's code bars a mobile or manufactured home intended as a single-family dwelling anywhere in the city except in a development classified as a mobile home park2. The code also bars using an accessory building as a separate dwelling, other than for domestic servants employed on the premises13. Overnight camping in city parks needs prior written approval from the parks and recreation department14.

We could not confirm any Pleasant Grove provision on tiny homes, and none on living in an RV on a private lot, so ask the Building Department before you rely on either. Jefferson County's one-year allowance for a camper, RV or tiny home during construction is a county zoning rule for unincorporated land, not a city rule15.

How do septic permits work inside Pleasant Grove city limits?

The Jefferson County Department of Health issues septic permits inside Pleasant Grove city limits, wherever a new onsite sewage disposal system is used. A county site evaluation comes first, and the building permit is issued after the health department issues the permit to construct3. The process begins when the homeowner hires an engineer, land surveyor or soil scientist for soil investigations and submits a permit application and plot plan16. Questions go to the Community Environmental Protection Division at (205) 930-123016.

In the RG garden home district, lots may be served by water and sewer or by septic tanks17. Jefferson County soils matter here: about 24% of county soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system18. We could not confirm any city or county rule on private wells in Pleasant Grove.

Building a home in Pleasant Grove: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm your lot's zoning district and its lot size, width, floor-area and setback rules with the Building Department1.
  2. If the lot has no public sewer, hire an engineer, land surveyor or soil scientist and apply to the Jefferson County Department of Health for a septic permit16.
  3. After the health department issues the septic permit, apply for the building permit3.
  4. Get a driveway permit from the city's department of planning, engineering and permits before installing the driveway9.
  5. If the lot is in a mapped flood hazard area, plan the lowest floor at least two feet above base flood elevation where that data exists10.
  6. Schedule inspections with the Building Department at (205)744-17261.

What stays with Jefferson County, and what to check before you buy

Septic and the health department's lot-size requirements stay with the Jefferson County Department of Health even inside city limits3. A new driveway connection to a street maintained by Jefferson County, including county-maintained roads inside municipalities, also needs an access application to the county Department of Roads and Transportation19.

If the parcel is outside city limits, the county's rules apply instead: see the Jefferson County page. Jefferson County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%20, and the median county property tax bill is $1,340 a year21.

Watch-outs

  • Confirm the lot is inside Pleasant Grove city limits before using these rules; Jefferson County rules apply only to unincorporated land22.
  • A manufactured home cannot be placed as a single-family dwelling in the city outside a mobile home park2.
  • We could not confirm the city's adopted residential building code, fee schedule or owner-builder rules, so call the Building Department at (205)744-17261.
  • A septic permit must come before the building permit, so start the Jefferson County Department of Health site evaluation early3.

Sources

  1. City of Pleasant Grove Building Department (cityofpg.com)
  2. Sec. 98-599. Mobile/manufactured home parks (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Sewage Disposal (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  4. Sec. 98-213. Area and dimensional regulations (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sec. 98-253. Area and dimensional regulations (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  6. library.municode.com (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  7. library.municode.com (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  8. library.municode.com (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  9. Sec. 58-45. Prohibited parking in front yard (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  10. library.municode.com (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  11. Exemptions (Alabama statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. library.municode.com (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  13. Sec. 98-151. Accessory buildings (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  14. library.municode.com (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  15. ZONING RESOLUTION, quoted and re-checked
  16. Jefferson County Department of Health - Community Environmental Protection Division (jcdh.org)
  17. library.municode.com (Pleasant Grove), quoted and re-checked
  18. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Jefferson County Subdivision & Construction Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Jefferson County Zoning Regulations — Adopted October 9, 2025, quoted and re-checked

Written October 16, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Pleasant Grove

Pleasant Grove’s own rules

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    One-story and total dwelling floor area in the E-1 estate single-family district.

    first-floor minimum: >= 1400 square feet (One-story building.) · total dwelling minimum: >= 2400 square feet (One-story building.)

    “The minimum livable floor area required in the E-1 district shall be as follows: One-story building, 1,400 square feet on first floor, total minimum for dwelling, 2,400 square feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Each family dwelling in the R-1 single-family district.
      “The minimum livable floor area, exclusive of any area contained within an attached garage or porch, required for each family in the R-1 district shall not be less than 1,400 square feet.”
    • Specified — Each family dwelling in the R-2 single-family district.
      “The minimum livable floor area, exclusive of any area contained within an attached garage or porch, required for each family in the R-2 district shall not be less than 1,200 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 single-family district.

    • If sanitary sewers are unavailable, the 15,000-square-foot minimum lot area required by the county health department must be met.
    • Minimum lot width is 100 feet.

    minimum lot area: >= 14000 square feet (15,000 square feet if sanitary sewers are unavailable.)

    “*14,000 square feet 100 feet *If sanitary sewers are not available to serve the proposed site, the 15,000 square feet minimum lot area required by the county health department shall be met.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — R-2 single-family district.
      “*10,000 square feet 85 feet *In case sanitary sewers are not available to serve the proposed site, the 15,000 square feet minimum lot area required by the county health department shall be met.”
    • Specified — E-1 estate single-family district.
      “2½ 35 75 feet 75 feet 25 feet 1 acre 150 feet”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    RG garden home residential district.

    • Front yard may be reduced to 10 feet if an enclosed garage is provided with the unit.
    • Corner lots have the same setbacks on both streets, roads, or highways.

    front setback: 20 feet (10 feet if an enclosed garage is provided.) · rear setback: 25 feet · side setback: 0 feet

    “minimum yard setbacks: front: 20 feet* rear: 25 feet side: 0 feet *the front yard may be reduced to ten feet, if an enclosed garage is provided with the unit.”
    3 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    E-1 estate single-family district.

    • Maximum is 2.5 stories and 35 feet.

    maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories · maximum height: <= 35 feet

    “2½ 35 75 feet 75 feet 25 feet 1 acre 150 feet”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — R-2 single-family district.
      “2½ 35 30 feet 30 feet 10 feet 20 feet *10,000 square feet 85 feet”
    • Specified — RG garden home residential district.
      “maximum height: 35 feet maximum floor area: one story: 1,000 square feet two story: 850 square feet on first floor”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Overnight camping in Pleasant Grove public parks and recreation areas.

    • Camping or staying overnight requires prior written approval from the parks and recreation department.
    “Camp or stay overnight without prior written approval from the parks and recreation department.”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    A mobile or manufactured home intended for use as a single-family dwelling inside Pleasant Grove city limits.

    • Exception: a development specifically classified as a mobile home park.
    • Mobile home parks are restricted to the M-1 zone and subject to detailed requirements.
    “No mobile home or manufactured home intended for use as a single family dwelling, shall be located anywhere in the corporate city limits of Pleasant Grove, except in a development specifically classified as "mobile home park".”
  • Accessory dwellingsProhibited

    An accessory building used as a separate dwelling inside Pleasant Grove city limits.

    • Exception: dwelling use by domestic servants entirely employed on the premises.
    “No accessory building shall be used for dwelling purposes other than by domestic servants entirely employed on the premises.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Onsite sanitation used instead of public sewer in applicable Pleasant Grove developments.

    • RG lots may use septic tanks.
    • Mobile-home-park plumbing waste may use an onsite system only if approved by the Jefferson County Health Department or successor agency.
    “All plumbing waste shall be disposed of into a sanitary sewer or on-site system either of which must be approved by the Jefferson County Health Department or any agency that may succeed it's responsibility governing waste disposal.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Lots in RG garden home residential districts.

    • Lots may be served by water and sewer or septic tanks.
    “All lots shall be served by water and sewer or septic tanks.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Driveways inside Pleasant Grove city limits.

    • A driveway must connect to the public street and include a curb cut where street curbing is present.
    • The driveway must be permitted by the department of planning engineering and permits before installation.
    “All driveways must be permitted by the department of planning engineering and permits prior to their installation.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New construction and substantial improvements in Pleasant Grove special flood-hazard areas designated A1-30, AE, AH, or A with estimated BFE.

    • New construction or substantial improvements must elevate the lowest floor, including basements, no lower than two feet above base flood elevation where BFE data are available.
    • Nonresidential floodproofing is allowed in lieu of elevation under stated one-foot-above-BFE and certification conditions.
    • Manufactured homes and recreational vehicles have additional anchoring, elevation, licensing, and duration conditions.

    minimum elevation above BFE: >= 2 feet (Manufactured homes and certain RV provisions have separate requirements.)

    “Where base flood elevation data are available, new construction or substantial improvement of any structure or manufactured home shall have the lowest floor, including basements elevated no lower than two feet above the base flood elevation.”

Rules another office applies inside Pleasant Grove

Pleasant Grove does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Septic permitRequired

    A new onsite sewage disposal system inside Pleasant Grove city limits.

    • The requirement applies where onsite sewage disposal is used.
    • JCDH site evaluation precedes system construction.
    • After JCDH issues the permit, a building permit is issued.
    “After the Jefferson County Department of Health issues a permit to construct an onsite sewage disposal system, a building permit is issued. The house is then constructed and the onsite sewage disposal system is installed.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Pleasant Grove or Jefferson County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder residential construction inside Pleasant Grove city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Residential and other construction inside Pleasant Grove city limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Pleasant Grove city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — New or altered occupancy inside Pleasant Grove city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Land inside Pleasant Grove city limits.
6 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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.

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

← All of Jefferson County: county rules, score and offices