Bolthole Index

Marshall County, Alabama

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Boaz, Alabama

Boaz, Alabama has a city building-permit and inspection office, but the available rules do not define every project that needs a building permit; ask the Building & License Inspection office before work begins.1 Boaz administers zoning inside city limits, while the Marshall County Health Department handles septic inquiries for the Marshall County portion of the city.23

At a glance

Building permit
City permit review and inspections apply; confirm the exact project with Boaz before starting1
Zoning
Boaz zoning applies to land inside city limits2
Septic
A county health permit is required before installing an onsite sewage system43
RV living
No general private-land rule confirmed; special flood-hazard areas have a narrow placement rule5
Tiny homes
No separate occupancy rule confirmed; accessory dwellings have city size and use limits62
Owner-builder
A qualifying Alabama owner may act as contractor for a home intended for the owner's use7
Floodplain work
Special flood-hazard areas have elevation and RV-placement standards85

Who to call

Building permits

City of Boaz Building & License Inspection

Boaz building-permit applications, inspections, zoning locations, setbacks and code-compliance review

256-593-0241

112 N Broad Street, Boaz, AL 35957

Septic permits

Marshall County Health Department - Environmental Office

Septic tank requests and onsite sewage questions for the Marshall County portion of Boaz

256-582-4926

150 Judy Smith Drive, Guntersville, Alabama 35976

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Boaz, Alabama?

Boaz operates its own building-permit and inspection office inside the city. The office accepts and approves permit applications, examines plans for code compliance, conducts structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspections, and determines zoning locations and setbacks.1 The available material does not provide a complete, current list of work that requires a building permit, so call the office with the project scope before excavation, construction, moving, remodeling or demolition begins.1

Boaz's technical building-code adoption could not be confirmed from the available rules. Alabama's Division of Construction Management does not regulate ordinary residential property, except hotels and motels, so its State Building Code is not a substitute for Boaz's local answer.9 Ask the city which adopted code edition, application form, plan set, inspections and fees apply to the proposed work.1

Who issues building permits in Boaz, and how do you reach the office?

City of Boaz Building & License Inspection handles building-permit applications, plan review, inspections, zoning locations and setbacks inside Boaz.1 The office is at 112 N Broad Street, Boaz, AL 35957, and its phone number is 256-593-0241.1 Bring the parcel address, scope of work, site plan and building plans when asking what must be submitted.

The office's responsibilities cover structural adequacy, installed mechanical equipment, electrical safety and plumbing layout and fixtures.1 Because the published permit-fee schedule and a complete project-by-project permit list could not be confirmed, request the current application, fee calculation and inspection sequence directly from Building & License Inspection.1 For a manufactured home in the city's R-6 district, Boaz withholds the certificate of occupancy and electrical-service approval until the district requirements are satisfied.10

Does Boaz have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Boaz has municipal zoning for land inside its city limits, so allowed uses and dimensional standards depend on the parcel's district.2 Ask Building & License Inspection to identify the district, allowed residential form, setbacks and any site-plan review before treating a parcel as buildable.1

Boaz's general rule for living in an RV or temporarily camping on private land could not be confirmed. In an area of special flood hazard, an RV must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days and remain licensed, highway-ready and connected only by quick-disconnect utilities, or it must meet new-construction anchoring and elevation requirements.5 A separate tiny-home occupancy rule also could not be confirmed. An accessory dwelling must have at least 200 square feet of habitable floor area, cannot exceed the more restrictive city size cap, and cannot be used as a short-term rental.611

How do septic permits work inside Boaz?

For property in the Marshall County portion of Boaz that is not connected to city or central sewer, submit the onsite sewage application and plans to the local county health department and obtain a Permit to Install before construction begins.4 The Marshall County Health Department Environmental Office handles septic inquiries at 150 Judy Smith Drive, Guntersville, Alabama 35976; call 256-582-4926.12

Boaz also extends into Etowah County, so confirm the parcel's county before choosing the health department.3 Where sewer is unavailable, soil testing is required to determine whether the site is suitable for an onsite sewage system, and the installer must be licensed by the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board.13 Only 21.1% of mapped Marshall County soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make septic feasibility a purchase contingency.14

Can you build as an owner-builder in Boaz?

Alabama's owner-builder exemption can apply when an owner acts as the owner's own contractor, personally provides all material supervision, and builds or improves a one-family or two-family residence on the owner's property for the owner's occupancy or use rather than for sale.7 The exemption is nontransferable, and hiring someone to supervise the work means the owner is not acting as the owner's own contractor.7

A subcontractor must be licensed when that subcontractor's portion costs more than $10,000, and offering the residence for sale within one year after completion is presumptive evidence that it was built for sale.7 This licensing exemption does not answer Boaz's building-permit, zoning, inspection or certificate-of-occupancy requirements; present the proposed owner-builder arrangement to Building & License Inspection before applying.1

Building a home in Boaz: what are the steps?

  1. Confirm that the parcel is inside Boaz and identify whether it lies in Marshall County or Etowah County, because county health jurisdiction follows the parcel.3
  2. Ask Boaz Building & License Inspection for the zoning district, allowed home type, setbacks, adopted construction code, required building permits and current fees.1
  3. Determine whether public sewer serves the parcel; if not, arrange soil testing and obtain the county health department's Permit to Install before building the onsite sewage system.413
  4. Check flood-hazard status; covered residential construction must place the lowest floor at least one foot above base flood elevation where that elevation data is available.8
  5. Submit plans to Boaz, obtain the required building permits and schedule the city's structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspections.1
  6. For a manufactured home in R-6, satisfy the district requirements before expecting a certificate of occupancy or electrical-service approval.10

What should you check before buying land in Boaz and Marshall County?

Start with jurisdiction: verify city limits, zoning district and county before relying on a permit or septic answer.23 Ask Boaz for the allowed use, setbacks and access review because adding or changing vehicular access, including driveway width, is subject to the applicable subdivision access-management standards.15

Check flood mapping before positioning a home, manufactured home or RV; where base flood elevation data is available, covered new construction and substantial improvements must place the lowest floor at least one foot above base flood elevation.8 Treat soils as a site-specific constraint because only 21.1% of mapped Marshall County soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.14 Marshall County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.4%, with a median annual property-tax bill of about $699.1617

Watch-outs

  • Boaz's complete building-permit trigger list and current fee schedule could not be confirmed; call Building & License Inspection before starting work.1
  • Boaz spans Marshall and Etowah counties, so verify the parcel's county before applying for a septic permit.3
  • The RV rule for special flood-hazard areas does not establish a general right to live in an RV elsewhere in Boaz.5
  • Only 21.1% of mapped Marshall County soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so obtain the site and soil answer before fixing the house location.14

Sources

  1. City of Boaz Building & License Inspection (cityofboaz.org)
  2. Boaz Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 6.01 Accessory dwellings (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  3. Marshall County Health Department contact page (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  4. ADPH: Can I Live On This Lot? (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  5. Boaz Code, Chapter 22 Floods, Sec. 22-77 Specific standards (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  6. Boaz Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 6.01 Accessory dwellings (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  7. Exemptions (Alabama statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Boaz Code, Chapter 22 Floods, Sec. 22-77 Specific standards (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  9. State Building Code (Alabama statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Boaz Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 3.05 R-6 Manufactured housing district (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  11. Boaz Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 6.01 Accessory dwellings (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  12. Marshall County Health Department - Environmental Office (alabamapublichealth.gov)
  13. alabamapublichealth.gov (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  14. 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
  15. Boaz Code, Appendix A Zoning, Sec. 2.07 Parking, loading and access (Boaz), quoted and re-checked
  16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  17. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 9, 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 Boaz

Boaz’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Manufactured homes in Boaz's R-6 manufactured housing district.

    • The city will not release a certificate of occupancy or approval for electrical service until the R-6 requirements are satisfied.
    • Occupancy before issuance is subject to fines and penalties.
    “A certificate of occupancy and approval for electrical service will not be released by the city until all requirements of this section 3.05 have been complied with. Occupancy of a manufactured home prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy is subject to fines and penalties in accordance with section 11.05 , Remedies and penalties.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Boaz city limits; Boaz's adopted code contains Appendix A, Zoning.

    “Accessory dwellings may only be permitted as an accessory use to a permitted single-family detached dwelling in accordance with the following:”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Accessory dwellings inside Boaz city limits.

    • This measurement applies to accessory dwellings, not necessarily to every principal dwelling.
    • The accessory dwelling must also satisfy district dimensional requirements and applicable health-department lot requirements where not connected to sanitary sewer.

    minimum habitable floor area: >= 200 square feet

    “The habitable floor area of an accessory dwelling must be at least 200 square feet but mot more than 50 percent of the gross floor area of the principal dwelling or 1,000 square feet, whichever is more restrictive.”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    Recreational vehicles placed on sites in Boaz areas of special flood hazard.

    • The RV must remain on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use if licensed, remain on wheels or its jacking system, use only quick-disconnect utilities and security devices, and have no permanently attached structures or additions; otherwise it must meet new-construction anchoring and elevation requirements.

    maximum stay: < 180 consecutive days (Unless the RV meets all requirements for new construction, including anchoring and elevation.)

    “All recreational vehicles placed on sites must either: 1. Be on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days, fully licensed and ready for highway use if it is licensed, on its wheels or jacking system, attached to the site only by quick disconnect type utilities and security devices, and has no permanently attached structures or additions; or 2. The recreational vehicle must meet all the requirements for new construction including the anchoring and elevation requirements of subsection (4)a—c of this section.”
  • Subdividing landLimited

    Subdivision-related vehicular access inside Boaz city limits.

    • Adding or altering vehicular access, including driveway width, is subject to applicable access-management standards in the subdivision regulations.
    “Access management. The addition or alteration of vehicular access to property from public or private streets, including the width of driveways, is subject to the applicable access management standards of the subdivision regulations.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Vehicular access and driveway width inside Boaz city limits.

    • Any addition or alteration of vehicular access from public or private streets is subject to applicable access-management standards of the subdivision regulations.
    “The addition or alteration of vehicular access to property from public or private streets, including the width of driveways, is subject to the applicable access management standards of the subdivision regulations.”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    New construction, substantial improvements, manufactured homes, and recreational vehicles in Boaz areas of special flood hazard.

    • Residential and nonresidential structures in specified zones must elevate the lowest floor, including basement, at least one foot above base flood elevation where data is available.
    • Enclosures below base flood elevation must meet opening, use, utility, and nonconversion-agreement requirements.
    • Manufactured homes and RVs have additional anchoring, elevation, and placement conditions.

    minimum elevation above base flood elevation: >= 1 foot (Where base flood elevation data is available.)

    “Where base flood elevation data is available, new construction and substantial improvement of any structure or manufactured home shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated no lower than one foot above the base flood elevation.”
  • Short-term rentalsProhibited

    Accessory dwellings inside Boaz city limits.

    • The prohibition applies specifically to accessory dwellings; this claim does not establish a citywide prohibition for every dwelling or lodging use.
    “An accessory dwelling may not be used as a short-term rental.”

Rules another office applies inside Boaz

Boaz 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

    The Marshall County portion of land inside Boaz city limits; the Marshall County Health Department handles septic inquiries through its Environmental Office.

    • Boaz also extends into Etowah County; parcel-specific county jurisdiction must be confirmed.
    “If you have requests about septic tanks or would like to file a complaint on an establishment, please call our office and ask for the Environmental Office.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Onsite sewage systems serving property inside Boaz when the property is not connected to city or central sewer.

    • The application goes to the local county health department.
    • The application and plans must be complete and satisfy applicable rules before the Permit to Install is issued.
    • Construction may begin only after the permit is issued.
    “Before the construction of an onsite sewage disposal system, you must submit an Application for a Permit to Install an Onsite Sewage Disposal System to your local county health department. If the application and plans are complete and meet all the requirements of the rules, a 'Permit to Install' will be issued. Then and only then can you begin the construction of your system.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Property inside Boaz city limits not served by city or central sewer.

    • A septic system requires soil testing and a Permit to Install from the local county health department before construction.
    • The installer must be licensed by the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board.
    “If it is not, you will be required to have the soil tested to see if the soil is suitable for the installation of an onsite sewage disposal system (septic tank system). [...] Before the construction of an onsite sewage disposal system, you must submit an Application for a Permit to Install an Onsite Sewage Disposal System to your local county health department. If the application and plans are complete and meet all the requirements of the rules, a 'Permit to Install' will be issued. Then and only then can you begin the construction of your system. Make sure that your system installer is licensed by the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board (AOWB).”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Boaz city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Boaz city limits.
  • Lot coverage — General lot coverage inside Boaz city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Boaz city limits outside the specific floodplain RV rule.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Boaz city limits.
4 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Boaz publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Marshall County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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