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

Unincorporated Morgan County requires a Development Permit before construction or other development begins in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area or another county-designated flood hazard area¹. We could not confirm a general county residential building-permit requirement outside regulated floodplains; ask the Morgan County Engineer's Office to check the parcel and proposed work². Floodplain projects can require plans, elevations, utility-protection details, professional certifications and inspections during construction¹. Decatur, Hartselle and Priceville handle their own municipal building permits; the cited Hartselle provision concerns manufactured-home subdivisions, and Priceville's concerns subdivision development^9,10,11. Huntsville, mainly in Madison County but reaching into Morgan County, also issues its own building permits¹². Septic applications remain with the Morgan County Health Department³.

The Morgan County Engineer's Office handles the county flood ordinance, subdivision regulations and utility permits within county road right-of-way². Reach the office at 580 Shull Road, Hartselle, AL 35640, 256-773-5297, or gbodley@morgancounty-al.gov². For a new division of unincorporated land, the county administers subdivision review, although a municipal planning commission may control a development in its planning jurisdiction². A plat within the Hartselle Planning Commission's jurisdiction needs commission approval before it is filed with the Morgan County Probate Judge's Office¹³. The Morgan County Health Department, not a city building office, is the county-level contact for onsite sewage and septic-tank applications^3,14.

We could not confirm whether unincorporated Morgan County has a current countywide zoning ordinance; ask the Morgan County Engineer's Office about the parcel's land-use constraints². Alabama counties lack broad general land-use authority under general state law, but local laws and special statutory powers can authorize zoning and other controls¹⁵. Morgan County administers subdivision regulations and floodplain development controls in unincorporated areas^1,2. Inside city limits, Decatur, Hartselle and Priceville have their own zoning rules^16,17,18. Hartselle's planning office handles zoning questions, and the city warns that recent amendments may not appear online^19,20. Municipal zoning does not replace the Morgan County Health Department's role in onsite-sewage applications³.

The Morgan County Health Department administers onsite-sewage and septic-tank applications and permits throughout Morgan County³. A property not connected to public sanitary sewer needs a Permit to Install before a new onsite sewage system is built or an existing system is repaired; the installer must be licensed by the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Board⁴. If public sewer is unavailable, soil testing determines septic suitability, and unsuitable conditions may require an engineered system⁴. Only 18.7% of Morgan County soils are rated free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make site review an early purchase contingency²¹. Call the Health Department before installation to schedule the required inspection, and obtain Approval for Use before occupying the building⁵. The environmental office is at 3821 Hwy. 31 South, Decatur, Alabama 35603, phone 256-340-6563¹⁴.

We could not confirm private-land RV or tiny-home occupancy rules for unincorporated Morgan County; ask the Engineer's Office about the proposed site and the Health Department about sewage disposal^2,14. A park-model tiny home is temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use under Alabama rules, not a permanent dwelling⁶. A manufactured home must be installed by an Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission-certified installer and meet the Commission's standards²². New or repaired onsite sewage systems require a Permit to Install, inspection and Approval for Use before building occupancy^4,5. Regulated floodplain development requires county approval before work begins¹. Inside Decatur, Hartselle or Priceville, ask the city's planning office about occupancy because municipal zoning applies^16,17,18.

1. Establish the parcel's jurisdiction: Decatur, Hartselle and Priceville have municipal zoning and building-permit rules^{9,10,11,16,17,18}.
2. Ask the Morgan County Engineer's Office for a floodplain determination and any subdivision review that applies^1,2.
3. Obtain the floodplain Development Permit before starting regulated work¹.
4. For a property off public sewer, complete site review and obtain the Health Department's Permit to Install before septic construction or repair⁴.
5. If using the owner-builder licensing exemption, personally supervise construction of the home intended for your own use⁷.
6. For a well, use a licensed driller who files the pre-work notice and completion certification⁸.
7. Schedule septic inspection, obtain Approval for Use, and submit required final floodplain certifications before occupancy^1,5.

Start with jurisdiction and subdivision status: unincorporated parcels can face county subdivision review, while a municipal planning commission may have authority in its planning area². Ask the Morgan County Engineer's Office whether the project needs a floodplain Development Permit and what fees apply^1,2. Make septic suitability a contract contingency because only 18.7% of county soils are rated free of severe limits for a conventional drain field²¹. For a private well, use a licensed driller who files Alabama's required notice before work and completion certification within 30 days afterward⁸. We could not confirm a county rule for a new residential driveway connection; ask the Engineer's Office about county-road access². Access onto an Alabama state highway requires an ALDOT turnout permit²³. Morgan County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.3%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $674²¹.