Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Roanoke, Alabama

Roanoke’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Downtown business district (DBD) projects that substantially alter an existing structure or build a new structure in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Plans must go to the planning commission for action before the building permit is issued; the commission may approve with conditions or disapprove.
  • Does not establish general building permit rules outside the DBD district.

  “said plans shall be submitted to the planning commission for action prior to the building permit being issued.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Roanoke city limits, Alabama. The city's own zoning ordinance is administered by its zoning enforcement officer, planning commission and board of adjustment.

  • Identity check: the ordinance text names the city of Roanoke, Alabama and gives Roanoke City Hall, 809 Main St, Roanoke, AL 36274 as its source of copies. It is not Roanoke, Virginia or another Roanoke.
  • Copy is hosted by East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (earpdc.org), not on the city website; roanokealabama.org returned a robot-check page and could not be read.
  • effective_at is not stated; the source gives only adoption (2023) and amendment (January 2025) dates.
  • Land annexed into the city defaults to the AG district (section 5.05.01 text).

  “city of roanoke zoning ordinance adopted 2023 amended january 2025”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwellings in the Agricultural (AG) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Minimum roof pitch 3:12, not applicable to manufactured housing (section 5.05.04).
  • Dwelling sites must be landscaped consistent with adjoining residential sites.

  minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: >= 900 sq ft

  “minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: nine hundred square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Dwellings in the low density residential (R-1) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

    “minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: one thousand three hundred (1300) sq ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agricultural (AG) district in Roanoke city, Alabama (the default district for annexed land)

  • Table 5.2 is the district's dimensional table; the general rule in section 3.05.01 says new lots must meet the district minimum or as approved by the planning and zoning commission in a subdivision plan.
  • Also subject to the 40-foot frontage rule in section 3.05.03.

  minimum lot size: >= 2 acre · minimum lot width: >= 100 ft (for 2 acres)

  “table 5.2 - area and dimensional requirements for agricultural district min lot size min lot min required setbacks max height max % of lot covered by width impervious surfaces front rear side ag 2 acres 100 ft. for 2 acres 30 ft. 30 ft. 15 ft. 40 ft. or 3 stories 15%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Low density residential (R-1) district in Roanoke city, Alabama, the main single-family district

    “table 5.4 - area and dimensional requirements for low density residential district min lot size min lot min required setbacks max height max % of lot width covered by front rear side impervious surfaces r-1 0.5 acre 85 ft. 30 ft. 45 ft. 10 ft. 40ft. or 3 stories 30%”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Agricultural (AG) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Accessory buildings: not closer than 5 feet to a lot line (section 3.04.03), so the AG setbacks above apply to principal buildings.
  • Corner and double-frontage lot setback adjustments were not checked in the AG table.

  minimum front setback: >= 30 ft · minimum rear setback: >= 30 ft · minimum side setback: >= 15 ft

  “table 5.2 - area and dimensional requirements for agricultural district min lot size min lot min required setbacks max height max % of lot covered by width impervious surfaces front rear side ag 2 acres 100 ft. for 2 acres 30 ft. 30 ft. 15 ft. 40 ft. or 3 stories 15%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Low density residential (R-1) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

    “table 5.4 - area and dimensional requirements for low density residential district min lot size min lot min required setbacks max height max % of lot width covered by front rear side impervious surfaces r-1 0.5 acre 85 ft. 30 ft. 45 ft. 10 ft. 40ft. or 3 stories 30%”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Agricultural (AG) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Limit is on impervious surfaces as a percent of lot area.

  maximum lot area covered by impervious surfaces: <= 15 %

  “table 5.2 - area and dimensional requirements for agricultural district min lot size min lot min required setbacks max height max % of lot covered by width impervious surfaces front rear side ag 2 acres 100 ft. for 2 acres 30 ft. 30 ft. 15 ft. 40 ft. or 3 stories 15%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Low density residential (R-1) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

    “table 5.4 - area and dimensional requirements for low density residential district min lot size min lot min required setbacks max height max % of lot width covered by front rear side impervious surfaces r-1 0.5 acre 85 ft. 30 ft. 45 ft. 10 ft. 40ft. or 3 stories 30%”

• Building heightSpecified

  Agricultural (AG) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Table text reads '40 ft. or 3 stories'.

  maximum building height: <= 40 ft (or 3 stories)

  “table 5.2 - area and dimensional requirements for agricultural district min lot size min lot min required setbacks max height max % of lot covered by width impervious surfaces front rear side ag 2 acres 100 ft. for 2 acres 30 ft. 30 ft. 15 ft. 40 ft. or 3 stories 15%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Low density residential (R-1) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

    “table 5.4 - area and dimensional requirements for low density residential district min lot size min lot min required setbacks max height max % of lot width covered by front rear side impervious surfaces r-1 0.5 acre 85 ft. 30 ft. 45 ft. 10 ft. 40ft. or 3 stories 30%”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny homes constructed on site in the Manufactured Home Park (MHTP) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Requires approval from the planning commission.
  • MHTP tiny-home space standards in Table 5.10 include a 40 ft width, 2,500 sq ft minimum area, 15 ft front setback, 20 ft rear, 5 ft side and a 2-acre site minimum (read from the table row).
  • Tiny homes outside the MHTP district were not found in sources read.

  “tiny homes constructed on site (requires approval from planning commission)”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes on individual lots in the Agricultural (AG) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Only manufactured homes in Class A and B are listed as allowed.
  • Manufactured homes must be installed and anchored under Alabama Manufactured Housing Commission rules (section 4.05.02).
  • Manufactured homes without the HUD seal are treated as nonconforming (section 4.05.01).

  “conventional single-family dwellings, including manufactured homes (only class a&b) on individual lots”

• Accessory dwellingsAllowed

  Accessory residential dwelling units in the Agricultural (AG) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Listed as permitted by right in the AG permitted-uses table, subject to section 4.01; section 4.01 standards were not read.
  • The NB district also lists accessory dwelling units in single-family dwellings only (not analyzed here).

  “accessory residential dwelling units subject to §4.01 p”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Lots and buildings inside a manufactured home park (MHTP district) in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • This applies to manufactured home parks only; no general rule for single-family homes was found in the sources read.
  • The planned development table notes that the health department may set lot sizes for on-site sewage disposal where municipal sewer access is not available (Table 5.20, note 2).

  “all proposed lots and buildings in a manufactured home park shall be served by municipal water and sewer.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creation of new lots inside Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Lots created after the zoning ordinance's effective date must meet district minimum lot size or be approved by the planning and zoning commission in a subdivision plan.
  • Lots need at least 40 feet of frontage on a public street or a street dedicated for public use; section 3.05.03 allows a reduction that was not fully read.
  • This is the zoning ordinance's lot rule only. Roanoke city's separate subdivision regulations were not located.

  minimum lot frontage: >= 40 ft (along a public street or dedicated private street; reduction provision in section 3.05.03 not fully read)

  “all lots shall have a minimum frontage of not less than forty feet along a public street or a private street dedicated for public use”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals in the low density residential (R-1) district in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Listed in the R-1 permitted-uses table as a conditional use (requires planning commission approval). The conditional marker was matched to this row by its position in the table text, so verify it on the page.
  • Standards in section 4.09 were not read.

  “bed and breakfast inns subject to §4.02 and short-term rentals subject to §4.09 c”

• Permit processPartial

  Zoning permit for projects that disturb one acre or more of land in Roanoke city, Alabama

  • Before a zoning permit issues, the applicant must show an ADEM storm water discharge permit where one is required.
  • The overall city permit workflow (application, fees, steps) is not published in sources read.

  “applicants subject to this requirement shall provide evidence that a storm water discharge permit has been issued by adem prior to the issuance of a zoning permit by the enforcement officer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners building in Roanoke city, Alabama
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted by Roanoke city, Alabama
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Roanoke city, Alabama
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new buildings inside Roanoke city, Alabama
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land in Roanoke city, Alabama

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.