Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Wadley, Alabama

Town of Wadley’s own rules

• InspectionsLimited

  Tiny homes on wheels placed in the MHP district of Wadley town

  • Inspection before placement; possible semi-annual inspection as set by the building official.
  • No general building inspection requirement for other construction was located.

  “tiny homes on wheels are permitted, but may only be approved as temporary living quarters, and must be inspected prior to placement and may be required to be inspected semi-annually, as determined by the building official.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside the corporate limits of Wadley town, Alabama

  • The cover page states the ordinance was adopted 01/04/2021 and amended 03/04/24; the amendment text itself was not reviewed.
  • The ordinance applies only inside the town's corporate boundaries; county and state rules outside town limits are not covered by this claim.
  • The copy was found on an EARPDC host, not the town website; the town's own website was not located in this research pass.

  “town of wadley zoning ordinance adopted 01/04/2021 amended 03/04/24”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Wadley town limits

  • Districts listed in Section 1.05 and 5.01: AG agricultural; R-1 low density residential; R-2 medium density residential; R-3 high density residential; MHP manufactured home park; C-1 neighborhood business; C-2 general business; M-1 light manufacturing; M-2 heavy manufacturing; FH flood hazard area; OI office institutional.
  • The official zoning map is kept on file in the office of the town clerk, per Section 5.02.
  • 'Status permitted' here marks that the published district scheme exists; it does not mean a use is allowed.

  “official copies of the zoning map will be on file in the office of the town clerk.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  New dwellings in the R-1 low density residential district of Wadley town (Section 5.06.01). Numbers for other districts (R-2, R-3, AG) were not captured.

  • Listed under 'minimum standards for all dwellings' for R-1.
  • Minimum roof pitch of 3:12 also applies in R-1.
  • R-1 is intended for single-family uses in areas with limited access to municipal infrastructure.

  minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: >= 1000 square feet · minimum exterior width of dwelling: >= 14 feet

  “minimum dwelling unit gross floor area: one thousand square feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Accessory buildings on any lot inside Wadley town limits

  • Applies to accessory buildings; principal-building setbacks by district were not captured (see separate unknown claim).
  • Where a lot adjoins along its side lot line another lot in a residential district, no part of an accessory building may be within sixty feet of any front lot line (Section 3.04.02; passage partly captured).

  accessory building setback from a lot line: >= 5 feet · accessory building setback from principal building or other accessory building on same lot: >= 10 feet

  “no accessory building shall be located closer than five feet to a lot line, nor closer than ten feet to a principal building or to any other accessory building on the same lot.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on private lots inside Wadley town limits

  • One unoccupied recreational vehicle may be parked or stored in an accessory building or rear yard in any district, provided no living quarters are maintained and no business is conducted from it.
  • Recreational vehicle parking for a bed-and-breakfast is prohibited except on lots of one acre or larger, and then must be screened from public rights-of-way and neighbors (Section 4.02.02; applies only to B&B use).
  • Temporary construction office use of a recreational vehicle is allowed under the town building code (Section 4.07).
  • Living in an RV on a residential lot and RV-park rules were not captured.

  “nor shall this ordinance be deemed to prohibit the parking of only one unoccupied recreational vehicle in an accessory building or in a rear yard of any district, so long as no living quarters are maintained and no business is practiced in such recreational vehicle while it is so stored or parked.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny homes on wheels in the MHP manufactured home park district of Wadley town (Section 5.06.04)

  • Permitted only as temporary living quarters.
  • Must be inspected before placement.
  • May be required to be inspected semi-annually, as determined by the building official.
  • Tiny homes outside the MHP district were not addressed in the text read.

  “tiny homes on wheels are permitted, but may only be approved as temporary living quarters, and must be inspected prior to placement and may be required to be inspected semi-annually, as determined by the building official.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes on rented lots in the MHP manufactured home park district of Wadley town (Section 5.06.04)

  • Park requires a preliminary site plan approved by the planning commission before a zoning permit is issued by the enforcement officer.
  • Park lots and buildings must be served by municipal water and sewer.
  • Homes must be skirted with weather-resistant material and meet a minimum roof pitch of 1:3; 10% of park site must be common open space.
  • Manufactured homes outside MHP parks were not addressed in the text read.

  “the purpose of this district is to provide opportunities for the development of high intensity manufactured home parks, where units are placed on rented lots and tiny homes (rented/owned land).”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Lots and buildings in a manufactured home park in the MHP district of Wadley town

  • Applies to manufactured home parks only; the general rule for single-family homes on individual lots was not captured (see separate unknown claim).

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

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creating lots or plats inside Wadley town limits

  • Lots must meet the district minimum lot size or be approved by the planning and zoning commission in a subdivision plan (Section 3.05.01).
  • Plat approval may not be issued or treated as valid for a use or activity that is otherwise illegal under local, state or federal law (Section 10.1).
  • A landscaping plan is required for new subdivisions (Section 3.13.04); not separately verified here.

  “all lots created after the effective date of this ordinance shall comply with the minimum lot size requirements for the zoning district within which they are located or as approved the planning and zoning commission in a subdivision plan.”

• Permit processPartial

  Manufactured home park development in Wadley town; general residential permit steps not captured

  • Only the MHP site-plan step and the zoning permit issued by the enforcement officer were captured.
  • Forms, fees, timelines and general residential permit steps were not located.

  “a manufactured home park preliminary site plan shall be submitted to the planning commission for review and approval 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 Town of Wadley or Randolph County directly.

• Building permit — New single-family home construction inside Wadley town limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Wadley town limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new homes inside Wadley town limits
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in Wadley town districts
• Building height — Maximum building height in Wadley town districts

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.