You need a permit for:

• Building a new home
  
  
• Building another structure on your property. (garage, storage building, shop, pole barn, pool house, guest house, etc.
  
  
• An Addition to an existing structure (ie.- attached garage, room extension, bedroom, family room, carport, sunroom, storage room, etc.)
  
  
• Structural changes to an existing structure (ie.- removing a wall(s), enlarging a window opening, enclosing a garage or carport, enlarging a doorway for side lites, installing a fireplace, etc.
  
  
• Adding a deck, patio, patio cover, etc.
  
  
• Installing a component manufactured canopy, carport, R.V. cover, boat cover, sun room, screened room, etc.
  
  
• Installing a pre-manufactured building for storage, shop, etc.
  
  
• General repairs including siding, roofing, window replacement, and replacement of structural members.
  
  
• Construction of piers, bulkheads, and boathouses.
  
  
• Construction of retaining walls over four (4) feet in height. (Measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall)
  
  
• Erecting a fence over six (6) feet in height.
  
  
• Installation of a pool or spa (above or below ground) that is 24" or greater in depth.
  
  
• Any construction or development adjacent to a Floodway.
  
  
• Modular Buildings or Manufactured Homes (see Manufactured Homes and Modular Buildings)

You do not need a permit for:

• Making changes to your home such as painting, redecorating, changing counter tops, installing new cabinetry, replacing light fixtures, ceiling fans, or replacing equipment that requires no rewiring.
  
  
• Installing a sidewalk or driveway. (Check with the Mobile County Engineering Office if you are an occupant/owner building a new house. You may qualify for a driveway installation by Mobile County Public Works) 251 574-8595
  
  
• Erecting a fence six (6) feet or less in height.