Home
Contact Us
Permit FAQs
Permit Application Checklists
Apply for a Permit
Inspection FAQs
Building Codes
Floodplain Management/Flood Zone Info
Coastal Area Program
Fee Schedules
Submit Environmental Complaint
Search Permits, Reports, Certificates of Occupancy, & Elevation Certificates
Links to Documents & Resources
Inspections are required for all permitted projects. If an inspection is not scheduled within 180 days of the permit issue date, the permit will expire and the project will be in non-compliance with the building construction laws and building codes adopted by the Baldwin County Commission. After permit expiration, the permit holder must reactivate the permit to obtain the required final inspection. The permit holder may qualify for a Permit Reactivation (with fees required) or may have to complete a new permit application (with new permit fees required). Any further work performed after permit expiration will be subject to Stop Work Orders and penalty fees of $150.00 per day.
All permits require at least a final inspection. If you have a small project that just involves one trade such as an electrical upgrade, a mechanical change out, etc., then a final inspection will be required when the project is complete. Other more involved projects may require multiple inspections throughout the process.
It is the permit holder's responsibility to notify the Building Department when the project is ready for an inspection. If a contractor is requesting an inspection, it is the contractor's responsibility to notify the building's occupant of the date of the inspection. The contractor should make the occupant aware that a Building Inspector will be visiting their property.
Here are some common types of required inspections:
FOR RE-ROOFING:
A final inspection is required. Photos should be taken through the re-roofing process. Virtual inspections are encouraged for Re-Roofing Permits. Click here for additional requirements and details about photos required.
FOR MANUFACTURED/MOBILE HOMES:
A final inspection is required and should be performed when the manufactured home has been installed and tied down - but before the skirting is installed. These are the items that will be inspected:
FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION:
* Some inspections may be performed virtually with photos uploaded into the portal.
It is the permit holder's responsibility to notify the Building Department when the project is ready for an inspection. If a contractor is requesting an inspection, it is the contractor's responsibility to notify the building's occupant of the date of the inspection. The contractor should make the occupant aware that a Building Inspector will be visiting their property.
All inspections must be requested through the Citizenserve Portal. Same day inspection requests are not accepted. Inspections must be requested at least one day in advance and can be requested up until midnight the night before the inspection is needed. We cannot guarantee AM or PM time frames. Make sure your project is ready for inspection by the day it is scheduled. There is a $45.00 re-inspection fee if your project is not ready for inspection when the inspector arrives. Make sure all required permits are on file prior to requesting an inspection. If you schedule a 4-way inspection and there is a trade permit missing, the inspection request will be cancelled. No mechanical, electrical, plumbing, or other building services are to be covered prior to approval of required inspections.
Login to the Citizenserve Portal. Click on “My Account”, then “View My Requests”, then choose “Building Department” from the drop-down list, then click on the permit #. Next, click on “Schedule an Inspection”. When the inspector has completed the inspection, the permit holder will receive an email notification with the inspection report results.
Re-Roofing Permits - Requirements for Photos Needed and Virtual Inspection
Mechanical Permits (Change-Outs) - Requirements for Photos Needed and Virtual Inspection
Per the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) and the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), permits are valid for 180 days from the issue date or 180 days from the date of the last inspection. If no inspections are performed within the 180 days, the permit will expire. Each time an inspection is performed, the permit expiration date is extended and the 180 days starts over again.
Here are options you may choose from to keep your permit file active or to close your file:
*IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If you do not complete any of the three options above before the expiration date, the permit will expire and the project will be in non-compliance with the building construction laws and building codes adopted by the Baldwin County Commission. Any further work performed after the permit expiration will be subject to Stop Work Orders, penalty fees of $150.00 per day, and disconnection of power. To reinstate a permit after expiration, you may qualify for a Permit Reactivation (with fees required) or you must start over and complete a new permit application (with new permit fees required).
*NOTE: When the Building Department permit expires, any approvals obtained through the Planning and Zoning Department also expire. If the property is zoned and the project initially required a Zoning Site Plan Approval (also known as a Land Use Certificate) from the Planning and Zoning Department, you must first obtain a new approval from that department before submitting a Permit Reactivation Request or a new Building Permit application.
A Certificate of Occupancy (C.O.) is issued for new construction and for change of use only. No building shall be occupied without benefit of a Certificate of Occupancy. A C.O. will not be issued until all required permits have been obtained, all required paperwork is on file, and a final building inspection has been approved. Some zoned properties also require a final site inspection to be approved by the Planning and Zoning Department.
DO NOT EXPECT the C.O. to be issued on the same day as the final inspection. Please allow up to two business days after the approved final inspection has been completed for processing and issuance of the C.O. The C.O. will be emailed to the permit holder.
*Notes:
Once a permit expires without the required inspections, the project is in non-compliance and in violation of the building construction laws and building codes adopted by the Baldwin County Commission. Any further work performed on the project is subject to Stop Work Orders, penalty fees of $150.00 per day, and disconnection of power.
Per the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) and the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), permits are valid for 180 days from the issue date or 180 days from the date of the last inspection.
Here are three options you may choose from to bring the project back into compliance or to close your file:
*NOTE: When the Building Department permit expires, any approvals obtained through the Planning and Zoning Department also expire. If the property is zoned and the project initially required a Zoning Site Plan Approval (also known as a Land Use Certificate) from the Planning and Zoning Department, you must first obtain a new approval from that department before submitting a Permit Reactivation Request or a new Building Permit application.
Contact Baldwin County Citizen Service Center
251.937.9561 • 251.928.3002 • 251.943.5061
Email Citizen Services
Baldwin County Commission Facility Closures
Email Webmaster for Web Inquiry
2020 Baldwin County Commission, Alabama. All rights reserved.
Powered by BCC CIS