Birmingham
City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits
In short
City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits issues 4 permits we publish for Birmingham, last verified 2026-09-08. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sign Permit | City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits | $175.00 application fee per sign, plus $1.50 per square foot of sign face. | one-time, per sign | 2026-09-08 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits | $150 flat; a new Certificate of Use and Occupancy triggered by a change of occupancy or tenant is a $300 inspection fee instead | one-time, per issuance | 2026-09-08 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits | $9.50 per $1,000 of valuation for the building permit itself, and identically for HVAC, sprinkler/fire detection, awnings, and parking lot installation; plumbing, gas, electrical and mechanical permits are the same $9.50 per $1,000 with a $125 minimum each. Plan review (commercial): $150 up to $10,000 valuation, $350 for $10,001–$50,000, $700 for $50,001–$100,000, then $700 plus $1.50 per $1,000 above $100,001. A $1.00 per $1,000 state craft-training-fund surcharge applies to nonresidential permits. Reinspection is $125; weekend/after-hours inspection is a $300 minimum for the first four hours. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
| Zoning Certificate or Information Letteronly if it applies to you | City of Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits | $50–$100 a Zoning Certificate Letter (zoning classification and flood plain status only) is $50; a more detailed Zoning Information Letter is $100 or more depending on scope | one-time, per request | 2026-09-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Sign Permit
Historic Preservation Review or Commercial Revitalization District design review, where applicable, adds a further $35 each.
Certificate of Occupancy
A duplicate certificate is $150. Where a building permit for alterations exceeding $10,000 is already being issued, the occupancy inspection appears to be folded into that permit process rather than charged as the separate $300 change-of-occupancy fee, though the city's fee document does not state this explicitly.
Commercial Building Permit
A citywide minimum permit fee of $125 applies regardless of the calculated amount for any individual trade permit.
Zoning Certificate or Information Letter
The city's own request form does not state whether this letter is a mandatory prerequisite to opening or an optional due-diligence document a business can request; several municipal business license schedules (auto repair, parking, junk yards) do separately condition license issuance on zoning sign-off from this department. Confirm with the Zoning Division (205-254-2478) before treating this as a required step for every business type.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Birmingham
- Phone
- (205) 254-2478
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Birmingham — Permit and Inspection Fees, articles V and VIICity of Birmingham, Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- City of Birmingham — Zoning Letter Request Form and feesCity of Birmingham, Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
Other offices serving Birmingham
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Alabama jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.