Build Mobile issues City of Mobile building permits online through CSS and runs zoning. Permitting: 251-208-7602. Planning and zoning: 251-208-5895.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Facts on this page come from Build Mobile, the City of Mobile’s development department, and its contact, forms and codes, maps, Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment pages.

Inside the City of Mobile, building permits, inspections, zoning, subdivisions, signs and historic review all run through Build Mobile, the city department on the third floor of the South Tower at Government Plaza, 205 Government St. Most permits are applied for, paid for and tracked online in the city’s CSS permitting portal.

Who to call

  • Permitting and predevelopment (permit questions, plan submissions): 251-208-7602 or 251-208-7023, permitting@cityofmobile.org
  • Inspections (building codes, construction questions): 251-208-7198, inspections@cityofmobile.org
  • Planning and Zoning (zoning, subdivisions, signs, Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustment, Tree Commission): 251-208-5895 or 251-208-5896, planning@cityofmobile.org
  • Historic Development (Architectural Review Board): 251-208-7281 or 251-208-7960, 200 Government St., second floor
  • Mail: Build Mobile, P.O. Box 1827, Mobile, AL 36633

If your property is outside the city limits, the city does not issue your permits; contact Mobile County instead.

Getting a permit

  1. Register in CSS. The portal now requires every user, new or returning, to register with added sign-in security. Build Mobile posts instructions for new users and for existing users.
  2. Pick the right application. The forms page carries separate applications for building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, re-roofing, demolition, moving a house and flood zone development, plus a residential plan review application and checklist.
  3. Check the flood zone. Work in a flood zone needs a flood zone development permit. Large repairs or improvements may need the city’s 50% FEMA flood packet.
  4. Schedule inspections through CSS as the work goes, and request a residential certificate of occupancy when a new home is done.

Doing the work yourself: Alabama’s Home Builders Licensure Law lets an owner act as their own contractor on a home for their own use, not for sale. Sign the state’s homeowner’s exemption form. The exemption is not transferable, and a sale within a year of completion is treated as evidence the house was built to sell.

Fees are set by city ordinance. Build Mobile posts the building trades fee ordinance with its codes. Mobile builds to the 2021 International Residential and Building codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code, with local amendments effective Jan. 7, 2023.

Zoning: the map and the code

  • Zoning map: the city’s interactive zoning map shows the current zoning district of every parcel in the city.
  • Future land use map: the same map’s FLUM page shows what the city’s comprehensive plan, Map for Mobile, wants each area to become. The city uses it to judge rezoning requests.
  • The code: Mobile’s Unified Development Code, in effect since March 1, 2023, sets the zoning districts, uses and procedures. Each article is posted on the forms and codes page.
  • Zoning letter: lenders and buyers can order a zoning certification letter online.

Short-term rentals have needed a conditional use permit since March 2025. The application is on the forms page.

The boards that decide

Board What it hears 2026 meetings
Planning Commission Rezonings, subdivisions, planned developments, conditional uses Monthly on a Thursday; Aug. 20, Sept. 17 and Oct. 15 were the latest
Board of Zoning Adjustment Variances from the zoning rules, including sign variances Next meeting Thursday, Nov. 5
Architectural Review Board Exterior changes and demolition in Mobile’s historic districts See the board’s page

Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustment meetings are held in person at Government Plaza and stream live on the city’s YouTube channel from 2 p.m. Each meeting’s page carries the agenda, staff reports and results. You can comment on an active case online from the meeting’s page up to 24 hours before the meeting.

Build Mobile also publishes a neighborhood meeting packet for applicants, revised in July 2026.

Historic districts

Mobile’s historic districts include the Oakleigh Garden district along Government Street. Exterior work, new construction and demolition in a district need a certificate of appropriateness from the Architectural Review Board. Apply with the ARB application; window replacements also need the city’s window survey. Historic Development is at 200 Government St., second floor, 251-208-7281.

Public records

Old permits and certificates of occupancy are released through a public records request.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I get a building permit in Mobile, Alabama?

From Build Mobile, the City of Mobile’s development department on the third floor of the South Tower at Government Plaza, 205 Government St. Most permits are applied for online through the city’s CSS portal. Call permitting at 251-208-7602.

How do I find my zoning in Mobile?

Look up your parcel on the city’s online zoning map, which shows the current zoning district for every parcel in the city. Zoning questions go to Planning and Zoning at 251-208-5895 or planning@cityofmobile.org.

When does the Mobile Planning Commission meet?

The Planning Commission meets monthly on a Thursday at Government Plaza and streams live on YouTube from 2 p.m. Its 2026 meetings included Aug. 20, Sept. 17 and Oct. 15.

Can a homeowner pull a building permit in Mobile?

Yes. An owner building for their own use, not for sale, can sign the State of Alabama homeowner’s exemption from the Home Builders Licensure Law, which Build Mobile provides with its permit forms.

Do I need permission to change a house in a Mobile historic district?

Yes. Exterior work and demolition in Mobile’s historic districts go to the Architectural Review Board for a certificate of appropriateness. Call Historic Development at 251-208-7281.