Driveways and curb cuts in Huntsville
The City's Driveway Curb Cut Permit is the permit "to construct, reconstruct, alter, remove or replace any driveway approach, or any curb, guttering, or sidewalk." The City's home improvement guidelines say it's "required for any modifications to driveways and curbs where they tie into city streets."
- Who issues it: the Traffic Engineering Office, 2100 Clinton Ave W, Huntsville, AL 35805. Phone (256) 427-6850, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Who can apply: the property owner, an authorized representative or a contractor. The applicant agrees to indemnify the City for the work (to pay if the City is blamed for damage it causes).
- How: through the application linked from the City's permit page, which includes a sketch of the work.
- Fee: the City's page doesn't list one. Ask Traffic Engineering.
- Bigger right-of-way work: anything else that builds in or blocks a public right-of-way needs a Right of Way Permit from the City's Engineering Division.
Permits for patios, slabs and sheds in Huntsville
- Plain slabs and patios: no City page we found says whether a patio or slab poured on the ground of your lot needs a building permit. Ask the City's Inspection Department, (256) 427-5341, before you pour.
- Sheds and other small buildings: the City's residential construction questions page (FAQ) says they need a permit. They must be in the back yard and at least 5 feet from the side and back property lines. They must also stay off any easements and be no more than 2 stories tall. That FAQ looks dated (it cites the 2003 building code), so confirm the current rule with Inspection.
- Permit fees: for residential building permits other than new houses, the City charges the total contract price times 0.0055: $55 for $10,000 of work. Small repairs that don't need the City to review drawings can get a permit the same day, in person.
- Historic districts: in a Huntsville historic district, outside projects need approval from the Huntsville Historic Preservation Commission before a building permit can be issued. That includes new walls, fences, terraces, drives and patios. The approval is a Certificate of Appropriateness or an Expedited Staff Review. The application costs $15, and approvals last 12 months.
Public sidewalk permits and repairs
Replacing or altering a public sidewalk falls under the same Driveway Curb Cut Permit. The City's sidewalk page says the Public Works Department maintains city sidewalks and repairs sections that become displaced or unsafe. Report a damaged one to the City.
Concrete permits in the City of Madison
Madison runs its own permits. Its building permit FAQ says:
- No building permit for a driveway or parking pad, sidewalks, grade-level patios, or sheds of 200 square feet or less.
- A permit is required for sheds over 200 square feet, and for projects such as a porch cover over a slab.
- Driveway openings in the right-of-way are permitted separately from Madison's Right-of-Way Construction Permit; ask the City which applies.
- Every Madison residential building permit carries a $20 fee for the North Alabama Homebuilding Academy.
Madison County permits outside city limits
Outside city limits, Madison County's Inspection Department issues residential permits. The County enforces the 2018 International Residential Code with local amendments, requires permits for residential accessory buildings, and exempts some work under a county resolution. Ask the County what your project needs.
A Harvest or Meridianville mailing address doesn't decide which rules apply. City limits follow property lines, not mailing names. So an address there can still be inside Huntsville or Madison. Check your parcel on the City of Huntsville's maps, or ask the City.
Contractor licenses in Alabama
- Home Builders Licensure Board: under Code of Alabama § 34-14A-2, the license covers building, repairing, improving or reimproving (improving again) a home for someone else. It is needed when "the cost of the undertaking exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000)." The law defines an improvement as "any site-built addition or enhancement attached to or detached from a residence." It doesn't name driveways or patios. The board's FAQ adds "unless the work performed is not within the jurisdiction of the Board". So ask the board or the contractor about your project. Work that doesn't affect structural integrity and involves one trade needs a limited license.
- General Contractors board: since October 1, 2024, its license is required where the cost of the undertaking is $100,000 or more, up from $50,000. The definition includes paving and site work.
- Checking a license: use "Look Up a License" on the Home Builders Licensure Board site, or the license search on the General Contractors board site.
Alabama 811: call before digging
Breaking out an old driveway or digging for a new slab can reach buried gas, water, power and communication lines. Under Alabama law (Code of Alabama § 37-15-4), Alabama 811 must get notice at least 2 and no more than 10 working days before digging. The day you call doesn't count. A request stays valid for 20 working days from the planned start date. Call 811 or 800-292-8525 (toll-free inside or outside Alabama), or file online; it's free.
Alabama 811 says a revised law takes effect January 1, 2027, and the current law remains in effect through December 31, 2026. Its summary of the changes treats hand digging as excavation, except for a property owner using hand tools on their own property.
Homeowners association (HOA) approval
Your HOA's rules apply on top of the City's. In Hampton Cove, for example, all changes to the outside of a home must go to the Architectural Review Committee. Repairs that put back the same thing don't need approval. The covenants allow up to 45 days for the review. Ask your HOA for written approval before you book a date.
Sources
- City of Huntsville: Driveway Curb Cut Permit Application, Home Improvement Guidelines, Street Cut Permit, FAQs for Residential Construction, Permit Costs, Building License & Permits, Historic Preservation Application, Sidewalks (all checked October 27, 2026)
- City of Madison: Building Permit FAQs, Right-of-Way Construction Permit, Permitting (checked October 27, 2026)
- Madison County: Inspection Department and Residential (checked October 27, 2026)
- Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board: § 34-14A-2 Definitions (updated April 4, 2022), Home builder vs general contractor FAQ (updated November 1, 2024), Rules and Regulations (effective March 17, 2025)
- Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors, Changes to the Code of Alabama (September 30, 2024)
- Alabama 811: Law, Life of a Ticket (checked October 27, 2026)
- Hampton Cove Owners Association, FAQs (checked October 27, 2026)
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the City, the County or the state board before you start.