Jefferson County, AL Accessory Structures: Tiny Homes (2026)

Article 3 of the Zoning Resolution (amended 10/9/2025) defines 'Tiny Home' as a site-built single-family detached dwelling of 400 square feet or less, excluding lofts, that complies with the adopted Building Code of Jefferson County. Two zoning districts name tiny homes outright as a permitted use: Section 608 (R-5(A) Mobile Home Subdivision District, intended for 'affordable, workforce housing') lists 'Tiny Homes' as item (g) among its permitted uses, and Section 609 (R-5(B) Mobile Home Park District) lists 'Tiny Homes' as item (e). Both districts also require any mobile-home lot to include a storm shelter, or a community shelter sized for the whole subdivision, built to the current adopted building code(s).

Outside those two districts, Section 1214 ('Temporary Housing During Residential Construction') lets a tiny home, grouped with campers, RVs, and mobile homes, sit on a lot for up to one year while a single-family dwelling is under construction on the same tract. That temporary tiny home must meet the Department of Development Services' adopted building, gas, and electrical codes and the Jefferson County Department of Health's requirements, and it must 'conform to building setbacks for accessory structures', the same yard-line rules that govern sheds and detached garages. Occupancy must stop after one year or once the new house receives its certificate of occupancy, whichever comes first. A tiny home used this way is not a permanent accessory dwelling; it is a construction-period placement tied to an active building permit for the primary residence.