Madison County, AL Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard front setback
- 35 feet minimum
- Sewer-served lot exception
- 25 feet on non-arterial street
- Corner lot side setback
- 25 feet minimum
- Collector/Arterial frontage
- 50 feet front setback
- Governing rule
- Subdivision Regulations, not zoning
- Enforcing office
- Public Works / County Engineer
Summary
Madison County has no zoning code, but its Subdivision Regulations set numeric yard setbacks for every new lot created in the unincorporated county. Under Section 4.3.7(13), front building setback lines must run at least 35 feet from the property line on most lots, tightening to 25 feet where public sewer serves the lot and widening to 50 feet on roads classified Collector or Arterial.
All proposed front minimum Building Setback Lines are not to be less than thirty-five (35) feet in width. The aforementioned Building Setback Lines do not apply if the Lot will be served by an approved sanitary sewer system and located on a Street other than a Collector Street or an Arterial. In that case, only front minimum Building Setback Lines must be a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from the property boundary. If the Lot is a Corner Lot, the minimum front setback line must be thirty-five (35) feet from the property boundary, and the minimum side setback line must be twenty-five (25) feet from the property boundary. If a Lot is located on a Collector or Arterial, as per the classification of the roadway shown on the Alabama Department of Transportation Highway Functional Classification Map, latest edition, the minimum front building setback shall be fifty (50) feet.
Full Breakdown
The Madison County Subdivision Regulations, last revised effective September 1, 2017, are the only source of yard setbacks in the unincorporated county: the county has never adopted a zoning ordinance, so these dimensional standards apply only to land going through the plat-approval process, not to existing lots outside a subdivision. 7(13) requires every Proposed Plat to show a front minimum Building Setback Line of at least 35 feet. That baseline drops to 25 feet only if the lot will be served by an approved sanitary sewer system and fronts a street that is not a Collector or an Arterial.
Corner lots get a mixed standard: the front line stays at 35 feet and a 25-foot minimum side setback line is added along the second frontage. Where a lot fronts a road classified as a Collector or an Arterial on the Alabama Department of Transportation's Highway Functional Classification Map, the front setback jumps to 50 feet regardless of sewer service. 1. Because the standard is tied to the subdivision process rather than a citywide zoning map, a builder on an existing unsubdivided parcel in the unincorporated county should confirm with the Public Works Department (256-746-2900) whether the parcel was platted under these Regulations before assuming a setback applies.
Violations & Fines
Section 2.3.2 makes violating any Subdivision Regulation, including the Section 4.3.7(13) setback lines, punishable by the fine set out in Code of Alabama § 11-24-3 et seq., and lets the County file a civil action to enjoin noncompliant work. The County Engineer enforces the Regulations and reports violations to the Commission under Section 2.3; the Probate Judge cannot record a Final Plat that fails to meet these lines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Madison County have a zoning ordinance setting setbacks?
When does the setback drop to 25 feet?
What triggers the 50-foot setback?
Who enforces these setback lines?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison County
Compare Madison County to another location·View the Alabama building setbacks & zoning overview
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