Accessory Structures in Tuscaloosa, AL (2026)
5 verified accessory structures rules for Tuscaloosa, Alabama, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Tuscaloosa's zoning ordinance permits an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) by right only in the CN, SFR-4, SFR-5, MR-1, MR-2, D, DP, DHE, GPD and RPD districts under Table V-5 and Sec. 25-107(a). Every ADU must add one off-street parking space beyond what the main house requires and stays under the citywide accessory-structure size cap.
Tuscaloosa Accessory Dwelling Unit Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsTuscaloosa Zoning Ordinance Sec. 25-107(a)(1) (Accessory Dwelling Unit), Table V-5; general accessory-structure size cap at Sec. 25-106(e), Div. 3, Art. V (Ord. No. 9572, § 2, 12-17-24)
a.Accessory dwelling unit.1.In all districts, one additional off-street vehicular parking space shall be provided for the accessory dwelling unit, in addition to any off-street parking required for the principal use or uses on the site in accordance with article VI, division 2, off-street parking, bicycle parking, and loading standards. ... [Sec. 25-106(e)] In a residential zoning district, no ...
ADU Owner Occupancy
In Tuscaloosa's D, DHE and DP zoning districts, an accessory dwelling unit is only legal if the owner of the lot lives in the principal dwelling as a legal and permanent residence. Sec. 25-107(a)(4) lets the city verify that through voter or vehicle registration.
Tuscaloosa ADU Owner-Occupancy Requirement
Significant RestrictionsTuscaloosa Zoning Ordinance Sec. 25-107(a)(4) (Accessory Dwelling Unit, Owner-Occupancy), Div. 3, Art. V (Ord. No. 9572, § 2, 12-17-24)
4.In the D, DHE, and DP districts, the principal dwelling unit shall be used by the owner of the lot as a legal and permanent residence. For purposes of this paragraph, the owner's legal and permanent residence shall be evidenced by voter registration, vehicle registration, or in a similar way.
ADU Rental Restrictions
Tuscaloosa flatly bars using an accessory dwelling unit as a short-term rental, and bars the reverse arrangement too: an owner cannot live in the ADU while renting out the principal house short-term. Sec. 25-107(a)(2)-(3) applies in every district where an ADU is permitted.
Tuscaloosa Bans Short-Term Rental Use of ADUs
Heavy RestrictionsTuscaloosa Zoning Ordinance Sec. 25-107(a)(2)-(3) (Accessory Dwelling Unit, Short-Term Rental Restrictions), Div. 3, Art. V (Ord. No. 9572, § 2, 12-17-24)
2.An accessory dwelling unit may not be used as a short-term rental use.3.The owner of the lot may not reside in the accessory dwelling unit and use the principal dwelling as a short-term rental use.
Shed & Carport Rules
Tuscaloosa caps residential accessory structures like sheds at 650 square feet or 40 percent of the main house's footprint, whichever is larger, and requires a 5-foot setback from side and rear lot lines under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 25-106.
Tuscaloosa Accessory Structure and Shed Rules
Some RestrictionsCity of Tuscaloosa Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 25-106(b), (e), (g) (General Standards for All Accessory Uses and Structures), Article V, Division 3
b.All accessory uses and structures shall:...6.Be located at least five (5) feet from any lot line in a required side or rear yard;7.Not cover more than thirty (30) per cent of the required rear yard...e.In a residential zoning district, no accessory structure shall:1.Be located closer to a street than the principal structure;2.Be taller than the principal structure on the site; or3.Exceed the ...
Tiny Homes
Tuscaloosa's zoning ordinance caps a 'tiny house' at 400 square feet and then sorts it into one of two very different regulatory tracks. Sec. 25-31 treats a tiny house on an engineered permanent foundation as an ordinary single-family detached dwelling, but treats one without a permanent foundation as a mobile home dwelling, which Sec. 25-99 confines to a licensed mobile home park or subdivision.
Tuscaloosa Tiny House Rules and Limits
Some RestrictionsCity of Tuscaloosa Zoning Ordinance, §§ 25-31 (Definitions: 'Tiny house') and 25-99(e)(1)(viii) (Agricultural and Residential Principal Use Table, Standards Specific to Residential Uses: Dwelling, mobile home)
[Sec. 25-31] Tiny house means a single-family dwelling unit containing no more than four hundred (400) square feet of gross floor area. A tiny house installed on an engineered permanent foundation and constructed in accordance with the building code, shall be considered to be, and shall be subject to the regulations that apply to, a single-family detached dwelling. A tiny house that is not inst...