Huntsville, AL Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Article IV of chapter 23, Excavations, governs any encroachment into Huntsville's public streets and sidewalks. Sec. 23-121 makes it unlawful for anyone other than city employees and Huntsville Utilities to excavate in or under a city street without complying with the article, and Sec. 23-122 is the permitting mechanism: a written application must be filed and a written permit obtained from the engineering division before work begins, with a separate grading permit required under the Stormwater Management Manual, section 2.2.2, for any land-disturbing activity.

Permit holders carry ongoing responsibility once the ground is opened. Sec. 23-123 makes the excavator liable for any damage to the sewer, street, or sidewalk and requires restoration to as good a condition as existed before the work; if the city has to make the repairs itself, the minimum charge is $3.00 per square yard or part of a yard, and anyone who doesn't pay within five working days forfeits any city license requiring excavation work. Sec. 23-125 requires a protective fence at least four feet high around any excavation abutting a sidewalk or street, built of posts and woven wire or of boards or planks at least a half-inch thick and three inches wide spaced no more than 12 inches apart, with posts no more than eight feet apart; leaving an excavation unprotected and open for 24 hours is a separate misdemeanor under subsection (b). Excavating or removing earth, brick, stone, or gravel from a street or sidewalk without engineering division permission is itself a misdemeanor under Sec. 23-126, and Sec. 23-124 makes it a misdemeanor to leave any excavation open in a way that endangers passersby. No excavation may be closed until the city engineer inspects it under Sec. 23-127, and utility service openings additionally need approval from the engineer of public works under Sec. 23-128.