Accessory Structures in Alabama (2026)
37 rules on the books across Alabama, 13 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
ADU Rules
Rules for building accessory dwelling units (granny flats, in-law suites) including size limits, parking requirements, and owner-occupancy rules.
Bessemer
Significant RestrictionsBessemer's zoning ordinance bars accessory structures from containing living quarters unless the Board of Zoning…
Read full rule →Huntsville
Significant RestrictionsHuntsville's zoning code lets homeowners add a second kitchen inside a single-family house, but Section 10.6.3 flatly…
Read full rule →Jefferson County
Significant RestrictionsJefferson County allows one accessory dwelling unit per lot, but Zoning Resolution Section 1207 boxes it in tightly: it…
Read full rule →Auburn
Some RestrictionsAuburn caps an accessory dwelling unit at 30 percent of the principal home's floor space or 1,000 square feet…
Read full rule →Birmingham
Some RestrictionsBirmingham permits one accessory dwelling unit per lot in specified districts (D-4, D-5, UN, MU and certain commercial…
Read full rule →Madison
Some RestrictionsMadison's Zoning Ordinance permits one accessory dwelling unit per single-family lot. A detached ADU must be part of an…
Read full rule →Mobile
Some RestrictionsIn Mobile's Historic Avenue Overlay, one accessory dwelling unit is allowed by right per single-family lot, capped at…
Read full rule →Tuscaloosa
Some RestrictionsTuscaloosa's zoning ordinance permits an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) by right only in the CN, SFR-4, SFR-5, MR-1…
Read full rule →Vestavia Hills
Some RestrictionsVestavia Hills allows one accessory dwelling per lot under Zoning Ordinance §7.8, capped at 25 percent of the principal…
Read full rule →Lee County
Few RestrictionsLee County's Zoning Regulations list an "Accessory dwelling unit," attached or detached from the primary house on the…
Read full rule →ADU Owner Occupancy
Whether the property owner must live on-site to operate an ADU, deed-restriction requirements, and recent state-law changes lifting owner-occupancy rules.
Auburn
Significant RestrictionsAuburn's accessory dwelling unit rule only works if the property owner lives on site: Zoning Ordinance Section…
Read full rule →Jefferson County
Significant RestrictionsAn accessory dwelling unit in unincorporated Jefferson County cannot be rented out to the public. Zoning Resolution…
Read full rule →Tuscaloosa
Significant RestrictionsIn Tuscaloosa's D, DHE and DP zoning districts, an accessory dwelling unit is only legal if the owner of the lot lives…
Read full rule →Huntsville
Some RestrictionsHuntsville lets a single-family homeowner add a second kitchen only if the property owner actually lives in the house…
Read full rule →ADU Rental Restrictions
Whether an ADU can be rented short-term (Airbnb), 30-day minimums, separate rental licenses, and long-term lease requirements.
Auburn
Heavy RestrictionsAuburn's accessory dwelling unit rule doubles as a rental ban: Zoning Ordinance Section 408.02(D)(4)(h) states an ADU…
Read full rule →Huntsville
Heavy RestrictionsA Huntsville single-family home with a second kitchen cannot be rented out under Zoning Ordinance § 10.6.9. Owners…
Read full rule →Tuscaloosa
Heavy RestrictionsTuscaloosa flatly bars using an accessory dwelling unit as a short-term rental, and bars the reverse arrangement too…
Read full rule →Shed & Carport Rules
When a storage shed or carport needs a permit, the square-footage exemption thresholds, and the setback and height limits that apply either way.
Auburn
Some RestrictionsA backyard shed in Auburn needs a zoning certificate, must sit at least 10 feet behind the front building line and 5…
Read full rule →Bessemer
Some RestrictionsBessemer allows sheds and other accessory structures in the rear yard, but caps them at 30 percent of the required rear…
Read full rule →Birmingham
Some RestrictionsAccessory buildings such as sheds may be built in a required rear yard but may not occupy more than 30 percent of the…
Read full rule →Hoover
Some RestrictionsHoover caps accessory buildings and sheds at 15% of the rear yard, bars them from the front yard, and requires a 5-foot…
Read full rule →Huntsville
Some RestrictionsHuntsville caps residential accessory structures like sheds and detached garages at two stories, bars them from front…
Read full rule →Jefferson County
Some RestrictionsA shed or other accessory building in unincorporated Jefferson County must sit behind the main house and at least 5…
Read full rule →Lee County
Some RestrictionsLee County's Zoning Regulations don't set a size, setback, or permit rule for sheds anywhere in the county (Sec. 3.8 is…
Read full rule →Madison
Some RestrictionsA shed or storage building larger than 200 square feet requires a City of Madison building permit. Sheds 200 square…
Read full rule →Madison County
Some RestrictionsMadison County exempts one-story detached accessory structures under 200 square feet from a building permit, but a…
Read full rule →Mobile
Some RestrictionsMobile's UDC sets no separate size or height limit for sheds; accessory structures must stay out of required yards like…
Read full rule →Montgomery
Some RestrictionsIn Montgomery's residential districts, a shed or other accessory structure cannot be built in a required front or side…
Read full rule →Tuscaloosa
Some RestrictionsTuscaloosa caps residential accessory structures like sheds at 650 square feet or 40 percent of the main house's…
Read full rule →Vestavia Hills
Some RestrictionsVestavia Hills' Zoning Ordinance caps a detached shed or accessory building at one story and sixteen feet, bars…
Read full rule →Garage Conversions
Rules for converting a garage into living space, including whether you need to replace the lost parking and what building codes apply.
Tiny Homes
Zoning rules for tiny houses on wheels and foundations, including minimum square footage requirements and where they can be placed.
Alabama: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsAlabama enforces statewide minimum building, energy, and manufactured-home standards through the Alabama Manufactured…
Read full rule →Birmingham
Some RestrictionsBirmingham has no separate 'tiny home' ordinance; a detached tiny home on a residential lot is regulated as an…
Read full rule →Jefferson County
Some RestrictionsJefferson County's Zoning Resolution defines a Tiny Home as a site-built detached dwelling of 400 square feet or less…
Read full rule →Madison County
Some RestrictionsA tiny house in unincorporated Madison County is a real dwelling only if it is built and inspected to the 2018 IRC…
Read full rule →Tuscaloosa
Some RestrictionsTuscaloosa's zoning ordinance caps a 'tiny house' at 400 square feet and then sorts it into one of two very different…
Read full rule →Mobile
Light RestrictionsMobile's residential building code amendments formally adopt IRC Appendix AQ, the tiny house standards, giving tiny…
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