Birmingham's Title 14 Zoning and Land Development Ordinance establishes residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed-use districts plus form-based overlay zones for downtown, Avondale, and Lakeview entertainment districts.
Title 14 of the General Code of Birmingham governs zoning, subdivisions, and land development citywide. It defines base districts (R-1 through R-7 residential, B-1 through B-5 commercial, M-1 and M-2 industrial) and overlay districts including the Downtown Mixed-Use overlay and historic-preservation overlays for Five Points South and Highland Park. Birmingham Zoning Adjustment Board hears variance requests, while Planning Commission handles rezonings and major site plans. Subdivision requirements live in Title 16. Major amendments require City Council ordinance after Planning Commission recommendation, and case-specific notice to neighbors within a defined radius.
Stop-work orders, civil penalties, mandatory restoration of nonconforming work, and inability to obtain certificates of occupancy.
See how Birmingham's specific plans overview rules stack up against other locations.
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