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Steps to Building a House in Alabama, from Lot to Move-In

The order matters more than most people expect. Settle the land questions first, then design and money, then permits and building. Here's the sequence, with the Alabama-specific issues in the middle of it.

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1. Check the land before you buy it

2. Plan, price and pay

Get plans and a written price, then decide how you'll pay. HomeGuide's Alabama range is $150 to $300 a square foot for builder-grade and $300 to $500 for custom, before land.[5] Our cost page breaks that down; loans covers financing.

3. Permits and approvals

In Oxford you need a building permit before excavating or even storing materials on the lot, and the City's 311 answer puts the wait at about two weeks.[6][7] Add the septic Permit to Install where there's no sewer,[8] a floodplain permit if any of the work is in a mapped hazard area,[3] and a 911 address.[9]

4. Build, with Alabama in mind

Energy code

Alabama's Residential Energy Code is the 2015 IECC with state amendments, enforced from October 1, 2016.[10][11] The state rule covers climate zones 2 and 3 and calls for air-leakage testing with a blower door, with a maximum of 5 air changes per hour.[10] Since October 1, 2024, the Home Builders Licensure Board has held authority to adopt the state's residential building and energy codes.[12]

A storm safe room

A house that isn't built yet is the easiest place to add a safe room. FEMA's P-320 guide covers safe rooms for one- and two-family homes and includes prescriptive design plans that meet FEMA's criteria, built on the ICC 500 storm shelter standard.[13] Ask your builder whether a room in your plan can be built to it.

Inspections and sign-offs

Expect inspections as the work goes, and keep copies. Where there's a septic system, it can't be used until the health department issues its Approval for Use.[8]

5. Move in

HomeGuide puts typical construction time at 6 to 12 months or more.[5] Walk the house with the builder before the last payment and get warranties in writing; the state doesn't require builders to offer one.[14]

Questions to ask a home builder before hiring

  1. What name and number is your Alabama license under, and when does it expire?[15]
  2. Can I see proof of liability insurance and workers' comp?[16]
  3. What's the payment schedule, tied to which stages?[16]
  4. Which materials, brands and models are included, in writing?[16]
  5. What warranty do you give, and on what?
  6. Who is my contact on site, and how do changes get priced?
  7. Can you build a FEMA-criteria safe room, and what would it add?
  8. Have you built under the current Alabama energy code, including the blower-door test?

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Sources

  1. Alabama Department of Public Health, Can I Live On This Lot? (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  2. FEMA Flood Map Service Center (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  3. ADECA Office of Water Resources, Floodplain Management in Alabama Quick Guide (PDF) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  4. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Web Soil Survey (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  5. HomeGuide, Cost to build a house (national and state ranges, Oct 24, 2025) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  6. City of Oxford, Zoning Ordinance (adopted Sept 26, 2017; amendments June 9, 2026) (PDF) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  7. City of Oxford 311 help center, building permit time frame (updated Feb 23, 2017) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  8. Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-3-1-.06, Permits required for an onsite sewage system (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  9. City of Oxford, Residential Sub-Contractors List (PDF) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  10. Ala. Admin. Code r. 305-2-4-.10, Residential Energy Code (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  11. U.S. Department of Energy, Building Energy Codes Program, Alabama status (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  12. Alabama Legislature, HB198 (2024 Regular Session), enrolled act moving residential code adoption to the HBLB (PDF) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  13. FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm: Building or Installing a Safe Room for Your Home (5th ed., March 2021) (PDF) (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  14. Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board, Consumer FAQ (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  15. Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board, Do's and Don'ts of Hiring a Contractor (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
  16. Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board, Before the Contractor Begins Work (accessed Oct 17, 2026)
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