Deck Construction Permits in Mobile

Local Rule

City of Mobile Building Inspection Department

Mobile follows the general Alabama pattern of exempting a small freestanding deck under 200 square feet and 30 inches above grade, while an attached deck or one exceeding either limit needs a full permit. Mobile County's own adopted building code amendments require design wind speed to be determined per ASCE 7-10 Chapter 26 (or the current interactive wind speed map), and any structure located in Exposure Category D must have plans prepared by an Alabama-licensed engineer or architect regardless of size, a real structural consequence of the county's Wind Zone II classification (120 to 150 mph design wind speeds) that affects deck ledger connections, post anchoring and hardware selection.

Source · Verified September 2026

Mobile Building Department

Hours and procedures can change — call ahead to confirm.

How This Compares to Mobile County

Mobile's own rule is shown above (Depends on project scope). Here is the separate rule that applies at the county level, for context:

Mobile County Inspection Services (unincorporated areas; no

Mobile County Inspection Services enforces the adopted building code for unincorporated areas, but the county has confirmed there is no zoning in its unincorporated areas at all. No specific deck size or height exemption number is published separately from the general Alabama IRC-based standard used elsewhere in the state.

See the full county page

Nearby Cities with Verified Rules

Other cities near Mobile with a confirmed deck construction rule:

FAQs

Building It Yourself? Here's What You'll Need

Popular tools and materials homeowners use for a deck construction project:

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