Civil Engineering in Orrville, AL

Civil Engineering in Alabama: what governs your project

Alabama's NPDES construction stormwater program is administered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). Site access and driveway permits on state routes go through the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT). Gulf Coast projects deal with FEMA floodplain mapping and post-storm drainage standards, while north Alabama sites often need karst and sinkhole evaluation.

Permitting & plan check

Plan review and building permits are handled by city and county building departments, each enforcing the codes it has adopted. Larger cities such as Birmingham, Huntsville, and Mobile run full electronic plan-review programs, while smaller jurisdictions may review on paper with longer cycles.

Good to know

• The Gulf Coast, including Mobile and Baldwin counties, sits in one of the highest hurricane wind-speed regions of the Gulf states.
• Much of Alabama's geology is underlain by limestone, making karst and sinkhole investigation a routine part of geotechnical work in the northern half of the state.
• Alabama's state building code framework leaves adoption and enforcement to local jurisdictions, so requirements vary by city and county.

Every discipline, one team