Overview
Worth knowing
- Birmingham is in an active citywide rezoning transition. New districts (UN, MU-D, MU-M, MU-H, C-1, C-2, I-1 through I-4, HID) from the 2013 Comprehensive Plan are being phased in area-by-area. The base Appendix D zoning ordinance still reflects the older system (E-1, R-1–R-8, B-1–B-6, M-1–M-4). Many properties in rezoned areas operate under new districts while the overall ordinance remains in transition. Dual-code situation requires careful property-specific verification.
- The UN (Urban Neighborhood) District is Birmingham's most innovative new district, explicitly designed for areas within ¼ mile of transit. It allows duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and cottage courts alongside small-lot single-family homes — Birmingham's locally-initiated voluntary response to missing middle housing demand (not state-mandated).
- E-1 (Estate District) sits below R-1 at the low-density extreme. Most cities begin residential tiers at R-1, but Birmingham's E-1 reflects large-lot estate neighborhoods in Mountain Brook-adjacent and Shades Mountain areas within city limits.
+ 6 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
ind 9res_sf 5res_mf 5com 5cbd 5mu 4spec 3ag 2res_th 1off 1
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Estate District | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-1 | Single-Family District 1 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-2 | Single-Family District 2 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-3 | Single-Family District 3 | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-4 | Two-Family and Semi-Attached Dwelling District | res_th | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-4A | Medium Density Residential District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-5 | Multiple Dwelling District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-6 | Multiple Dwelling District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-7 | Multiple Dwelling District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-8 | Planned Residential District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-1 | Neighborhood Business District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-2 | General Business District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-3 | Community Business District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-4 | Central Business District | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-5 | Mixed Business District | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| B-6 | Health and Institutional District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| O&I | Office and Institutional District | off | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| PRD | Planned Recreational District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-1 | Light Industrial District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-1A | General Industrial District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-2 | Heavy Industrial District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-3 | Planned Industrial District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M-4 | Special Mining and Lumbering District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| A-1 | Agricultural District 1 | ag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| A-2 | Agricultural District 2 | ag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| MXD | Mixed Use District | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| UN | Urban Neighborhood District | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| C-1 | Neighborhood Commercial District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| C-2 | General Commercial District | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| MU-M | Mixed-Use Medium District | mu | — | 65 ft | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| MU-H | Mixed-Use High District | mu | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| MU-D | Mixed-Use Downtown District | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-1 | Light Industrial District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-2 | Heavy Industrial District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-3 | Planned Manufacturing District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| I-4 | Mining, Landfill & Timbering Industrial District | ind | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| HID | Health & Institutional District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| D-4 | Downtown District 4 | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| D-5 | Downtown District 5 | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| D-6 | Downtown District 6 | cbd | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
FP
Floodplain Zone Districts
FPAreas designated as Special Flood Hazard Areas on FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs)
| basis | NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) requirements |
|---|---|
| standards | Elevation and floodproofing required; development subject to floodplain regulations |
HWY280
U.S. Highway 280 Overlay District
CORU.S. Highway 280 corridor in Birmingham (extending into Shelby County)
| focus | Address commercial strip development patterns |
|---|---|
| standards | Access management, building setbacks, landscaping, signage control |
HPFBO
Highland Park Neighborhood Form-Based Overlay District
CONHighland Park neighborhood in central Birmingham (near Five Points South entertainment district)
| focus | Infill development compatibility with historic early 20th century neighborhood character |
|---|---|
| standards | Form-based standards governing building form, placement, massing; setbacks, building heights, façade requirements, pedestrian-oriented design |
AHZ
Airport Height Zone
APVicinity of Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM)
| basis | FAA airspace protection |
|---|---|
| standards | Additional height restrictions in approach and transitional surfaces; structures above threshold heights require FAA notice of proposed construction |
Q
Qualified Zone District
SPDApplied to specific properties through rezoning with conditions imposed by City Council
| mechanism | Site-specific restrictions and requirements beyond base zone standards |
|---|---|
| process | Amendments to Q conditions require City Council approval with ZAC (Zoning Adjustment Commission) review |
| standards | Site plan review may be required as part of Q condition compliance |
HZD
Holding Zone District
SPDAreas pending comprehensive planning or infrastructure studies
| purpose | Prevent premature development |
|---|---|
| standards | Minimal uses allowed pending removal of holding designation |
C
Contingency Zone District
SPDSpecific properties where development approval is contingent on future events or actions
| mechanism | Conditions must be met before full zoning rights vest |
|---|---|
| standards | Site-specific contingencies determined at rezoning |
Adopted building codes
Statewide
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- Birmingham is in an active citywide rezoning transition. New districts (UN, MU-D, MU-M, MU-H, C-1, C-2, I-1 through I-4, HID) from the 2013 Comprehensive Plan are being phased in area-by-area. The base Appendix D zoning ordinance still reflects the older system (E-1, R-1–R-8, B-1–B-6, M-1–M-4). Many properties in rezoned areas operate under new districts while the overall ordinance remains in transition. Dual-code situation requires careful property-specific verification.
- The UN (Urban Neighborhood) District is Birmingham's most innovative new district, explicitly designed for areas within ¼ mile of transit. It allows duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and cottage courts alongside small-lot single-family homes — Birmingham's locally-initiated voluntary response to missing middle housing demand (not state-mandated).
- E-1 (Estate District) sits below R-1 at the low-density extreme. Most cities begin residential tiers at R-1, but Birmingham's E-1 reflects large-lot estate neighborhoods in Mountain Brook-adjacent and Shades Mountain areas within city limits.
- R-8 (Planned Residential) and M-3 (Planned Manufacturing) require ZAC development plan approval before any operative standards apply. Without an approved plan, no development is possible — quasi-overlay frameworks rather than operative base districts.
- Communal Living Facility spacing: 1,000-foot minimum between facilities; allowed with Special Exception only in specific districts. List covers transitional housing and recovery residences.
- MU-M has a specific confirmed height limit of 65 ft — one of the few Birmingham new district parameters confirmed at numerical value from primary source.
- M-1A (General Industrial) is an unusual industrial tier nomenclature, suggesting higher-intensity light industrial positioned between M-1 and M-2.
- D-4, D-5, D-6 are legacy downtown zoning categories referenced in FAQ but relationship to B-4 (Central Business) and new MU-D unclear. D-6 requires ZAC development plan approval per §D-6/R-8/MXD group, suggesting phased transition mechanism.
- Active rezoning areas as of April 2026: Airport Hills, Brownville, Cahaba, Crestline, Crestwood, East Birmingham, East Lake, East Pinson Valley, Ensley, Five Points West, Grasselli, Huffman, Southern Area, Eastern Area, Pratt-Ensley, Northside-Southside Communities.
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Measured to roof peak unless otherwise specified
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint / lot area (decimal format)
- setback
- Measured from property line to building exterior (feet)
- du_ac
- Dwelling units per acre
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
Sort by
Max height
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Floor area ratio
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
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Parking
— /unit
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Max density
— du/ac
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Min lot size
— sf
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Research status
Data quality
20%completeness7 confirmed36 partial
Documented gaps
- Dimensional regulations (lot area, yard setbacks, height) for all legacy districts (E-1, R-1–R-8, B-1–B-6, M-1–M-4, A-1–A-2, MXD) exist in Appendix D §2 subsection 3 but are graphical tables not machine-readable; require direct Municode/PDF access or birminghamal.gov Planning & Zoning Division contact (205-254-2478)
- New district dimensional standards (UN, C-1, C-2, MU-H, MU-D, I-1–I-4, HID) not extracted from community rezoning page (qualitative descriptions only, no full KPI tables)
- D-4, D-5, D-6 relationship to legacy B-4 and new MU-D districts unresolved; may be interim categories during ordinance transition
- Only one numerical parameter confirmed for new districts: MU-M max height 65 ft
- Alabama has no statewide zoning preemption; all parameters locally controlled
Known issues
schema:v1-legacypriority:lowdata:gaps-present
Other cities in this state
Nearest-alphabetical profiles. Click through to compare zoning patterns side-by-side.