Interior Code Requirements in Alabama

State with significant severe hail frequency per NOAA SPC storm reports. Insurance restoration contractors should document pre-existing hail damage and recommend impact-resistant materials.

FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas with Base Flood Elevations (BFE) throughout Alabama. The state participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). All 67 counties have effective FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). Major flood sources include the Mobile River Delta, Tennessee River basin, Tombigbee and Alabama River systems, Black Warrior and Cahaba Rivers, and Gulf Coast storm surge. Coastal V-zones and Coastal A-zones present in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Alabama has over 1,200 listings on the National Register of Historic Places and numerous locally designated historic districts. The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) serves as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Major districts include Mobile (De Tonti Square, Oakleigh Garden, Church Street East), Birmingham (Five Points South, Norwood, Forest Park), Montgomery (Old Alabama Town, Cloverdale), Huntsville (Twickenham, Old Town), Selma, and many others. Local historic preservation commissions may impose additional requirements.

Entire state of Alabama is designated hurricane-prone per ASCE 7 and IRC R301.2.1. Ultimate design wind speeds range from 115 mph in northern Alabama to 150+ mph along the Gulf Coast. Continuous load path from roof to foundation required statewide. Recent major hurricanes: Ivan (2004), Katrina (2005), Sally (2020, Cat 2, $7.3B damage), Zeta (2020).

DOD TIP Zone 1 (Very Heavy) — highest probability of subterranean termite infestation. IRC Section R318.1 requires termite protection measures for all wood structures.