Mobile & Baldwin County, AL

Court service areas in Mobile & Baldwin County

Pickleball courts, backyard courts, and resurfacing across Mobile and Baldwin County. Each town has its own permits, neighborhoods, and ground conditions. Here's what to know about yours.

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Mobile County

Courts in Mobile

Mobile gets about 67 inches of rain in a normal year, according to the National Weather Service. That makes slope and drainage the first thing to get right on a court here. Homes in the city's historic districts also have an extra design review step.

The City of Mobile has dedicated public pickleball courts at Lavretta Park (six courts), Hillsdale Community Center, and Stotts Park.

Planning notes

Plan for heavy rain. Decide which way the court will shed water and where that runoff will go. Skip spots in the yard that already hold puddles after a storm.
Mobile has seven local historic districts, including Oakleigh Garden, Old Dauphin Way, and Ashland Place. Exterior work there needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the city's Architectural Review Board.
The review application has its own section for fences, drives, and gates. It asks for a site plan, the fence height, and the materials. It also asks if any trees will come down, which means a call to the city's Urban Forester.
Outside city limits, Mobile County's permit page lists fences 7 feet tall or shorter as exempt. A taller court fence may not qualify, so ask before you order one.

Permits

Inside city limits, check with Build Mobile, the city's permitting department, and its Historic Development office if you live in a historic district. Outside city limits, check with Mobile County Inspection Services.

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Baldwin County

Courts in Daphne

Daphne runs along the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, with coastal bluffs and ravines near the water. It is also home to Lake Forest, a large neighborhood with its own fence rules. Both can change where a court goes and how it gets fenced.

The Daphne Tennis & Pickleball Complex at W.O. Lott Park has 12 pickleball courts and 10 tennis courts.

Planning notes

Lake Forest calls itself Alabama's largest subdivision. Its Architectural Committee must give written permission before any fence goes up.
Lake Forest's posted fence policy caps fences at 6 feet and chain link at 4 feet. Golf course lots are limited to black wrought iron or aluminum, no taller than 48 inches. If you want a taller court fence, ask the committee early.
Daphne treats land lower than 10 feet above sea level as a coastal area. Projects there need a city development permit and an erosion control plan.
Daphne's Site Containment Inspector checks permitted home and business sites. Muddy runoff can lead to tickets, fines, or a stop-work order, so plan erosion controls for the build.
Daphne's code protects large trees, including live oaks 10 inches or more across. Ask the city before a court layout removes one.

Permits

Check with the City of Daphne Building Inspection Department, which issues building permits. If your lot is outside city limits, check with the Baldwin County Building Department.

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Baldwin County

Courts in Spanish Fort

Spanish Fort sits on the northeast edge of Mobile Bay, beside the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. It became a city in 1993 and had 8,991 people in the 2020 Census. Court plans here often come down to water, dirt work, and whether your lot is inside city limits.

Town Center Park in the Bass Pro Shopping Center opened in 2025 with six pickleball courts, and Spirit Park has lighted tennis courts.

Planning notes

The city's comprehensive plan lists wetlands and creeks throughout Spanish Fort as a known issue. If your yard backs up to a creek or soggy ground, find where the wet area starts before you pick a court spot.
The city's Building Department issues land disturbance permits on their own form, apart from building permits. Grading for a court pad is dirt work, so ask whether your project needs one.
Some homes near Spanish Fort sit outside city limits. There, Baldwin County handles permits. In zoned county areas, zoning review is now part of the county building permit.
The comprehensive plan also flags storm and flood risk, mostly along the Causeway. If your lot is low or close to the water, check the FEMA flood map first.

Permits

Inside city limits, check with the City of Spanish Fort Building Department, which handles building and land disturbance permits. Outside city limits, check with the Baldwin County Building Department.

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Baldwin County

Courts in Fairhope

Fairhope has a few rules most towns don't. The city limits red clay fill near the bay and its creeks. About a quarter of Fairhope sits on land leased from the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation.

The City of Fairhope opened six public pickleball courts at Quail Creek Golf Course in 2023.

Planning notes

Fairhope's red clay ordinance covers coastal bluffs, flood zones, and land near creeks and wetlands. Fill brought into those areas can't be more than 10% red clay. Ask where your court's base material comes from.
Bringing in fill needs a city land disturbance permit. It can be folded into your building permit.
The Fairhope Single Tax Corporation holds about 4,500 acres, both inside and outside city limits. Leaseholders get a 99-year renewable lease and own their improvements. If your home is on Single Tax land, review your lease before a big yard project.
Point Clear is unincorporated, so projects there go through Baldwin County, not the City of Fairhope.

Permits

Check with the City of Fairhope Building and Permitting office; its online portal covers fence, land disturbance, and shed or accessory building permits. For Point Clear and other unincorporated areas, check with the Baldwin County Building Department.

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Baldwin County

Courts in Foley

Foley protects its biggest native trees, and parts of town have a history of drainage trouble. Both matter when you choose a spot for a court. Fences here need a city permit too.

Foley's 12 lighted public pickleball courts sit behind the Coastal Alabama Farmers' and Fishermen's Market off Miflin Road.

Planning notes

Foley's heritage tree rule covers all land in city limits. Native trees 30 inches or more across, plus dogwoods and redbuds 10 inches or more, need a city permit to remove.
Each heritage tree removed must be replaced with two new trees on the same property. Oaks, magnolias, cypress, and longleaf pines are all on the list.
Foley's zoning ordinance requires a building permit for fences. It caps fences along lot lines at 6 feet in most residential zones and 3 feet in front yards.
Much of downtown and the area west of Highway 59 and south of U.S. 98 drains to the Bon Secour River. Debris left by Hurricane Sally caused flooding there for years after the storm. If you're not sure about your lot, the city offers flood determination letters.

Permits

Check with the City of Foley Building Department for building and fence permits, and with the city's Environmental Division before removing a large tree. Outside city limits, check with the Baldwin County Building Department.

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Baldwin County

Courts in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach

Gulf Shores and Orange Beach sit right on the Gulf, so wind, flood zones, and beach rules shape every court plan. Both cities also run their own permit offices. Orange Beach has fence rules specific enough to change a court design.

Gulf Shores has 12 lighted public courts at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, and Orange Beach opened a 14-court lighted Pickleball Complex on Wilson Boulevard in May 2026.

Planning notes

Gulf Shores sets a minimum design wind speed of 160 mph. Solid windscreens act like sails on a court fence. Ask how the posts and footings are sized, or plan screens you can take down before a storm.
Some Gulf-front lots touch or sit seaward of the state's Coastal Construction Control Line. New construction there needs an ADEM permit or other approval first, and both cities handle that permitting for their beaches.
Orange Beach caps side and rear yard fences at 6 feet and front setback fences at 4 feet. In its Beach Overlay District, chain link must be vinyl-coated. It is allowed only around a basketball court, tennis court, or similar recreation area.
Gulf Shores requires a permit to remove any protected tree on any property in city limits. That includes live oaks and sand live oaks 6 inches or more across, and other trees 12 inches or more.
Look up your FEMA flood zone before design. Both cities enforce flood damage rules, and coastal V zones carry the strictest ones.

Permits

In Gulf Shores, check with the city's Building Department; in Orange Beach, check with Building & Inspections in the Community Development Department. On a Gulf-front lot, ask the city about the Coastal Construction Control Line first.

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More of the Gulf Coast

Pensacola, FL, Destin & 30A, FL, Panama City, FL, Gulfport & Biloxi, MS. Planning a court there now? Ask anyway. We'll tell you what we can help with.

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