Most Alabama houses are wood-frame with drywall interiors, often finished outside with brick veneer or siding, so studs at 16 inches on center are the usual mounting point. Manufactured homes make up a larger share of housing than in most states, older plaster homes are found in cities such as Mobile, Montgomery and Selma, and tornado and Gulf Coast hurricane exposure shapes how newer homes are built.

median year homes were built: 1987; median year homes were built
built in 2000 or later: 31%; built in 2000 or later
built before 1960: 15.6%; built before 1960
single-family homes: 71.9%; single-family homes
in buildings with 5+ units: 11.3%; in buildings with 5+ units
mobile homes: 11.6%; mobile homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year (tables B25035, B25034, B25024)

Common wall types

Wood-frame walls with brick veneer or siding

Where: Most single-family homes statewide, including suburbs of Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery.

Mounting: Brick on these houses is a veneer over a wood-frame wall, so the interior is ordinary drywall over studs. Mount into the studs behind the drywall; do not assume the brick is structural or can take an anchor from the inside.

Manufactured and mobile homes

Where: About one in nine Alabama housing units, common in rural counties.

Mounting: Walls are thinner and stud spacing or framing can differ from site-built houses. Locate framing carefully and add blocking behind the panel for heavy TVs or full-motion arms.

Plaster on lath

Where: Pre-1960 homes in older neighborhoods of Mobile, Montgomery, Selma and Birmingham.

Mounting: Plaster over wood lath can crack or crumble when drilled carelessly. Find studs, pre-drill slowly, and use toggle bolts only where there is no framing.

Concrete block and poured concrete

Where: Gulf Coast homes (Baldwin and Mobile counties) and some condo buildings in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, plus basement or foundation walls.

Mounting: Needs a hammer drill and masonry anchors. In-wall wire runs are limited, so plan a surface raceway.

Metal-stud and mid-rise apartment walls

Where: Apartments and condos in Birmingham, Huntsville and the Gulf beaches.

Mounting: Use toggle-style anchors or blocking. Check association or landlord rules before drilling.

Tips before you mount

Stud walls: studs are usually 16" on center. Lag the mount into at least two studs with 5/16" lag bolts, typically about 2.5" to 3" long. A full-motion arm puts much more leverage on the wall than a flat mount, so it needs studs or masonry and should never hang on drywall anchors alone.
Brick veneer homes: the brick is a facing, not a wall you can mount to from inside. Mount through the interior drywall into the studs behind it. If a TV is going on an exterior brick porch wall, drill into solid brick faces, not mortar joints, with 1/4" concrete screws or 3/8" sleeve anchors.
Concrete block or poured concrete walls (Gulf Coast, basements): use 1/4" concrete screws or 3/8" sleeve or wedge anchors with a hammer drill, placing anchors in solid face shells rather than hollow cores or mortar joints where possible.
Plaster-on-lath walls in older homes: locate studs first, pre-drill slowly without hammer mode, and use toggle bolts or have the installer add blocking if framing is not in the right spot. Lighter TVs on fixed mounts are far safer than long arms on old plaster.
Hiding wires: NEC 400.12 does not allow a regular TV power cord to be concealed inside a wall. Use an in-wall rated recessed power kit, and use CL2 or CL3 rated low-voltage cable for in-wall HDMI and speaker runs.
Covered porches and outdoor TVs: Alabama heat and humidity are hard on electronics. Use an outdoor-rated TV, stainless-steel or corrosion-resistant mount hardware, and weather-sealed connections, and keep screens out of direct afternoon sun. In coastal areas salt air makes corrosion resistance more important.
Over a fireplace: heat rises from the firebox, so check the TV maker temperature limits and the mantel depth. Many installers recommend a tilting mount and a mantel or heat shield rather than mounting directly above an active wood-burning fireplace.
Before work starts, tell the installer the wall type (studs, masonry, plaster or concrete), the TV size and weight, and the mount type. These change the anchors, labor time and price.

Sources: Census Reporter, ACS 2024 1-year: Alabama (B25035, B25034, B25024) · Business Alabama: Shelter from the Storm (tornado and hurricane building in Alabama) · Insurance Journal: Alabama study on small changes to prevent tornado damage. General guidance only — your installer will confirm the right method for your wall.