Bolthole Index

Banks County, Georgia

Building permits, zoning and septic in Town of Homer, Georgia

Town of Homer, Georgia enforces adopted state construction codes, but we could not confirm the town’s general building permit requirement; ask Town Hall before starting work.12 Homer has its own zoning, separate from unincorporated Banks County’s ordinances.34 Septic construction permits inside Homer come from the county health department, through Banks County Environmental Health.56

At a glance

Building permits
Town codes apply; ask Town Hall to confirm the building permit requirement and application procedure12
Zoning
Town zoning applies inside Homer; confirm the parcel’s district with Town Hall32
Septic permits
Required for onsite sewage installation; contact Banks County Environmental Health56
RV living
Private-land occupancy is unconfirmed; ask Town Hall about the proposed use2
Tiny homes
Local siting approval and applicable building codes apply to site-built or modular tiny homes7
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption does not waive local building or zoning requirements8
Private wells
Use a licensed well contractor and arrange advance county health department site review9

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Town of Homer Town Hall

Starting contact for town zoning questions and confirmation of building permit administration

(706) 677-3510

943 Historic Homer Hwy Homer, GA 30547

Septic permits

Banks County Environmental Health

Septic construction permits, onsite sewage inspections and private-well questions

706-677-5009

667 Thompson Street Homer, GA 30547

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Town of Homer means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Do you need a building permit in Town of Homer, GA?

Homer enforces the latest editions of its listed state minimum standard construction codes, as adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.1 We could not confirm Homer’s general building permit requirement, exemptions, fees or inspection schedule; contact Town Hall at (706) 677-3510 and ask for the office administering your project.2 Georgia’s owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensure and does not waive local building codes, building permits, inspections or zoning requirements.8 Ask Town Hall which approvals and occupancy documents your proposed home needs before work begins.2

Does Town of Homer have zoning, lot-size and setback rules?

Homer has municipal zoning, including a single-family residential district; the town’s ordinance is the starting point for land inside town limits.3 Banks County administers its ordinances in unincorporated areas, while Homer applies its own town ordinances.4 We could not confirm Homer’s complete minimum-lot-size, dwelling-size, setback, height or lot-coverage schedule; ask Town Hall for the parcel’s zoning district and the dimensions that apply to your proposed building.2 For land outside Homer’s limits, use the Banks County guide rather than treating the town’s zoning as the county’s answer.4

How do septic permits work inside Town of Homer?

Installing an onsite sewage system inside Homer requires a construction permit from the county health department, subject to the state rule’s jurisdictional exclusions.5 Banks County Environmental Health is the local septic permitting office; call 706-677-5009 about the site evaluation and application.610 The County Board of Health must find the site suitable before issuing the construction permit.11 Do not backfill or use the system until final inspection and written approval; repairs, replacements and additions also require permitting and inspection.12 Sewer availability can change the plan: connection is required when public or community sewer is within 200 feet of the property line or available in an abutting public right-of-way.13

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Town of Homer?

We could not confirm permission for private-land RV occupancy inside Homer; ask Town Hall specifically about full-time living, temporary occupancy during construction and utility connections.2 Homer prohibits overnight camping in its public square, parks, grounds and facilities, but that rule does not answer occupancy on a private parcel.14 Georgia requires local siting approval and applicable building-code compliance for site-built and modular tiny homes; that framework does not establish permission for an RV-based tiny home.7 Ask Town Hall whether your proposed dwelling and any separate accessory dwelling are allowed in the parcel’s district before ordering either structure.2

Building a home in Town of Homer: what steps come first?

  1. Ask Town Hall to confirm town-limit status, the zoning district, permitted residential use and the applicable lot and building dimensions.32
  2. Resolve sewer availability or apply to Banks County Environmental Health for a septic site evaluation and construction permit before committing to a house layout.131110
  3. Confirm Homer’s building permit application, fees, inspection stages and occupancy documentation with Town Hall, then design to the town’s adopted construction codes.21
  4. Arrange the septic final inspection and obtain written approval before backfilling or using the system.12

What should you check before buying land in Town of Homer?

For a private well serving a Homer home, Georgia requires a licensed water-well contractor and advance contact with the county health department for site review; ask Banks County Environmental Health whether a local well-construction permit is required.910 Alternative onsite sanitation needs state approval and applicable health permits; a composting toilet is not a blanket exemption from sewage requirements.15 For access onto a state highway, Georgia DOT requires a driveway or encroachment permit through the appropriate district office.16 Ask Town Hall who administers floodplain development review for the parcel and whether the proposed work needs local approval.172

Watch-outs

  • Banks County’s unincorporated-area RV, dwelling-size and setback rules should not be substituted for Homer’s town ordinance.4
  • Later grading, filling, landscaping or construction that adversely affects an approved onsite sewage system can void its approval.12
  • We could not confirm Homer’s building permit fee schedule or private-land RV occupancy rule; ask Town Hall before budgeting or moving onto the parcel.2

Sources

  1. Sec. 8-20. Adoption and enforcement of codes (Town of Homer), quoted and re-checked
  2. Town of Homer Town Hall (townofhomerga.com)
  3. Sec. 42-65. R-1 Single-Family Residential District (Town of Homer), quoted and re-checked
  4. bankscountyga.org, quoted and re-checked
  5. Georgia Department of Public Health On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual (Town of Homer), quoted and re-checked
  6. bankscountyga.org, quoted and re-checked
  7. Georgia Tiny House Fact Sheet (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Residential and Commercial General Contractors Frequently Asked Questions (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Water Well Standards (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Banks County Environmental Health (bankscountyga.org)
  11. Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Georgia Department of Public Health On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual (Town of Homer), quoted and re-checked
  13. Georgia Department of Public Health On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual (Town of Homer), quoted and re-checked
  14. Sec. 26-25. Prohibited acts (Town of Homer), quoted and re-checked
  15. Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Regulations for Driveway & Encroachment Control Manual (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Floodplain Management (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Town of Homer

Town of Homer’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Homer town limits.

    • The town enforces the latest editions of the listed state minimum standard codes as adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
    “The city hereby readopts and will enforce the latest edition of the following state minimum standard codes”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Homer town land regulated by the town's Chapter 42 zoning provisions.

    “The R-1 Single-Family Residential District”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Overnight camping in Homer town's public square, parks, grounds, or facilities.

    • The prohibition covers tents, shacks, other temporary shelters, and movable structures or special vehicles left after closing hours for camping.
    “temporary shelter for the purpose of overnight camping, nor shall any person leave in the public square or park after closing hours any movable structure”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation of an on-site sewage management system inside Homer town limits.

    • The requirement excludes systems under DNR jurisdiction, public or community sewage treatment systems, and systems subject to shared-jurisdiction agreements.
    • The application must be submitted on County Board of Health forms and include the property location, plans, facility information, utility locations, bedroom or flow data, soil characteristics, owner signature, and any additional suitability information required.
    “obtained from the County Health Department a construction permit”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    On-site sewage systems inside Homer town limits.

    • Repairs, replacements, and additions to existing systems must be permitted and inspected.
    • Final approval may be voided by later grading, filling, digging, landscaping, construction, removal, or alteration that adversely affects the system.
    “No person may backfill or use an on-site sewage management system until a final inspection has been made by the County Board of Health, and written approval has been issued by the County Board of Health.”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Homer

Town of Homer does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Property inside Homer town limits using an on-site sewage system where a public or community sewer is available.

    • Connection is required when the sewer is available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way.
    • If an existing on-site system fails, immediate connection is required if public or community sewer is available.
    • A residential failing system under 2,000 gallons per day may be exempted if repair or replacement satisfies the Manual and the County Board of Health finds sufficient area and usable soils.

    sewer availability distance: <= 200 feet (or available in a public right-of-way abutting the property) · residential failing system flow threshold: < 2000 gallons per day (may be exempted if the stated repair/replacement criteria are met)

    “available within two hundred feet (200') of the property line”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Homer or Banks County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Homer town limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Homer town limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Homer town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Homer town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Homer town residential districts, including R-1 and any agricultural district.
14 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Town of Homer publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Banks County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Banks County: county rules, score and offices