Building permits, zoning and land rules in Bryan County, Georgia

Unincorporated Bryan County requires building permits and uses its Building and Codes Division to review plans, issue permits and inspect construction¹. A structure larger than 200 square feet needs a permit even when it is not on a permanent foundation; a structure smaller than 200 square feet may still need one when it has a permanent foundation or connects to electricity or water¹. Richmond Hill and Pembroke run their own code enforcement, so a parcel inside either city follows city rules rather than the county's³. Ask the division about the exact scope before ordering a shed or starting site work. Georgia's mandatory building, residential, fire, plumbing, mechanical, gas, electrical, energy and swimming-pool codes apply to construction statewide whether or not each code is locally enforced¹². Bryan County adopted its listed current code editions on January 1, 2026¹. Georgia authorizes only the local governing authority to issue the certificate of occupancy¹³.

The Bryan County Building and Codes Division reviews plans, issues building permits and inspects construction through the Community Development Department¹. The listed Richmond Hill office is at 66 Captain Matthew Freeman Drive, Suite 111, Richmond Hill, GA 31324, and its phone number is 912-756-3177¹. The county also accepts mailed Community Development paperwork at 51 N. Courthouse Street, Pembroke, GA 31321¹. Building permit applications may be submitted online¹. Bryan County's 2026 fee schedule charges a residential building permit of $70.00 x 0.0075 x the total heated and unheated square feet under roof, with a $75 minimum¹⁴. Plan review is an additional 5% of the building permit fee, with a $100 minimum and a $1,500 maximum, and starting work without a permit doubles the fee¹⁴. Re-inspections cost nothing the first time and $50 the second time¹⁴. Before filing, ask the division which plans, trade permits and supporting approvals apply to the proposed structure; we could not confirm a general building-permit review time.

Yes, in unincorporated Bryan County. The Board of Commissioners adopted the Unified Development Ordinance on December 8, 2020, effective January 12, 2021, and it replaced the county's earlier zoning and subdivision ordinances². Richmond Hill and Pembroke handle their own code enforcement, so the county ordinance and zoning map do not by themselves set rules inside those cities³. Septic and well rules stay with the health department wherever the parcel sits⁴. Georgia law gives counties the authority to zone unincorporated territory, but leaves district names, boundaries, permitted uses and procedures to each county's own ordinance rather than a statewide map¹⁵. That means what a given parcel can be used for, how large a lot must be, and what setbacks apply all depend on the specific zoning district Bryan County has placed it in, which this guide could not confirm parcel by parcel; the Building and Codes Division can look up a specific parcel's zoning district¹. A new dwelling must have at least 400 square feet of living area, with guest houses and accessory dwelling units excepted⁸. Creating a new subdivision or recording a plat in Bryan County is also subject to the county's own subdivision ordinance on top of state recording law¹⁶.

The Coastal Health District serves Bryan County, and its Environmental Health program handles local permits and inspections for on-site sewage systems under Georgia's statewide rules^4,5. The Bryan County Environmental Health office is at 430 Ledford Street, Pembroke, GA 31321, and its phone number is 912-653-4333¹⁷. Obtain the County Health Department's septic construction permit before physically developing a lot or structure that will use an on-site sewage system⁵. The County Board of Health must approve or deny a completed application within 20 days, and a construction permit remains valid for no more than 12 months⁵. Do not backfill or use the system until the County Board of Health completes its final inspection and issues written approval⁵. Only about 0.2% of Bryan County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so make the site evaluation an early purchase contingency rather than assuming a standard system will fit¹⁸.

A site-built or modular tiny home in Georgia is a dwelling unit and must meet the same building codes as a traditional site-built home⁹. Unincorporated Bryan County requires at least 400 square feet of living area per dwelling, which applies to tiny homes as well, unless the unit is a guest house or accessory dwelling unit with its own separate conditions⁸. Bryan County zoning still determines where a dwelling may be placed². A manufactured-home installer must obtain a state installation permit for each new or pre-owned manufactured home installed in Georgia¹⁰. We could not confirm whether Bryan County allows someone to live in an RV on a private parcel while building, or the parcel-specific rules for tiny and manufactured homes. Ask the Building and Codes Division to check the parcel's zoning before placing or occupying any of them¹.

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district and subdivision restrictions with Community Development before buying².
2. Contact Coastal Health District Environmental Health for the septic site evaluation and construction permit before physically developing a lot or structure that will use septic; only about 0.2% of county soils rate without severe limits for a conventional drain field^4,5,18.
3. Confirm driveway access: work in a Bryan County right-of-way requires an approved encroachment permit before work begins, including driveway or culvert installation¹⁹.
4. If claiming the owner-builder license exemption, submit Bryan County's Property Owner Exemption to Licensing Requirements Affidavit before the building permit is issued; the exemption does not waive local codes or permits^6,7.
5. Submit the building application online and coordinate inspections with Building and Codes¹.
6. Do not backfill or use the septic system until the County Board of Health completes its final inspection and issues written approval; ask Building and Codes whether the project also requires a certificate of occupancy^5,13.

Get a septic site evaluation early: only about 0.2% of Bryan County soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹⁸. A private well must be installed by a licensed water-well contractor, and the contractor must notify the county health department before drilling; the available rule does not establish a general homeowner well-permit requirement¹¹. Verify legal access and identify who owns the adjoining right-of-way; a driveway or culvert in a Bryan County right-of-way needs an encroachment permit before work begins¹⁹. County encroachment permits are generally reviewed within two weeks after submission, but that timing applies to right-of-way work, not building permits¹⁹. The median property-tax bill is about $2,501 per year, with an effective rate near 0.8%¹⁸. For a driveway on a state highway, Georgia requires a permit before construction or non-routine maintenance within the state highway right-of-way²⁰.