Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Pembroke, Georgia

Pembroke’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction or mobile home placement inside Pembroke city

  • Applies where cost or value of improvements exceeds $1,000.00.
  • Required fee payable.
  • Disapproval may be appealed to city council.

  permit threshold: > 1000 USD

  “where the cost or value of the improvements to be constructed exceeds $1,000.00, the owner of the premises, or the person or contractor who proposes to make the improvement or alteration, shall secure a building permit from the city”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Pembroke city

  • Adopts Georgia state minimum standard codes (IBC, IRC, fuel gas, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, energy, fire) with state amendments, plus IFC and NFPA 101.

  “state minimum standard building code. (international building code, i.b.c., with state amendments.)”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Pembroke city limits

  • Code sections seen refer to a zoning administrator, a planning and zoning commission and residential/agricultural districts; the zoning ordinance text itself was not opened.

  “the city planning and zoning commission is hereby created and established.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Pembroke city zoning districts

  • Code references agricultural and single-family residential districts and cottage housing developments; full district schedule not opened.

  “any use permitted within existing agricultural or single-family residential districts”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Residential lots any portion of which lies within a wellhead protection zone in Pembroke city

  • Wellhead protection zone is a 100-foot radius around city water supply wellheads.
  • Main residential and agricultural district lot sizes not found.

  minimum residential lot size in wellhead zone: >= 1 acre

  “except that the minimum residential lot size for a lot any portion of which lies within the wellhead protection zone shall not be less than one acre”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile homes placed inside Pembroke city

  • A building permit and fee are required to locate a mobile home where value of improvements exceeds $1,000.
  • Zoning district limits on manufactured homes not found.

  “shall secure a building permit from the city for such proposed construction, improvement, or alteration or the location of the mobile home and shall pay the required fee.”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Accessory dwelling units within cottage housing developments (CHDs) in Pembroke city only

  • Applies only to CHDs; ADU rules in other districts not found.

  “likewise, accessory dwelling units (adus) are not allowed in chds.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural operations exempt from Pembroke's soil erosion and sedimentation article only (not from building permits or zoning)

  • Covers farm buildings and farm ponds as defined in O.C.G.A. § 1-3-3 for erosion control purposes.

  “agricultural operations, as defined in o.c.g.a. § 1-3-3, to include:”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and development proposals inside Pembroke city (flood damage prevention standards)

  • Base flood elevation data required for subdivisions over 50 lots or five acres, whichever is less.
  • Full subdivision regulations not opened.

  “for subdivisions and/or developments greater than 50 lots or five acres, whichever is less, base flood elevation data shall be provided”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in special flood hazard areas inside Pembroke city

  • Lowest floor at least one foot above base flood elevation where available.
  • Floodway encroachment prohibited unless engineer shows no rise in flood levels.

  freeboard above BFE: >= 1 foot

  “where base flood elevation data are available, new construction or substantial improvement of any structure or manufactured home shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated no lower than one foot above the base flood elevation.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit applications inside Pembroke city

  • Application states owner, size, material, location and contractor; building inspection department reports to city council; applicant may appeal to council.

  “in the event of disapproval by the building inspection department, the applicant shall have the right to appeal to the city council”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Pembroke or Bryan County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Pembroke city
• Inspections — Construction inspections inside Pembroke city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Pembroke city
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Pembroke city
• Setbacks — Residential districts in Pembroke city

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.