Bolthole Index

Camden County, Georgia

Building permits, zoning and land rules in St. Marys, Georgia

St. Marys, Georgia uses city building permits and inspections, with building requests handled through Cloudpermit.1 St. Marys sets district-specific zoning rules, including restrictions on RV occupancy in residential districts.23 In Camden County, septic permits and inspections remain with Camden County Environmental Health, including for properties inside St. Marys.45

At a glance

Building permits
City Building Department; requests and inspections through Cloudpermit1
Zoning
City districts determine uses and dimensional standards2
Septic permits
Camden County Environmental Health; site approval and construction permit required45
RV living
Stored RVs cannot be occupied or connected to utilities in residential districts3
Minimum home size
R-1: 900 square feet heated and cooled; R-2 single-family: 600 square feet67
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption does not waive city codes or building permits8
Private wells
State well standards apply; local construction-permit requirement unconfirmed9

Who to call

Building permits

St. Marys Building Department

City building requests, building permits and construction inspections

912-510-4019

[email protected]

Online permits →

Zoning

St. Marys Community Development Department

City zoning map, land-use guidance and planning applications

(912) 510-4032

[email protected]

418 Osborne Street St. Marys, GA 31558

Online permits →

Building permits

St. Marys Building Permit Packet

Building application checklist and homeowner permit affidavit

912-510-4032

[email protected]

418 OSBORNE STREET ST. MARYS, GEORGIA 31558

Septic permits

Camden County Environmental Health Office (Georgia Coastal Health District)

On-site sewage (septic) system permits and inspections for Camden County

(912) 729-6012

101 Winding Road, Kingsland, GA 31548

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 St. Marys means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in St. Marys, GA?

St. Marys administers city building permits and construction inspections through the Building Department, and building requests go through Cloudpermit.1 St. Marys adopts and enforces construction codes as adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.10 Georgia’s owner-builder contractor-license exemption does not waive local building permits, inspections or zoning requirements.8 Before choosing a contractor or ordering a house, ask the city Building Department which building application materials and inspections apply to your project; the city packet expressly says that some listed materials may not apply to every project.11

Who handles St. Marys building permits and zoning?

Contact the St. Marys Building Department permit technician at 912-510-4019 or [email protected] for city building requests and inspections.1 Contact St. Marys Community Development at (912) 510-4032 or [email protected] for the city zoning map and land-use guidance.12 Camden County assessment information and QPublic do not identify the zoning district applicable to city property; use the city’s official zoning map instead.12 St. Marys building approval does not replace septic approval: Camden County Environmental Health handles on-site sewage permits and inspections.14

Does St. Marys have zoning, minimum home sizes and lot limits?

St. Marys publishes zoning districts with separate use and dimensional controls, so a house design needs to match the parcel’s district.2 In St. Marys R-1, site-built and modular single-family houses need at least 900 square feet of heated and cooled floor area, and maximum lot coverage is 30%.613 In St. Marys R-2, single-family dwellings have a 600-square-foot heated-and-cooled minimum; that smaller threshold is not a citywide standard.7 St. Marys R-4 also limits lot coverage to 30%.14 Ask Community Development to confirm the current district, setbacks and lot requirements before committing to a site plan, because the city warns that ordinance changes may precede updates on Municode.12

How do septic permits work inside St. Marys?

A St. Marys lot using on-site sewage needs a County Health Department construction permit before physical development of the lot or structure begins; a favorable site inspection is required.5 Camden County Environmental Health is the local septic permitting and inspection office, reachable at (912) 729-6012.415 A septic system cannot be backfilled or used until final inspection and written approval.16 Georgia requires sewer connection when public or community sewer is available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way.17 Camden County’s soil rating shows 0% in the favorable category for conventional drain fields; that calls for parcel evaluation and potentially an engineered system, rather than establishing that septic is impossible.18

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in St. Marys?

A stored travel trailer, camper or RV cannot be occupied, used or connected to water, sewer or electrical utilities in any St. Marys residential district; an authorized travel park is an exception.3 St. Marys recreational-vehicle parks have separate water, sewer and electrical hookup requirements, which do not authorize RV living on an ordinary residential lot.193 Georgia subjects site-built and modular tiny homes to applicable building codes and local siting approval.20 We could not confirm a separate St. Marys tiny-home occupancy provision; ask Community Development about the proposed dwelling type and district, especially where minimum heated-and-cooled floor areas apply.67

Building a home in St. Marys: what are the steps?

  1. Confirm the parcel’s city zoning district with St. Marys Community Development using the official city map, rather than assessment records.12
  2. Resolve sewer availability and, if using septic, obtain the health department’s construction permit before physical development begins.175
  3. Prepare the city building application; the packet calls for a surveyor-prepared site plan showing setbacks, lot coverage and flood-zone designation, with other plans as applicable.11
  4. Submit building requests through Cloudpermit and arrange city inspections; inspection requests must be submitted by 2pm the day before.1
  5. Obtain final septic inspection and written approval before backfilling or using the system.16

What should you check before buying land in St. Marys?

Ask St. Marys Community Development for current zoning and subdivision requirements: the city reports recent changes to its subdivision and planned-development ordinances.12 For a proposed private well, Georgia requires compliance with state well standards and advance county health department site review; we could not confirm whether a local well-construction permit is required inside St. Marys, so ask Camden County Environmental Health.9 Ask the city about flood-zone implications for the proposed building site, since flood-zone designation is part of the building packet’s site-plan checklist.11 For land outside city limits, consult the Camden County guide: county zoning administration covers unincorporated Camden County.21

Watch-outs

  • St. Marys residential-district RV storage permission does not allow occupancy or utility connections.3
  • St. Marys warns that recent land-use ordinance changes may not yet appear on Municode; confirm current requirements with Community Development.12
  • We could not confirm a complete current St. Marys building-permit fee schedule or citywide off-grid sanitation rule; ask the city Building Department about fees and Camden County Environmental Health about the proposed sanitation system.115

Sources

  1. St. Marys Building Department (stmarysga.gov)
  2. Chapter 110 - Zoning (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  3. Sec. 110-106. Travel trailers, campers and recreational vehicles in residential districts (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  4. Georgia Coastal Health District - On-Site Sewage/Septic Systems (2026 county census)
  5. On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sec. 110-62. R-1, Single-Family Residential District (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  7. Sec. 110-63. R-2, Single-Family Residential District (St. Marys), 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. Sec. 18-1. Codes adopted (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  11. St. Marys Building Permit Packet (cms3.revize.com)
  12. St. Marys Community Development Department (stmarysga.gov)
  13. Sec. 110-62. R-1, Single-Family Residential District (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  14. Sec. 110-65. R-4, Single-Family Residential District (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  15. Camden County Environmental Health Office (Georgia Coastal Health District) (coastalhealthdistrict.org)
  16. On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  17. GA DPH Onsite Sewage Manual (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Sec. 110-77. Recreational Vehicle and Travel Trailer Parks District (St. Marys), quoted and re-checked
  20. Georgia Tiny House Fact Sheet (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. camdencountyga.gov (2026 county census)

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 St. Marys

St. Marys’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building and construction inside St. Marys city limits.

    • The city adopts and enforces the listed standard codes as adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
    • The adopted list includes the International Building Code, International Residential Building Code, mechanical, fuel gas, plumbing, electrical, energy, property maintenance, fire, life safety, and swimming pool and spa codes.
    “The City of St. Marys hereby adopts by reference and will enforce the following standard codes, as adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    The St. Marys zoning code publishes district-specific regulations, including R-1, R-2, R-4, R-5, MH, and RVD districts.

    • Dimensional and use controls vary by district; the claims above preserve separate district rules.
    “creating districts for said purposes and establishing the boundaries thereof, defining certain terms used herein; providing for the method of administration, appeal and amendment and duties;”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Each recreational-vehicle park unit inside St. Marys city limits.

    • Each unit must have community or public water.
    • Sewer must be a community engineered sewer approved by the Camden County Health Department or a public sewer system approved by the water department.
    • If water and sewer services are available as defined by the city, the park must connect to public services.
    “Each unit location shall be served by a community or public water system, sewer hookup to either a community engineered sewer (approved by the Camden County Health Department sized for the number of units it is intended to serve) or public sewer system (approved by the water department), and individual electrical hook-up connections. If water and sewer services are available as defined by the city the park shall be connected to the public services.”

Rules another office applies inside St. Marys

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

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family residences in the R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

    • The R-1 single-family residential standards apply to site-built and modular houses.
    • The minimum heated and cooled floor area is 900 square feet.
    • The supplied section continues beyond the excerpt and contains additional construction standards.

    minimum heated and cooled floor area: >= 900 square feet

    “The minimum heated and cooled floor area shall be 900 square feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Single-family dwellings in the R-2 Low Density Multifamily Residential District.
      “Minimum dwelling unit size (heated and cooled area): a. Single-family dwellings: 600 square feet; b. Two- and three-family dwellings: 600 square feet per unit; c. Boardinghouses: none.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Uses in the R-1 Single-Family Residential District.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent

    “Maximum percentage of lot coverage: 30 percent;”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Occupancy, use, or utility connection of a stored travel trailer, camper, or recreational vehicle in any St. Marys residential district.

    • No more than one such vehicle may be stored on a residential lot.
    • The prohibition applies to occupancy, use, and connection to water, sewer, or electrical utilities.
    • A travel park authorized under the applicable code is an exception.
    “No more than one travel trailer, camper or recreational vehicle may be stored on a residential lot. Such trailer, camper or vehicle may not be occupied, used or connected to water, sewer or electrical utilities in any residential district.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation of an on-site sewage management system inside St. Marys city limits.

    • A construction permit is issued only after a favorable site inspection by the County Board of Health.
    • The permit is valid for not more than twelve months from issuance.
    • A public water supply system must be approved before an on-site sewage construction permit is issued when public water is used.
    “No person may begin the physical development of a lot or structure where an on-site sewage management system will be utilized, nor install an on-site sewage management system or component thereof, without having first obtained from the County Health Department a construction permit for the installation of an onsite sewage management system.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    On-site sewage management systems inside St. Marys city limits.

    • No person may backfill or use the system until final inspection and written approval by the County Board of Health.
    • Post-inspection grading, filling, digging, landscaping, or construction that adversely affects the system voids approval.
    “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.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask St. Marys or Camden County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside St. Marys city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside St. Marys city limits.
  • Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation for residences inside St. Marys city limits.
  • Well permit — Private wells inside St. Marys city limits.
  • Agricultural exemption — Agricultural or farm-building exemptions inside St. Marys city limits.
3 more unanswered
  • Subdividing land
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 St. Marys publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Camden County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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