Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Candler County, Georgia

Candler County requires a building permit before constructing or placing any building, sign, structure or manufactured home, including a tiny home, in the unincorporated county¹. The published residential and commercial building-permit fee is $250, and a building-permit extension is $100; other permit categories may add fees⁸. Georgia's mandatory construction codes apply statewide, and Candler County requires residential structures to meet state building codes or applicable International Construction Codes^6,9. Inside Metter, the city building official handles electrical-work permits and building permits for new RV parks or developments¹⁰. Septic permits remain with the Candler County Health Department under Georgia rules, including inside city limits⁴. We could not confirm a county building-inspection schedule, so ask the County Zoning Administrator which inspections to book before work begins.

Building permit applications for unincorporated Candler County go to the County Zoning Administrator². The Board of Commissioners publishes the zoning ordinance, building permit forms and other land-use ordinances online and can be reached at 1075 East Hiawatha Street, Suite A, Metter, GA 30439, phone 912-685-2835¹¹. Submit the county forms, a detailed statement of the proposed use, the structure's exact size, shape and location, and its distances to property lines and street rights-of-way². An electrical permit is required for work involving an electrical service connection or disconnection, and a mobile-home permit is required before siting a mobile home¹. The Zoning Administrator may request a certified as-built site plan or other compliance information before issuing a Certificate of Occupancy; ask the administrator whether your project requires that certificate².

Candler County zoning governs unincorporated land; incorporated municipalities may administer separate rules³. The zoning ordinance establishes districts, while setbacks and minimum lot sizes depend on the parcel's district^3,5,12. Minimum lots are 3 acres in AG-3, 1 acre in R-1, 22,000 square feet in R-22, 3 acres in MR and 5 acres in MHP³. The listed minimum heated floor area is 250 square feet in AG-3, R-1, R-22 and MHP, and 600 square feet in MR³. One accessory dwelling is allowed per lot in AG-3, R-1 and R-22, subject to building, health, area and parking conditions³. Manufactured homes built before June 15, 1976 cannot be sited in unincorporated Candler County; qualifying newer units must meet the identified federal standards¹².

The Candler County Health Department and County Board of Health administer onsite-sewage permits and inspections under Georgia's statewide program⁴. Obtain the County Health Department construction permit before developing a lot or structure that will use onsite sewage, or before installing the system; the permit lasts no more than 12 months⁴. A site inspection and favorable findings are required before permit issuance, and final inspection plus written approval are required before backfilling or using the system⁴. For the final inspection, the installer must keep the septic tank visible and the installation permit on site; a missing permit requires rescheduling⁴. Repairs, replacements and additions also require septic permits and inspections⁴. Reach the Candler County Health Department at 428 North Rountree St, Metter, GA 30439, phone 855-473-4374¹³.

In unincorporated Candler County, RV dwelling use beyond 90 continuous days is considered permanent and prohibited, except for qualifying nonconforming residences that were timely registered and renew annually³. Initial registration had to occur before March 15, 2025; annual renewal is due September 1, and the registered use cannot transfer to an unregistered owner³. Temporary occupancy during home construction may be allowed; ask the County Zoning Administrator for project-specific approval³. Tiny homes may be sited in AG-3, R-1, R-22 and MHP districts subject to supplemental requirements and a building permit⁶. Tiny-home lots require at least 11,000 square feet, 18 feet of width and 50 feet of depth; confirm how these standards interact with district lot minimums before buying^3,6.

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district, allowed use, setbacks and minimum lot size with the County Zoning Administrator^3,5,12.
2. Apply to the Candler County Health Department for septic approval before developing a homesite that will use onsite sewage⁴.
3. Submit the building permit application to the County Zoning Administrator with the proposed use, site dimensions, structure location and required distances².
4. Obtain any project-specific approval, including a mobile-home permit before placement, an electrical permit for qualifying service work, or the required approval for a tiny home^1,6.
5. If acting as owner-builder, provide a licensed contractor's name, acceptable stamped plans or a sworn code-compliance affidavit; the allowance applies to a personal residence the owner intends to occupy⁶.
6. Leave the septic system open until the County Board of Health completes its final inspection and issues written approval⁴.

Start with septic: only about 3.4% of Candler County's soils are mapped without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so obtain a site evaluation before committing to a homesite¹⁴. Confirm the zoning district, allowed use, setbacks and lot minimum with the County Zoning Administrator^3,5,12. Dividing land into lots or building sites for sale, devise or development is regulated, although limited exceptions apply to some combinations or recombinations of recorded parcels⁵. An AG-3 family transfer may create a lot of at least 1 acre if at least 3 acres remain, subject to family-member and flag-lot restrictions; existing undersized lots may qualify if other dimensional standards are met³. The effective property-tax rate is about 1%, with a median annual bill of roughly $1,412¹⁴. We could not confirm county-road driveway or local floodplain permit procedures; ask the Board of Commissioners before closing.