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

Yes. Charlton County requires a building permit for construction projects over 150 square feet, and work begun or completed without one carries a doubled permit fee⁸. Charlton County implements the 2018 International Building Code and 2018 International Residential Code with Georgia amendments¹. A property owner may act as general contractor for the owner's residence, but must own the property, follow the codes and inspection schedule, and use licensed contractors for electrical, plumbing and conditioned-air work². The owner must occupy the completed residence and cannot offer it for sale or rent for at least two years after the certificate of occupancy is issued².

Charlton County Building Inspections / Code Enforcement handles the county building-permit and inspection process¹. Call 912-496-3826, email dglover@charltoncountyga.gov, or visit 68 Kingsland Drive, Suite B, Folkston, GA 31537¹. Inspections follow an established sequence, and each failed reinspection costs $50². The county publishes an application packet, but we could not confirm a complete fee schedule or review timeline². Homeowners cannot pull their own electrical, plumbing or gas permits; a homeowner may pull a mechanical permit only for a self-contained packaged heating-and-air unit¹. Ask this office for current fees, the flood-zone review contact, and county-road driveway requirements because we could not confirm those details.

Unincorporated Charlton County has no zoning or county zoning districts; Folkston has zoning, while Homeland does not³. Building and land-division controls still apply: Charlton County has a subdivision ordinance, and the building-permit checklist requires a site plan showing the proposed building at least 15 feet from a property line and 25 feet from the right of way^2,3. Any mobile or manufactured home set up in Charlton County requires a permit, and a used home must pass a safety and quality inspection before permitting⁸. Inside Folkston, maximum lot coverage and building height depend on the zoning district, with Fire Department approval required above 35 feet¹⁰. Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction before relying on the unincorporated-county answer.

Georgia DPH sets the onsite-sewage rules, while the County Health Department and County Board of Health handle local permitting, inspection and approval under those rules⁶. Call the Charlton County Health Department at 855-473-4374 or visit 2587 Third Street, Folkston, GA 31537⁵. Obtain the County Health Department permit before developing a lot that will use onsite sewage; the county building checklist requires proof that a septic permit application has been made^2,6. Connect to a public or community sewage system if it is available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way; otherwise provide an approved onsite system⁶. Final written approval is required before backfilling or using a permitted system⁶. USDA soil data rates 0% of Charlton County soils as free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so arrange parcel-level evaluation early¹¹.

As of the September 2024 county meeting, unincorporated Charlton County had no ordinance limiting how long someone may live in an RV on private land, but the RV must pass building inspection⁷. That answer does not apply inside Folkston, where a travel trailer on a residential lot cannot be occupied unless it is in an authorized travel park¹². A new RV park or campground inside Folkston is limited to the CG zoning district and requires Major Site Plan Review plus centralized water and sewer¹³. We could not confirm the separate occupancy rule for the county-owned Traders Hill RV park⁷. Tiny homes still face construction-permit, building-code and sanitation requirements^1,6,8.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is in unincorporated Charlton County, Folkston or Homeland because zoning varies by jurisdiction³.

1. Ask Environmental Health for the onsite-sewage review and permit before physical development; the building checklist requires proof of the septic application^2,6.

1. Prepare two sets of qualifying building plans, a completed application, a site development plan and any engineered-truss package; include an elevation certificate if building in a flood zone and proof of a land-disturbance permit if disturbing more than one acre².

1. Show the building at least 15 feet from property lines and 25 feet from the right of way².

1. Submit through Charlton County Building Inspections / Code Enforcement and complete the owner-builder agreement if acting as general contractor².

1. Follow the required building-inspection sequence and obtain final written septic approval before backfilling or use^2,6.

Start with septic and floodplain suitability: Charlton County does not permit septic tanks in floodplain areas, and building in a designated flood zone requires an elevation certificate². USDA soil data rates 0% of county soils as free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, making parcel-level evaluation especially important¹¹. Ask Building Inspections / Code Enforcement who administers floodplain review because we could not confirm that office¹. If the tract will be divided, ask for the subdivision ordinance and approval process because detailed standards were not available³. Confirm legal access and whether a state-highway driveway needs Georgia Department of Transportation approval¹⁴. Private-well contractors must contact the county Health Department before drilling for site review, but we could not confirm whether Charlton County requires a separate well permit⁹.