Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Chamblee, Georgia

Chamblee’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside Chamblee city limits

  “General use regulations. No building, structure or land shall hereafter be used or occupied, and no building or structure or part thereof shall be erected, constructed, reconstructed, moved or altered, except in conformity with the regulations of this Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Chamblee zoning districts (residential NR-1, NR-2, NR-3, VR; mixed-use and industrial districts) per the Permitted Use Table

  • Uses not listed and not found similar by the Planning and Development Director are prohibited in that district.

  “The following table states the permitted principal and accessory uses authorized within each zoning district.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles on residentially zoned property inside Chamblee city

  • Maximum of one RV parked or stored on a single-family residential property, in side or rear yard only, not street side yards
  • Additional RVs only in enclosed buildings or carport
  • Must be parked on a concrete driveway
  • Not for living, sleeping or housekeeping use on a residential lot

  max RVs stored outdoors per single-family lot: <= 1 vehicles (additional RVs only in enclosed building or carport)

  “No such equipment shall be used for living, sleeping or housekeeping purposes when parked or stored on a residential lot or in any location not approved for such use.”

• Camping on your landProhibited

  Camping on city parks and public streets inside Chamblee city (public property only; private-land camping not addressed in reviewed sections)

  • Warning required before arrest for simply sleeping or sitting
  • Exceptions listed in 58-15(f)

  “It shall be unlawful to camp or to store personal property in any park owned by the city as defined above.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwellings with single-family detached residences inside Chamblee city

  • Owner must reside on the property in principal or accessory dwelling
  • Only one accessory dwelling per lot
  • Separate entrance and one additional off-street parking space required
  • Must retain single-family appearance from street
  • Max 50% of principal dwelling heated floor area or 1,000 sq ft, whichever is less

  minimum lot size for ADU: >= 6000 sq ft · maximum ADU size: <= 1000 sq ft (or 50% of principal dwelling heated floor area if less)

  “accessory dwellings shall be permitted only on lots that are a minimum of 6,000 square feet in size.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Development in special flood hazard areas and future-conditions floodplain inside Chamblee city

  • New principal residential construction not allowed in future-conditions floodplain unless engineering study requirements of Sec. 330-4 are met
  • Lowest floor elevated at least three feet above base flood elevation or one foot above future-conditions flood elevation, whichever is higher

  “new construction and substantial improvements of principal buildings (residential or nonresidential), including manufactured homes, shall not be allowed within the limits of the future-conditions floodplain, unless all requirements of general standards, engineering study requirements for floodplain encroachments and floodway encroachments as set forth in subsections 330-4 (c), (d) and (e) have been met”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Chamblee city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Chamblee city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Chamblee city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Chamblee city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Chamblee 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Chamblee means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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