Bolthole Index

Fulton County, Georgia

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Chattahoochee Hills, GA

Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia requires a city building permit to construct, alter, repair, move or demolish a building, change its occupancy, or perform regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing work.1 The city administers zoning, while the Fulton County Board of Health permits and inspects onsite septic systems.23

At a glance

Building permit
Required for construction and other work covered by the city permit guide1
Zoning
Administered by Chattahoochee Hills under its Unified Development Code2
Septic
Permitted and inspected by the Fulton County Board of Health where public sewer is unavailable43
RV living
An RV or camper parked or stored on a lot may not be used as living quarters5
Manufactured homes
Not permitted as a principal use in the listed city zoning districts6
Minimum lot size
District-specific; RL generally requires 20 acres, and individual-septic lots require at least 1 acre7
Private well
Fulton County Board of Health review is required; the published well-location permit fee is $2508
Owner-builder
A current occupant may do work on the home, but city permits and inspections still apply910

Who to call

Building permits

City of Chattahoochee Hills Community Development

City building permits, plan review, zoning compliance and coordination of required building inspections

770-463-8881

6505 Rico Road Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268

Septic permits

Fulton County Board of Health, Environmental Health Services

Permits and inspects onsite sewage management systems and individual water supplies in Fulton County areas without public sanitary sewer

770-520-7500

10 Park Place Health Center, 10 Park Place S.E., Atlanta, GA 30303

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Chattahoochee Hills, GA?

Yes. Chattahoochee Hills requires a building permit to construct, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure, change its occupancy, or install or replace regulated electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems.1 Construction documents and a completed application must be submitted and approved before the city issues the permit, and work cannot begin until all required permits have been issued.11 Permit holders must obtain the required inspections.10

Georgia's mandatory construction codes apply to construction in the city even if a particular code is not locally enforced.12 The city guide identifies the editions it observes, but code editions can change; confirm the current code set with Community Development before commissioning final plans.13

Who issues building permits in Chattahoochee Hills?

City of Chattahoochee Hills Community Development is the first stop for city building permits and zoning compliance; its permit guide gives the office address as 6505 Rico Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268 and the main phone as 770-463-8881.9 The city requires construction documents with the completed application and approval before permit issuance.11

For inspections, permit holders are responsible for requesting every required inspection.10 The same city guide says a person who currently occupies a home may perform work on that home, but the building permit, code and inspection requirements still govern the project.9 Georgia also provides an owner-builder contractor-license exemption for an owner building the owner's own home, without waiving local rules.14

Does Chattahoochee Hills have zoning?

Chattahoochee Hills has municipal zoning, and a use must be listed for the parcel's zoning district and comply with the Unified Development Code and any applicable concept plan or zoning conditions.2 The city's published use table includes RL, HM, VL and HC district columns.15

Lot size is not one rule citywide. The RL district generally has a 20-acre minimum, subject to the family-lot exception, while the listed HC, HM-R, HM-MU and VL districts have no general minimum in the cited table.7 Any lot using an individual septic system must be at least 1 acre, or larger if the county health department requires it.16 The available material does not confirm a citywide minimum dwelling size or parcel-specific setbacks, so ask Community Development to identify the parcel's district and dimensional standards before buying.

How do septic permits work in Chattahoochee Hills?

The Fulton County Board of Health, not the city building office, permits and inspects onsite sewage management systems for Chattahoochee Hills properties that are not served by public sanitary sewer.3 A city building permit cannot be issued for a lot with an existing or proposed septic system until the county environmental health department approves it.17

Before occupancy, a septic lot also needs the county department's final inspection and approval, plus as-built drawings of the system.18 The published county health fee schedule lists a $300 new-residential onsite-system construction permit with inspection.19 Because an individual-septic lot must contain at least 1 acre and may need more if Environmental Health requires it, obtain the health review before treating zoning density as proof that a lot is buildable.16 Fulton County Board of Health also handles private-well review; its published fee is $250 for well-location review and a permit, including one sample if requested.8

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Chattahoochee Hills?

A recreational vehicle, camper, bus, trailer, boat or boat trailer parked or stored on a Chattahoochee Hills lot may not be used as living quarters, and its parking or storage area must be within the lot's buildable area.20 That rule answers residential use of a parked RV; the available city material does not confirm a general rule for temporary camping on private land.

The reviewed city material does not establish a tiny-home-specific occupancy rule or a minimum dwelling size. A tiny house proposed as a permanent building would still face the city's building-permit requirement, applicable construction codes, zoning-district use rules and septic approval where no public sewer serves the lot.123 Manufactured homes are not permitted as a principal use in the RL, HM, VL and HC districts shown in the city's use table.6

Building a home in Chattahoochee Hills: what are the steps?

  1. Ask City Community Development to confirm the parcel's zoning district, permitted residential use and applicable dimensional standards. Chattahoochee Hills applies district-specific use rules.2
  2. If the lot will use septic, obtain Fulton County Board of Health approval before the city building permit; an individual-septic lot must contain at least 1 acre and may need to be larger.1716
  3. Prepare the site plan and construction documents, then submit them with the completed city building-permit application.11
  4. Do not start construction until all required permits have been issued.1
  5. Request and pass the required construction inspections.10
  6. For a septic property, secure the county's final approval and deliver septic as-built drawings before the city issues a certificate of occupancy.18

What should you check before buying land in Chattahoochee Hills?

Start with the city zoning district and permitted-use table, because the parcel's district controls what uses are allowed and the RL lot-size rule differs from the other listed districts.27 Check flood mapping early: new principal residential and nonresidential buildings are not allowed within identified existing or future-conditions floodplain limits.21

For a site without public sewer, ask Fulton County Environmental Health whether the proposed septic system and lot area can be approved before closing.3 Countywide soil data rates 59.4% of Fulton County soils as free of severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, but that Fulton County figure is not a substitute for evaluating the parcel.22 A private well requires county health review and a well-location permit.8 The citywide rule for mandatory public-water or sewer connection and the general city driveway-access requirement could not be confirmed, so ask Community Development and Environmental Health about service and access for the exact address.

Watch-outs

  • An RV or camper stored on a Chattahoochee Hills lot cannot be used as living quarters.5
  • The RL district generally requires 20 acres, while every individual-septic lot must have at least 1 acre or more if the county health department requires it.7
  • New principal buildings are not allowed within identified existing or future-conditions floodplain limits.21

Sources

  1. Building in the City of Chattahoochee Hills: Your Guide to the Construction and Permit Process (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chattahoochee Hills Unified Development Code, Sec. 7-2. Permitted uses (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  3. Fulton County Board of Health Land-use (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  4. Fulton County Board of Health Land-use (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chattahoochee Hills Unified Development Code, Sec. 5-13. Vehicular parking (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chattahoochee Hills Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Sec. 7-2—Permitted uses (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chattahoochee Hills Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Sec. 6-3—Density (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  8. Fulton County Board of Health Environmental Health Section Fee Schedule (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Chattahoochee Hills Community Development (chatthillsga.us)
  10. Building in the City of Chattahoochee Hills: Your Guide to the Construction and Permit Process (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  11. Building in the City of Chattahoochee Hills: Your Guide to the Construction and Permit Process (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  12. Georgia Department of Community Affairs — Mandatory and Permissive State Codes (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  13. Building in the City of Chattahoochee Hills: Your Guide to the Construction and Permit Process (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  14. Residential and Commercial General Contractors Frequently Asked Questions (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Chattahoochee Hills Unified Development Code, Sec. 7-2. Permitted uses (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  16. Chattahoochee Hills Unified Development Code, Sec. 6-3. Density (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  17. Chattahoochee Hills Unified Development Code, Article XIV — Stormwater and Infrastructure (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  18. Chattahoochee Hills Unified Development Code, Article XIV — Stormwater and Infrastructure (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  19. Fulton County Board of Health Environmental Health Section Fee Schedule (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  20. Unified Development Code, Sec. 5-13. Vehicular parking (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  21. Chattahoochee Hills Code of Ordinances, Sec. 14-81—Provisions for flood damage reduction (Chattahoochee Hills), quoted and re-checked
  22. 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

Written October 9, 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 Chattahoochee Hills

Chattahoochee Hills’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, alteration, repair, moving, demolition, or occupancy changes for buildings or structures inside Chattahoochee Hills city.

    • Construction documents must be submitted with a completed permit application and approved before issuance.
    • All other regulations and zoning restrictions must be complied with.
    • Construction may not commence until all permits have been issued.
    • Commercial projects may require plans by a licensed Georgia architect or engineer.
    “A permit is required to construct, alter, repair, move, demolish, or to change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by the appropriate Code or Ordinances of the City of Chattahoochee Hills.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits under the codes identified by the city guide as currently observed and adopted by the Georgia DCA.

    • The city guide lists the 2018 ICC International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Fire, Swimming Pool and Spa, and Property Maintenance Codes; the 2015 ICC Energy Conservation Code; and the 2020 National Electrical Code.
    “Current Codes Observed- as adopted by the Georgia DCA”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside Chattahoochee Hills city.

    • Permit holders are responsible for obtaining required inspections.
    • Inspection requests must be received by 4:00 p.m. one day in advance.
    • Inspections are typically conducted the next regular business day.
    “Permit holders are responsible for obtaining all required inspections.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Hamlet and village development inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • For the first 100 residential units on a site, at least 8,000 gross square feet of non-residential floor area must have been issued a certificate of occupancy on the same site.
    • For more than 40,000 gross square feet of non-residential floor area, at least 25 residential units must have been issued certificates of occupancy.
    • Conditional zoning may impose additional concurrency requirements.

    residential units before mixed-use concurrency: > 100 units (At least 8,000 gross square feet of non-residential floor area must have been issued a certificate of occupancy on the same site.)

    “No more than 100 residential units on a site shall be issued a certificate of occupancy until such time as at least 8,000 gross square feet of non-residential floor area has been issued a certificate of occupancy on the same site.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • Uses must be listed for the zoning district and consistent with the approved concept plan, where applicable.
    • All uses are subject to applicable Unified Development Code requirements and conditions of zoning.
    “The permitted principal uses and special permit uses identified in the table in subsection (H) shall be permitted only as listed within each zoning district and consistent with the approved concept plan, as applicable.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Present — Land inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits; the city administers its Unified Development Code, zoning map, zoning amendments, variances, and special permits.
      “The procedures and standards in this article shall apply to: All UDC amendments, map amendments, variances, and special permits, except as otherwise provided; and Certain land development or building permits as specified in Sec. 3-2.”
    • Present — Land inside Chattahoochee Hills city; the city administers a Unified Development Code with zoning districts and district-specific permitted uses.
      “The permitted principal uses and special permit uses identified in the table in subsection (H) shall be permitted only as listed within each zoning district and consistent with the approved concept plan, as applicable.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • The cited official permitted-use table publishes columns for RL, HM, VL, and HC districts.
    • The density table additionally refers to HM-R and HM-MU in its lot-size table.
    “Permitted Use Supplemental Standards RL HM VL HC Agricultural”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Rural (RL) district inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • Except as provided in Sec. 11-6 for family lots.
    • Lots on individual septic systems must be at least one acre or larger if required by the county health department.

    minimum lot size: 20 acres (Except as provided in Sec. 11-6 for family lots.)

    “There are no minimum lot sizes except in the RL district the minimum lot size is 20 acres, except as provided in section 11-6 for family lots.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Lots in Rural (RL), Historic Crossroads (HC), Hamlet (HM-R and HM-MU), and Village (VL) districts inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.
      “Lot size regulations. There are no minimum lot sizes except in the RL district the minimum lot size is 20 acres, except as provided in section 11-6 for family lots. [...] Any lot on an individual septic system must be at least one acre, or larger if required by the county health department.”
    • None — HC, HM-R, HM-MU, and VL districts inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.
      “There are no minimum lot sizes except in the RL district the minimum lot size is 20 acres, except as provided in section 11-6 for family lots.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Use of recreational vehicles, campers, buses, trailers, boats, and boat trailers as living quarters when parked or stored on lots inside Chattahoochee Hills city.

    • The rule concerns parking or storage.
    • The parking or storage location must also be in the buildable area of the lot.
    “3. Recreational vehicles, campers, buses (including school buses), trailers, boats, and boat trailers may be parked or stored only under the following conditions: a. That such vehicles are not used as living quarters. b. That the location of the parking or storage area shall be in the buildable area of the lot.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Prohibited — Use of recreational vehicles, campers, buses, trailers, boats, and boat trailers as living quarters on lots inside the city.
      “such vehicles are not used as living quarters.”
    • Prohibited — Use of a recreational vehicle, camper, bus, trailer, boat, or boat trailer as living quarters on land inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.
      “Recreational vehicles, campers, buses (including school buses), trailers, boats, and boat trailers may be parked or stored only under the following conditions: a. That such vehicles are not used as living quarters.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Tents or canopies used for temporary camping in Chattahoochee Hills city parks.

    • Tents or canopies are prohibited outside marked primitive camping areas unless a special permit is granted by the director of parks and recreation or the director's designee.
    • Tents or canopies must have a finished dimension less than 12 feet by 12 feet.

    maximum finished dimension: less than 12 feet by 12 feet (Applies to tents or canopies in city parks.)

    “Except by special permit granted by the director of parks and recreation or his designee, the following activities are prohibited in the parks: (1) Tents or canopies outside marked primitive camping areas. All tents or canopies must have a finished dimension less than 12 feet by 12 feet.”
  • Manufactured homesProhibited

    Manufactured homes in Rural (RL), Hamlet (HM), Village (VL), and Historic Crossroads (HC) districts inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • The permitted-use table denotes X as a use not permitted in the respective district.
    “(X) Use prohibited. A use is not permitted in the respective district. [...] Manufactured home X X X X”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Septic approval and final inspection for lots inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits; Fulton County's environmental health authority is the approving body identified by the city code.

    • The city code requires county department of environmental health approval before issuance of a building permit for a lot with a septic system or proposed septic system.
    • The city code requires county environmental health final inspection and approval before certificate of occupancy issuance.
    “No building permit shall be issued for a lot with a septic system, or a proposed septic system, without the approval of the county department of environmental health.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • County — On-site sewage systems and individual drinking-water supplies inside Chattahoochee Hills city where public sewer or water is unavailable.
      “The Fulton County Board of Health Environmental Health Services (EHS) program permits and inspects OSSM systems to ensure they meet all requirements.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation of an OSSMS inside Chattahoochee Hills city.

    • The Fulton County Board of Health requires review and inspection when an OSSMS is installed.
    • Public-sanitary-sewer areas may not require OSSMS permitting.
    “The Fulton County Board of Health Environmental Health Services (EHS) program permits and inspects OSSM systems to ensure they meet all requirements.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Individual septic systems serving lots inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • A final inspection and approval by Fulton County environmental health are required before certificate of occupancy issuance.
    • As-built drawings are also required.
    “No certificate of occupancy shall be issued without a final inspection by and approval of the county department of environmental health, and receipt of as-built drawings of the septic system.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Individual septic systems inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • Any lot on an individual septic system is subject to health department lot-size requirements.
    • The RL district has a 20-acre minimum lot size except as provided in Sec. 11-6 for family lots.

    individual-septic minimum lot size: >= 1 acre (Larger if required by the county health department.)

    “Any lot on an individual septic system must be at least one acre, or larger if required by the county health department.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Limited — Non-sewer toilet systems and other non-public-sewer sanitation inside Chattahoochee Hills city.
      “Non-Sewer Toilet Systems, any portable structures that are used for collection, temporary storage and/or chemical treatment of human body wastes that are not connected to a public or community sewage system or to an on-site sewage management system (OSSMS), are also granted permits by the Fulton County Board of Health.”
  • Well permitLimited

    Private water-well drilling inside the city.

    • Wells must be installed by a licensed water-well contractor.
    • The contractor must notify the county health department before construction.
    • The cited official page requires notification but does not state that a separate owner-applied well permit is required.
    “the water well contractor must notify the county health department”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    District conservation lot areas in Hamlet and Village districts inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • A qualifying mixed-use cluster must be within 1.5 miles in the same HM or VL district and satisfy the listed conditions before platting.
    • The cited restriction is specific to district conservation lot areas.

    mixed-use-cluster proximity: <= 1.5 miles (Must be in the same Hamlet or Village district.)

    “No district conservation lot areas may be platted before a mixed-use cluster located within 1.5 miles in the same hamlet (HM) or village (VL) district meets all the following:”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Regulated (with conditions) — Subdivision and resubdivision of land inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.
      “The following steps are required for the subdivision of land, except subdivisions that qualify for the minor subdivision process:”
    • Regulated (with conditions) — Subdivision and mobile-home-park development inside the city when on-site sewage or water-supply approval is involved.
      “No person may sell, offer for sale, lease, rent, or begin construction or otherwise begin the physical development of a lot in a subdivision or mobile home park until written approval of plans for water supply and sewage disposal in the subdivision or park has been issued from the County Board of Health.”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Development in existing or future-conditions floodplains inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • New construction of principal residential or nonresidential buildings, including manufactured homes, is not allowed within the identified floodplain limits. Other construction and improvements are subject to the listed flood-damage-reduction standards.
    “New construction of principal buildings (residential or nonresidential), including manufactured homes, shall not be allowed within the limits of the existing floodplain or the future-conditions floodplain when such limits have been determined.”
  • Short-term rentalsAllowed (with conditions)

    Short-term rentals in RL, HM, VL, and HC districts inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • The permitted-use table lists short term rental as P in each shown district.
    • Uses remain subject to all applicable Unified Development Code requirements and conditions of zoning.
    “Short term rental chapter 10 , article XIII P P P P”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    City construction-permit process inside Chattahoochee Hills city.

    • Submit PDF construction documents with a completed permit application.
    • Construction documents must be approved before permit issuance.
    • Construction may not commence until all permits are issued.
    • Site plans must show erosion control, lot dimensions, building footprint, dimensions to property lines, and other buildings.
    “Construction documents must be submitted with a completed permit application via email and approved prior to a permit being issued.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Partial — Certain land-development and building-permit applications inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.
      “The following applications for land disturbance or building permits shall not be submitted or accepted by the City until a pre-application meeting is held with the Zoning Administrator:”
    • Partial — Uses in Chattahoochee Hills city requiring supplemental regulations under the Unified Development Code.
      “Any use listed with a "yes" in the column headed by the words "supp" (supplemental regulations shall: 1. Satisfy the applicable supplemental use standards established in section 7-4 in addition to all other UDC requirements. 2. Schedule a pre-application meeting with the zoning administrator as delineated in section 3-2 .”

Rules another office applies inside Chattahoochee Hills

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

  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Fulton County Board of Health OSSM and well permits applicable to individual systems inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.

    • Fee schedule effective April 1, 2022.
    • The listed fee concerns new residential OSSM construction with inspection.

    new residential OSSM construction permit with inspection fee: 300 USD · well location review and permit fee: 250 USD (Includes one sample if requested.)

    “28 New Residential OSSM Construction Permit with Inspection 300.00”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Chattahoochee Hills or Fulton County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions for construction inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Chattahoochee Hills city residential districts, including RL, HM, and VL districts.
  • Setbacks — Building setbacks inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.
  • Building height — Building height inside Chattahoochee Hills city limits.
5 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access

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 Chattahoochee Hills publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Fulton County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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