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

Unincorporated Glynn County requires building permits before new construction, additions, structural changes, demolition, trade work and many other projects begin¹. Inside Brunswick, the city's building official handles building permits; Glynn County Environmental Health remains the septic office^3,5. Glynn County enforces Georgia-mandated construction codes, including the 2024 Residential Code and 2023 National Electrical Code⁹. County inspection stages include footing, slab, rough-in, permanent power and final inspection; call before covering work¹⁰. Georgia's owner-builder exemption removes the contractor-license requirement for qualifying owners who directly supervise construction for their own occupancy, but building permits, codes and inspections still apply⁶.

Glynn County Building Inspections and Permits reviews plans, issues building permits and performs on-site inspections for county applications⁹. Reach the office at 912-554-7456, buildingpermits@glynncounty-ga.gov, or 1725 Reynolds Street, Suite 200, Brunswick, GA 31520⁹. For county zoning and subdivision questions, call Planning & Zoning at 912-554-7428 or email planningzoning@glynncounty-ga.gov^11,12. County applications and required attachments go through Citizen Services/OpenGov; reviewers explain noncompliant items and request resubmittal¹³. Residential building-permit fees depend on heated, enclosed and covered floor area; the heated-space category up to 1,700 square feet costs $300, while mobile-home building permits cost declared value multiplied by 0.004, with a $30 minimum¹⁴. Some planning applications require public hearings, with complete deadline submissions due at least six weeks before the meeting, pending final review and approval¹³.

Glynn County zoning applies to unincorporated land except Jekyll Island; Brunswick sets its own zoning, while septic services remain with Glynn County Environmental Health^2,4,5. The county ordinance covers rural, residential, manufactured-home and other districts, with district-specific use and development rules². For example, R-12 ordinarily requires 20-foot front, 7-foot side, 10-foot side-street and 7-foot rear yards². Overlay rules can add constraints, including a 25-foot landward development setback in the Beach and Dune Protection District². New subdivision lots using an individual well and onsite sewage need 43,560 square feet of usable area; lots with public water or an approved community well and onsite sewage need 21,780 square feet, subject to stricter zoning and Environmental Health approval¹². Ask Planning & Zoning to identify the parcel's district and overlays before designing the site¹¹.

Glynn County Environmental Health administers septic permitting and inspections under Georgia Department of Public Health rules⁵. Construction, repair, replacement or addition of an onsite sewage system requires a permit and a County Board of Health finding that the site is suitable¹⁵. Environmental Health inspects new systems and repairs to improperly functioning systems¹⁶. For an undeveloped manufactured-home site, a septic permit is required; an existing system needs updated approval, and a permit fee applies⁷. Mapped soils deserve early attention because 0% are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field⁸. Call (912) 279-2940 to discuss site suitability before committing to a building location¹⁷.

Glynn County allows RVs in manufactured-home parks under ordinance standards, including a limit of 25% of county-approved manufactured-home spaces². That rule does not answer whether someone may live in an RV on an ordinary private lot, and we could not confirm Glynn County's general private-land RV and temporary-camping rules; ask Planning & Zoning before buying or moving an RV onto a parcel¹¹. A site-built or modular tiny home must comply with applicable Georgia building codes and local siting rules¹⁸. Manufactured homes are subject to zoning, installation and utility requirements, and a pre-owned unit requires a relocation permit and inspection before installation². Manufactured-home parks must provide approved wastewater treatment and potable water systems².

1. Ask Planning & Zoning to confirm the parcel's jurisdiction, zoning district, overlays, permitted residential use, lot size and setbacks^2,11.

1. Confirm sewer availability: Georgia requires connection when public or community sewer is available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way¹⁵.

1. If septic is needed, obtain site approval and a construction permit through Glynn County Environmental Health^5,15.

1. Submit the building application and required attachments through the county's OpenGov portal; correct and resubmit items identified by reviewers¹³.

1. Resolve floodplain requirements before building-permit approval; a home in the floodplain needs an elevation certificate¹⁹.

1. Schedule required inspections and call before covering work¹⁰.

1. Complete all inspections and paperwork required for the Certificate of Occupancy¹⁰.

Glynn County zoning and subdivision rules cover unincorporated land, with Jekyll Island excluded from the county zoning ordinance^2,12. Confirm the parcel's zoning district because lot-area and setback standards vary by district and overlays can add restrictions². Conventional septic feasibility is a major due-diligence item because 0% of mapped Glynn County soils are rated without severe drain-field limitations⁸. For a manufactured home, county zoning clearance identifies flood-hazard status and any special siting requirements⁷. A manufactured-home site on a county road without an existing driveway or culvert needs a driveway construction permit⁷. Work within a state-highway right-of-way requires a Georgia Department of Transportation permit instead²⁰. Ask Environmental Health about private-well requirements before drilling because we could not confirm the local private-well permit rule¹⁷.