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

Unincorporated McIntosh County requires a building permit before construction, erection, moving or alteration of any building or structure begins¹. In unincorporated McIntosh County, the county enforces the current construction codes adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, including state-adopted appendices^1,8. Before issuance, access must comply with the zoning code and any required final plat must be approved¹. Development served by a well, septic tank, private water or private sewage disposal system must include County Health Department approval with the building-permit application¹. A conforming application requires a dimensioned plat or scale plan and intended uses; after the fee is paid, the ordinance calls for issuance within 10 days, while a refusal must give written reasons¹. If construction has not begun within six months, the building permit must be renewed¹. Georgia's owner-builder exemption covers qualifying owners building on their own property for their own occupancy, but it does not waive county permits, codes, inspections or zoning⁶.

McIntosh County Building & Zoning is the permit and zoning office at 100 Madison Street, Darien, GA 31305; call 912-437-6603⁹. The county page links an active-permitting portal and downloadable permit applications⁹. For land in unincorporated McIntosh County, start with this office to identify the zoning district, confirm the site plan, determine whether a special use is needed and obtain the correct building application^1,8. The county requires established access before a building permit can issue, and a residential application may require driveway-culvert status plus a Public Works letter¹. The published new-home application lists a residential building-permit fee of $0.30 per square foot and doubles it to $0.60 per square foot when construction begins before the permit is obtained¹⁰. Ask Building & Zoning about fees for work outside that application because we could not confirm a complete current fee schedule⁹.

McIntosh County zoning applies only to unincorporated land; uses must be permitted by right or through Special Use approval in the mapped district¹. An unlisted use is prohibited and requires County Commission approval through an ordinance text amendment¹. Permitted uses, setbacks, lot coverage and dimensional rules depend on the parcel's district¹. Unless a district says otherwise, structures are capped at 35 feet, with listed exceptions such as silos and water towers¹. Guest houses or accessory dwelling units are allowed in identified districts but cannot exceed 25% of the primary structure or 700 square feet; they also need a permanent foundation, shared services, compliant setbacks and plans stamped by a licensed engineer or architect¹. Manufactured homes are permitted by right in the A-F, A-R, R-1 and R-2 districts; the reviewed use table does not show them as permitted in the other listed districts¹.

McIntosh County Environmental Health administers local onsite-sewage services under Georgia's statewide standards¹. McIntosh County Environmental Health also handles onsite sewage services inside Darien¹¹. The office is at 1335 GA Highway 57, Townsend, GA 31331, and its phone number is (912) 832-5473¹². For development using a septic tank or private sewage disposal system, a County Health Department approval certificate must accompany the building-permit application¹. The County Board of Health must find a site suitable before issuing a septic construction permit, and the permit remains valid for no more than 12 months². New systems and repairs to malfunctioning systems are inspected¹¹. The Board of Health must also make a final inspection and give written approval before a system is backfilled or used³. Only 0.7% of McIntosh County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so arrange the site evaluation before fixing a house location or closing on marginal land¹³. A public or community sewer available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way generally triggers a connection requirement, subject to the stated repair exception for some failing residential systems².

In unincorporated McIntosh County, an owner or lessee may accommodate one recreational vehicle belonging to a nonpaying guest for no more than 15 days in any one year, and property without a residential dwelling requires a permit¹. One unoccupied RV may be stored in a private garage, accessory building, rear yard or side yard when it belongs to the owner or lessee¹. An RV park is a distinct zoning use: the RVP district requires at least 5 acres, and unit locations must have approved community water and engineered sewer service¹. Site-built or modular tiny homes in Georgia need building-code compliance and local siting approval⁴. In unincorporated McIntosh County, R-2 dwellings and Hog Hammock (HH) residences require at least 720 heated square feet, ruling out a typical tiny house in those districts⁵. Ask Building & Zoning whether the design and proposed parcel's district work together⁹.

1. For unincorporated land, ask McIntosh County Building & Zoning to confirm the zoning district, allowed dwelling type, setbacks and height rules^1,8,9.

1. Confirm legal access and driveway-culvert requirements; the county will not issue a building permit until access is established, and a state-highway driveway requires the appropriate Georgia Department of Transportation application^1,14.

1. Arrange Environmental Health review for any well, private water, septic tank or private sewage disposal system and obtain the approval required with the building application^1,12.

1. Submit the dimensioned site plan, intended uses and other required plans to Building & Zoning, then pay the applicable fee¹.

1. Obtain the building permit before work starts and renew it if construction has not begun within six months¹.

1. Schedule inspections only when the site is ready: failed or premature inspection calls incur reinspection fees of $35, $50 and $65, payable before the inspector returns⁷.

1. Obtain the Certificate of Occupancy before occupying a newly erected building or using land or buildings altered in use; permanent electrical service also requires the certificate¹. Building & Zoning must confirm compliance with zoning and applicable regulations before issuance¹.

Verify the zoning map, permitted use, setbacks and legal access before relying on a listing description¹. If the seller is creating a new tract, confirm final-plat status because McIntosh County regulates divisions into two or more lots and will not issue a building permit before final-plat approval¹. Check septic feasibility early because only 0.7% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field¹³. Determine whether County water is close enough to require connection: residences within 200 feet must connect⁷. If the project instead uses a well or private water system, budget time for County Health Department approval before submitting the building-permit application¹. Coastal flood exposure also changes the build; in specified flood-hazard areas, the lowest floor of new construction and substantial improvements must be at least 1 foot above base flood elevation¹⁵. For carrying costs, the effective property-tax rate is about 0.8%, the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,310, and the typical home value is about $279,478¹³.