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

Montgomery County requires a building permit to construct or alter a residential or commercial building, and the county ordinance directs applications to the County Chief Tax Appraiser¹. The application must give the size, type, use, location and scope of work and be signed by the owner or an authorized agent, and the county issues the building permit only after the applicant holds a County Health Department septic permit for any structure that legally needs a septic tank¹. Call the Tax Assessors Office before work begins to confirm the current application, fee, plan, and inspection requirements⁷. Permit fees are set in the Montgomery County Schedule of Fees¹. Georgia's mandatory construction codes apply to all construction even when a local government does not enforce them locally⁴. An owner-builder license exemption may apply when the owner builds for personal, family, firm, or employee use, personally supervises the work, and does not offer the project for sale, lease, or public use; the exemption does not waive permits, codes, or inspections⁶.

The Montgomery County building-permit ordinance directs applications to the County Chief Tax Appraiser¹. Septic permits are a separate approval from the County Health Department, not the Tax Assessors Office³. The Tax Assessors Office is at 303 S. Richardson St in Mount Vernon and can be reached at 912-583-4131⁷. Because the current application, fees, covered work, and inspection sequence could not be confirmed, ask that office for the complete procedure before ordering plans. Montgomery County Code Enforcement is a second contact for code and parcel questions at 310 W. Broad St in Mt. Vernon or 912-583-2840⁸. Georgia's statewide framework allows local administration through permits and inspections, but it does not supply Montgomery County's current forms or fees⁹.

Unincorporated Montgomery County has no county zoning ordinance, while incorporated municipalities may have separate ordinances². Unincorporated parcels therefore have no county zoning-based minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setbacks, lot-coverage limit, or building-height limit². County zoning also does not restrict manufactured homes or accessory dwellings in unincorporated Montgomery County². Building codes, septic requirements, floodplain rules, deed restrictions, and municipal ordinances can still affect a project. Confirm that the parcel is outside a city and ask Code Enforcement about applicable non-zoning rules⁸.

Georgia sets the statewide onsite-sewage framework, while the Montgomery County Health Department and County Board of Health administer local permits³. Obtain a construction permit before physically developing a lot or structure that will use onsite sewage or installing any system component⁵. The county requires a favorable site inspection before issuing the permit, and no system may be backfilled or used until the County Board of Health completes a final inspection and gives written approval³. Privies and other alternative systems are allowed only if they meet the Department of Public Health's design criteria or are approved under its On-Site Sewage Management manual, so ask the Health Department before planning an off-grid toilet⁵. Call 912-583-4602 or visit 218 West Broad Street in Mount Vernon to start the process¹⁰. Only 11.5% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early purchase contingency¹¹.

Unincorporated Montgomery County has no county zoning restriction on RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, or temporary camping². That zoning answer does not eliminate building-code, septic, health, floodplain, deed, or municipal requirements. A site-built or modular tiny home remains subject to Georgia building codes, and the state's tiny-house appendix applies only where adopted locally¹². County zoning does not restrict manufactured-home occupancy in unincorporated areas, but a licensed installer must obtain the state installation permit and comply with inspection requirements^2,13. Ask Code Enforcement which non-zoning rules apply before moving an RV or small dwelling onto a parcel⁸.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is in unincorporated Montgomery County or inside a municipality; the county has no zoning ordinance, but municipal rules may differ².

1. Contact the Tax Assessors Office for the building-permit application and current requirements^1,7.

1. Ask Code Enforcement about floodplain review, dwelling type, and any non-zoning location limits⁸.

1. Obtain the County Health Department septic permit first, because the building permit is issued only after it for a structure that needs a septic tank^1,5,10.

1. Build to Georgia's mandatory construction codes and complete any locally required building inspections^4,9.

1. Leave the onsite sewage system uncovered and unused until the County Board of Health completes its final inspection and issues written approval³.

Check septic feasibility early because only 11.5% of Montgomery County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field¹¹. A subdivision or mobile-home park using onsite sewage needs County Board of Health approval of water-supply and sewage-disposal plans before sale, lease, construction, or physical development⁵. Such a project must connect to public water when it is available within 1,000 feet¹⁴. For a private well, the contractor must contact the county health department in advance for site review, while a Montgomery County permit requirement could not be confirmed^10,15. Ask the Road Department about county-road access; work in state-highway right-of-way requires a Georgia Department of Transportation permit^16,17.