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

Yes. Augusta-Richmond County requires a building permit before work begins on new commercial or residential construction, renovations, additions, re-roofing, signs, swimming pools, and utility or storage buildings¹. Electrical, plumbing, gas, and mechanical projects above $500 require permits; new installation and repair work also requires a permit unless the Building Official determines it is a minor repair¹. The locally enforced standards include the 2024 building and residential codes with Georgia amendments, effective in 2026¹⁰. The applicant must request every required county inspection during permitted residential construction³. A homeowner may be issued a single-family permit when the homeowner will own and occupy the house⁶. A permit application is treated as abandoned unless authorized work starts within six months after filing¹.

Augusta-Richmond County Planning & Development handles building permits and zoning review for the consolidated government; its office is at 535 Telfair Street, Suite 300, Augusta, GA 30901, and its phone number is (706) 821-1796¹¹. Applicants can download residential forms and supporting documents or register with the CityView Portal to submit online; after approval, the applicant receives an email saying the fees can be paid online¹². Published residential charges include a building fee of $0.06 per square foot under roof and separate inspection charges of $238 for crawl-space construction or $255 for slab construction¹³. Fees must be paid before issuance, but the fee page may be superseded, so confirm the current total with Planning & Development before applying¹³.

Yes. Augusta-Richmond County has an adopted zoning ordinance, and Planning and Zoning approval is required before a building permit is issued². The parcel's district controls allowed uses and dimensions¹⁴. In R-1, a lot must contain at least 15,000 square feet and have at least 100 feet of width¹⁵. R-1 front setbacks are generally 30 feet on minor or local streets and 40 feet on other streets or highways; the rear setback is 20% of lot depth, capped at 50 feet¹⁵. Buildings cover no more than 30% of an R-1 lot and may not exceed 45 feet or two-and-one-half stories¹⁵. Those figures are not countywide: the PDR zone has no minimum lot size, side or rear setback, or percentage lot-coverage rule, subject to privacy and Savannah River floodway conditions¹⁵.

Richmond County's code assigns private-sewage permit applications and inspections to the Board of Health; contact the Richmond County Health Department and ask for Environmental Health to start the local process^5,16. The owner must obtain a written permit before constructing a private sewage disposal system, using the Board of Health form and supplying any requested plans or specifications⁵. A public or community sewer connection is required when service is available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way¹⁷. The Board of Health may inspect at any stage, and the applicant must request the final inspection before underground portions are covered⁵. The state construction permit lasts no more than 12 months, so coordinate septic approval with the building schedule¹⁷.

We could not confirm a complete Richmond County rule for living in an RV on private land or for temporary camping, so ask Planning & Development about the parcel, duration, and utility setup before relying on an RV during construction¹¹. A site-built or modular tiny home must meet the applicable Georgia building codes and receive local siting approval⁸. Under the Augusta-Richmond County zoning ordinance, a tiny house is a single-family dwelling of 400 square feet or less, and tiny homes are allowed only by Special Exception in the R-1E, R-3B and R-3C zones, in tiny-home villages on tracts of no more than 3 acres with a density of at least 5 units per acre⁷. A single tiny home on an ordinary rural lot in another district is therefore not covered by a published allowance, so ask Planning & Development first. We could not confirm a countywide minimum dwelling size, so Planning & Development should identify the standard for the parcel's district¹¹. A manufactured home requires a Georgia installation permit obtained by a licensed installer, plus applicable local zoning and siting approval¹⁸. An accessory dwelling unit cannot be used as a short-term rental unless another local ordinance expressly allows it¹⁴.

1. Ask Planning & Development to confirm the parcel's zoning district, allowed dwelling type, setbacks, lot coverage, and subdivision status^11,14. A new subdivision plat needs Planning Commission approval before recording, and the accessing street or approved plat can affect building-permit eligibility¹⁹.
2. Determine whether public sewer is available; connection is required when service is within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way¹⁷.
3. If sewer is unavailable, obtain the written private-sewage permit before starting the system⁵.
4. If using a private well, hire a licensed water-well contractor, who must notify the county health department before drilling⁹.
5. Obtain zoning approval, submit the building-permit application, and pay after approval^2,12.
6. Request every required building inspection and the septic final inspection before underground work is covered^3,5. For a new ground-up home, all permits and inspections must be approved, with the required termite letter and blower-door documentation, before the certificate of occupancy issues²⁰.

Verify wastewater first: public sewer availability can force a connection, while only about 48.9% of Richmond County soils lack severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so a parcel-level site evaluation matters^17,21. For a private well, budget a licensed contractor and preserve at least 10 feet from a sewer line, 50 feet from a septic tank, and 100 feet from a septic absorption field⁹. Check legal access and plat status: subdivision plats require Planning Commission approval before recording, and a lot's accessing street affects building-permit eligibility¹⁹. Work on a driveway within a Georgia state-highway right-of-way requires a GDOT permit²². About 21.5% of the county is federal land, so confirm ownership and boundaries²¹. The median property-tax bill is about $1,440 per year at an effective rate near 0.9%²¹.