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

Yes. Seminole County requires building permits for new construction and additions to existing structures, and each new permit or addition requires a site plan and site inspection¹. Georgia's mandatory construction codes apply statewide, and Seminole County lists locally enforced editions that include the 2018 residential code^1,10. Contractors must provide a state contractor license and occupational tax certificate with each permit¹. An owner building their own home can use Georgia's contractor-license exemption, but that exemption does not remove county permits, inspections, zoning or code compliance³. Starting without approval can produce a fee of at least $100 or twice the permit cost, whichever is greater¹.

Seminole County directs building-department requests, project submittals, permits and inspections to the Seminole County Zoning and Code Enforcement Department¹. The office is at 230 Cherry Street, Donalsonville, Georgia, and the main number is 229-524-2878¹. Permit questions can also go to permits@seminolecountyga.com¹. The county publishes applications for residential and accessory buildings, manufactured homes, agricultural buildings, driveways, land disturbance, demolition, trade work and several zoning actions¹. Separate fee schedules cover residential-agricultural, trade, land-development, zoning and other permits, but all published fees are subject to change¹. Inspection requests must arrive by 4 p.m. before the requested date, and a failed readiness check carries a $50 reinspection fee¹.

Yes. Seminole County's Zoning and Code Enforcement Department administers county zoning and land-use rules¹. Municipal zoning is separate, so confirm whether a parcel is inside a city before relying on the county process; septic permits remain with the County Health Department^1,5. In county R-1, R-2 and FH districts, a dwelling must contain at least 800 square feet⁸. Principal buildings in R-1 and R-2 have 30-foot front and rear setbacks and 10-foot side setbacks⁸. In AG, the principal-building setbacks are 40 feet in front, 10 feet at the side and 12 feet at the rear⁸. Ask the department to confirm the parcel's district, allowed use and how the ordinance measures each yard before designing the site¹. We could not confirm lot coverage or a complete height schedule.

The Seminole County Health Department issues septic construction permits and the County Board of Health gives final approval under Georgia's statewide framework². A lot using onsite sewage needs that permit before physical development or system installation begins⁵. Contact Seminole County Environmental Health at 904 N. Wiley Ave. in Donalsonville or (229) 495-6590¹¹. Repairs, replacements and additions also require permits and inspections, and the system cannot be backfilled or used before written final approval⁵. Only about 38.8% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early purchase contingency¹². Privies are possible only when designed to state standards and accepted through applicable site, permit, inspection and health-approval requirements⁵.

We could not confirm Seminole County's long-term RV occupancy or temporary-camping rules, so ask Zoning and Code Enforcement whether the parcel's district allows occupancy and imposes utility or time limits¹. A site-built or modular tiny home is a dwelling under Georgia's building-code framework and still needs county building and zoning approval^1,7. In R-1, R-2 and FH, the county schedule sets an 800-square-foot minimum dwelling size, so a smaller tiny home would not meet those district standards⁸. A manufactured home follows a separate state installation-permit system, while county zoning and utility rules still affect lawful occupancy¹³. Any occupied setup using onsite sewage needs a septic construction permit and written final approval before use¹⁴.

1. Ask Seminole County Zoning and Code Enforcement to confirm the parcel's jurisdiction, zoning district, allowed residential use and dimensional standards¹.
2. Have the site evaluated and obtain the County Health Department septic construction permit before physical development¹⁴.
3. Submit the building application and site plan through Zoning and Code Enforcement; new building permits and additions require a site inspection¹.
4. Confirm the current fee from the applicable county schedule before filing¹.
5. If acting as your own contractor, document the Georgia licensing exemption while still following county building permits and codes³.
6. Schedule building inspections as work advances and obtain septic approval before backfilling or use^1,14.
7. Finish all work, turn on electricity, complete required landscaping and provide the energy-compliance documents for the certificate-of-occupancy inspection before moving in¹.

Start with buildability: verify the zoning district, allowed use, minimum dwelling size and setbacks in writing, then make an acceptable septic evaluation a purchase contingency^1,8,14. Only about 38.8% of Seminole County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, even though essentially all county land has a slope of 15% or less¹². Buyers considering a subdivision or mobile-home park using onsite sewage need Board of Health approval for water and sewage plans before sale, lease, construction or physical development⁵. Before drilling a private well, the water well contractor must notify the county health department of the intent to drill⁹; ask Environmental Health whether any further local well steps apply¹¹. Check mapped flood risk and ask the county which local approval applies¹⁵.