Bolthole Index

Seminole County, Georgia

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Donalsonville, Georgia

Donalsonville, Georgia requires a building permit from the city's building official before you build, move, alter, excavate or fill a lot1. The city also has its own zoning chapter2. Septic approval is not a city decision: the Seminole County health department handles it3. Questions about permits start at Donalsonville City Hall4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside city limits, issued by the city's building official1
Zoning
City zoning chapter with R-A and R-B residence districts2
Septic
Seminole County health department approves plans; special permission only in subdivisions35
RV living
Camping trailers are not allowed as a permanent dwelling6
Mobile homes
Excluded from R-A; trailer parks allowed in R-B7
Owner-builder
No state contractor license needed to build your own home, but local permits still apply8
Floodplain
Special flood-hazard standards for new construction9

Who to call

Building permits

Donalsonville City Hall

City contact for building permit questions; the city's building official issues building permits inside Donalsonville

(229) 524-2118

127 East 2nd Street, Donalsonville, GA 39845

Septic permits

Seminole County Environmental Health

Septic plan approval and permits for Donalsonville addresses

(229) 495-6590

904 N. Wiley Ave., Donalsonville, GA 39845

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Donalsonville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Donalsonville, Georgia?

Yes. Donalsonville's code makes it unlawful to excavate or fill a lot, start construction, or move or alter a building until the building official has issued a building permit1. Applications come with plans in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the lot, the building and its setbacks10. Fees are set by the mayor and council, and the plan-checking fee is half the building permit fee11. We could not locate the current fee schedule, so ask City Hall for it4.

The city has adopted building codes by ordinance12. Georgia's owner-builder rule means you do not need a contractor license to build your own home, but the city's permits and inspections still apply8.

Who issues building permits in Donalsonville, and how do you reach them?

Inside Donalsonville city limits, the city's building official issues building permits1. The city's public works page directs permit questions to Donalsonville City Hall at (229) 524-21184. City Hall is at 127 East 2nd Street4.

The Seminole County Zoning and Code Enforcement Department serves land outside the city, not inside it. Land outside Donalsonville falls under Seminole County's rules.

Does Donalsonville have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, mobile homes and setbacks?

Donalsonville has its own zoning chapter with R-A and R-B residence districts and a zoning map kept by the building official2. R-A allows single-family homes but excludes residential trailers, while R-B allows trailer parks that meet the city's trailer-park rules7. In R-A, accessory buildings go only in a rear yard and must sit at least 5 feet from any property line13.

We could not confirm the front, side and rear yard rules for the main house, minimum lot size or minimum home size in these districts. Ask the building official at City Hall before you buy4.

Can you live in an RV or camping trailer in Donalsonville?

Not as a home. Donalsonville bars using a camping trailer as a permanent place of abode or for indefinite periods, and allows camping trailers in established mobile home parks for no more than 30 days6. Parking any trailer on a street or on private land inside the city is unlawful except as chapter 32 of the city code allows14. One RV may be parked or stored in an enclosed garage or rear yard of a lot with an occupied dwelling, with no living quarters kept in it6.

We could not confirm any rule on tiny homes or accessory dwelling units inside the city, so ask City Hall first4.

How do septic permits work in Donalsonville?

Septic approval for Donalsonville addresses comes from the Seminole County health department, not from the city3. Georgia law bars starting development of a lot that will use an on-site sewage system until the County Health Department issues a construction permit15. A final inspection and written approval are required before the system is backfilled or used16.

Inside the city, sewers are required in subdivision streets and individual septic tanks are allowed only by special permission of the county health department5. Septic tanks are also barred where a city sewer connection is possible within 200 feet5. Contact17 for your lot.

Building a home in Donalsonville: the steps, in order

  1. Call City Hall to confirm your lot's zoning district and any flood-hazard status4.
  2. Ask whether city sewer reaches the lot; if not, get septic approval from the Seminole County health department5.
  3. Submit plans in duplicate to the building official with your building permit application10.
  4. Pay the permit fees set by the mayor and council11.
  5. In a special flood hazard area, raise the lowest floor at least one foot above base flood elevation where that elevation is published9.
  6. Build to the adopted codes and ask City Hall what inspections and certificate of occupancy the city requires, since we could not confirm them4.

What stays with Seminole County, and what should you check before you buy?

Septic permits and well drilling notices run through the county health department rather than the city3. Georgia requires a well contractor to notify the county health department before drilling18. The city's code also cites flood standards for special flood hazard areas, so check the flood status of any lot9.

Seminole County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%19. The nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 48 miles away20. For land outside city limits, see the Seminole County page.

Watch-outs

  • The county's zoning and permit rules apply outside Donalsonville, not inside the city, so a county office cannot answer city-lot questions2.
  • We could not confirm the city's inspection requirements, certificate of occupancy rules, main-house setbacks, minimum lot size or fee schedule; ask the building official at City Hall4.
  • Georgia's contractor-license exemption for owner-builders does not waive local permits, inspections or zoning8.

Sources

  1. Donalsonville Code Sec. 10-2 Building permit (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Donalsonville Code Sec. 54-141 Residence District (R-A) (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Donalsonville Code Sec. 44-269 Approval of plans; inspection of work (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Donalsonville City Hall (donalsonvillega.org)
  5. Donalsonville Code Sec. 44-275 Sanitary sewers (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Donalsonville Code Sec. 32-3 Use of trailer for permanent occupancy (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Donalsonville Code Sec. 54-141 Residence District (R-A) (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Residential and Commercial General Contractors Frequently Asked Questions (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Donalsonville Code Sec. 26-79 Specific standards (flood hazard reduction) (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  10. Donalsonville Code Sec. 10-2 Building permit (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Donalsonville Code Sec. 10-3 Permit fees (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Donalsonville Code Sec. 10-3 Permit fees (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Donalsonville Code Sec. 54-141 Residence District (R-A) (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  14. Donalsonville Code Sec. 32-4 Parking and location of trailers regulated (Donalsonville), quoted and re-checked
  15. On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual, quoted and re-checked
  16. On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual, quoted and re-checked
  17. Seminole County Environmental Health (dph.georgia.gov)
  18. Well Water | Georgia Department of Public Health, quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Donalsonville

Donalsonville’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, moving, alteration, excavation or filling inside Donalsonville city

    • Permit issued by the building official; fees set by mayor and council (Sec. 10-3).
    “It shall be unlawful to commence the excavation or filling of any lot for any construction of any building, to commence construction of any building or to commence the moving or alteration of any building, or to commence the development of land for a use not requiring a building, until the building official has issued a building permit for such work.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Donalsonville city

    • The specific codes and editions adopted are in Sec. 10-55, which was not among the fetched sections.
    “the permits required to be obtained by virtue of the provisions of any of the codes which have been adopted in section 10-55 shall, notwithstanding any provision contained in any of the codes, not be issued until the fees provided for in this chapter shall have been paid.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Donalsonville city limits

    • City has a zoning chapter (Chapter 54) with R-A and R-B residence districts and a zoning map kept by the building official.
    “Within an R-A Residence District, the following uses shall be permitted:”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts inside Donalsonville city

    • R-A Residence District and R-B General Residence District use lists were seen; other districts and the district map were not reviewed.
    “Within an R-B General Residence District, the following uses shall be permitted:”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Accessory buildings in the R-A Residence District inside Donalsonville city

    • Accessory buildings only in a rear yard.
    • Principal building yard requirements not found in fetched sections.

    accessory building minimum distance from any property line: >= 5 feet

    “Accessory buildings, provided such shall be permitted only in a rear yard and shall not be less than five feet from any property line.”
  • Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

    Camping trailers/RVs inside Donalsonville city

    • Camping trailers may be occupied in established mobile home parks for no more than 30 days.
    • One RV may be parked or stored in an enclosed garage or rear yard of a lot with an occupied dwelling, with no living quarters maintained in it.

    camping trailer occupancy in mobile home park: <= 30 days

    “camping trailers shall not be used as a permanent place of abode or as a permanent dwelling or for indefinite periods of time; provided, however, that any camping trailer may be occupied and permitted in established mobile home parks for periods not exceeding 30 days.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Parking trailers (including camping trailers) on public or private land inside Donalsonville city

    • Unlawful to park any trailer on any tract of land except as provided in chapter 32.
    • Camping trailers permitted up to 30 days in established mobile home parks.
    “it shall be unlawful, within the limits of the city, for any person to park any trailer on any street, alley or highway, or other public place, or on any tract of land owned by any person, occupied or unoccupied, within the city except as provided in this chapter.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Trailers and mobile homes inside Donalsonville city; R-A and R-B districts

    • R-A permits single-family residences but excludes residential trailers.
    • R-B permits trailer parks that meet the city code regulating them.
    • Other districts and chapter 32 park standards not reviewed.
    “Trailer parks, provided the parks meet the requirements of the city code regulating such use.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions inside Donalsonville city

    • County health department must approve sewerage and septic plans.
    • Chapter 44 requires sewers in all streets, with developer bearing costs.
    “the building official must approve plans for and inspect and approve construction of all subdivision work. the county health department must approve plans for the use of sewerage, septic tanks or other sanitary facilities.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New construction and substantial improvements in areas of special flood hazard inside Donalsonville city

    • Lowest floor must be at least one foot above base flood elevation where BFE data exists.
    • Without BFE data, lowest floor at least three feet above highest adjacent grade (Sec. 26-80).
    • Floodway encroachments prohibited unless engineering analysis shows no rise in flood levels.
    • RVs must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be highway-ready, or meet new construction standards.

    elevation above base flood elevation: >= 1 foot (Where base flood elevation data is available)

    “Where base flood elevation data is available, new construction and/or substantial improvement of any structure or manufactured home shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated no lower than one foot above the base flood elevation.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building permit fees inside Donalsonville city

    • Fee amounts are set by the mayor and council; schedule not located.
    • Plan-checking fee equals one-half of the building permit fee.
    “such fees shall be as established by the mayor and council.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit applications inside Donalsonville city

    • Plans in duplicate showing lot dimensions, building size and location, existing structures, dwelling units, and adjoining setback lines.
    “all applications to the building official for building permits shall be accompanied by plans in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing:”

Rules another office applies inside Donalsonville

Donalsonville does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Septic and sanitary facility approval for subdivisions inside Donalsonville city; rule-maker is the Seminole County health department

    • Code text addresses subdivision work; general septic permitting for single lots not stated in fetched sections.
    “The county health department must approve plans for the use of sewerage, septic tanks or other sanitary facilities.”
  • Septic permitLimited

    Individual septic tanks in subdivisions inside Donalsonville city; permission from the Seminole County health department

    • Sewers are required in subdivision streets; septic only by special permission of the county health department.
    • Septic tanks barred where city sewer connection is possible within 200 feet (Sec. 50-55).
    “individual septic tanks will be permitted only by special permission of the county health department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Donalsonville or Seminole County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Donalsonville city
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Donalsonville city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Donalsonville city
  • Minimum dwelling size — R-A and R-B districts inside Donalsonville city
  • Minimum lot size — R-A and R-B districts inside Donalsonville city
9 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Donalsonville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Seminole County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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