Bolthole Index

Telfair County, Georgia

Building permits, zoning and septic in McRae-Helena, Georgia

McRae-Helena, Georgia requires city building permits for construction, additions and placement of buildings or manufactured homes; do not begin construction or layout before issuance.1 McRae-Helena has its own zoning, while septic permits and inspections remain with the Telfair County Board of Health.23 The city’s residential-lot RV storage provision requires the vehicle to be unoccupied.4

At a glance

Building permits
City application required before construction or layout1
Zoning
City zoning and district-specific standards apply25
Septic permits
Telfair County Board of Health; site suitability review required3
RV living
Residential-lot storage provision requires an unoccupied vehicle4
Minimum home size
R1: 1,200 sq ft of ground-floor living area; R3: 700 sq ft of living area67
Minimum lot size
R1: 12,000 sq ft; R5 mobile homes: 5,000 sq ft per unit89
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption does not waive city building requirements10

Who to call

Building permits

McRae-Helena City Hall

City Hall contact for routing building-permit and zoning questions to the Building Inspector; city website links to the permit portal and zoning map.

229-868-6051

25 S. First Avenue McRae-Helena, GA, USA

Online permits →

Septic permits

Telfair County Health Department

Ask for Environmental Health for septic site review, construction permits, inspections and local well requirements.

(229) 868-7404

89 Telfair Avenue McRae-Helena , GA 31055

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in McRae-Helena, GA?

McRae-Helena requires a written building-permit application for construction, additions and placement of buildings, structures or manufactured homes inside city limits.1 The city directs applicants to wait for permit issuance before any construction or layout and to ask the Building Inspector about additional requirements.1 Plans must be furnished for review on all construction.11 Georgia’s mandatory construction codes apply inside McRae-Helena even where a code is not locally enforced.12 An owner building a personal home may qualify for Georgia’s contractor-license exemption, but that exemption does not waive city building codes, building permits, inspections or zoning.10

Who handles McRae-Helena building permits and zoning questions?

Start with McRae-Helena City Hall at 229-868-6051, at 25 S. First Avenue, and ask to reach the Building Inspector for your project.131 The city website links to a permit portal and its zoning map.13 McRae-Helena’s application requires plans for review; where a formal site plan is required, the application materials include a surveyor’s plat, proposed use, scaled plans, lot and building dimensions, and proposed water supply and sewage disposal.11 Ask the Building Inspector for the current building-permit fee and required inspection schedule before submitting your application.1

Does McRae-Helena have zoning, lot sizes and setbacks?

McRae-Helena has municipal zoning, so the parcel’s district determines which land-use and dimensional standards apply.25 In R1, the minimum lot size is 12,000 square feet, and a one-family dwelling needs at least 1,200 square feet of living area on the ground floor.86 R1 principal-building lot coverage is capped at 30%.14 In R5, each single-width or double-width mobile home requires a lot of at least 5,000 square feet, with minimum setbacks of 15 feet from the front lot line, 6 feet from each side and 10 feet from the rear.915 Ask the city to confirm the parcel’s district before choosing a home or drawing a site plan.5

How do septic permits work inside McRae-Helena?

Septic permits and final inspections inside McRae-Helena are administered through the Telfair County Board of Health under Georgia’s statewide rules; a city building permit does not replace septic approval.31 Contact the Telfair County Health Department and ask for Environmental Health.1617 A septic construction permit requires favorable site findings concerning absorption, soil, groundwater, rock and other lot conditions.3 All onsite sewage systems must be inspected before operation.18 Georgia requires sewer connection when public or community sewage treatment is available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way.19 For manufactured-home placement when city sewage is unobtainable, McRae-Helena requires a copy of the septic tank permit with the application.20

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in McRae-Helena?

McRae-Helena’s residential-lot storage provision allows an RV, travel trailer or camper to be stored only while unoccupied; that provision does not authorize living in the stored vehicle while building a house.4 We could not confirm a separate temporary-camping allowance; ask the Building Inspector about the intended stay before relying on RV accommodation.41 Site-built or modular tiny homes require local siting approval and compliance with applicable Georgia building codes.21 McRae-Helena’s R1 one-family dwelling minimum is 1,200 square feet of ground-floor living area, while R3 requires at least 700 square feet of living area.67 Those district minimums prevent a smaller dwelling from qualifying under those provisions.67

Building a home in McRae-Helena: what are the steps?

  1. Ask the city to identify the parcel’s zoning district and compare the proposed use and home size with that district’s standards.5
  2. Establish the sewage plan: determine sewer availability, or seek County Board of Health site review and septic approval when onsite sewage is appropriate.193
  3. Prepare the written city building-permit application and construction plans, including site-plan details where required.11
  4. Wait for the city building permit before construction or layout begins.1
  5. Arrange septic inspection before using an onsite system, and ask the Building Inspector whether the project requires a certificate of occupancy with final inspection.1822

What should you check before buying land in McRae-Helena?

For land outside city limits, use the Telfair County guide: the county’s absence of county zoning does not remove McRae-Helena’s municipal zoning inside the city.232 Within McRae-Helena, ask the Building Inspector about floodplain development, driveway or curb-cut approval, subdivision approval and any proposed farm-building exemption; we could not confirm those city requirements.1 If access work enters a state-highway right-of-way, Georgia requires a driveway or encroachment permit through GDOT, with residential applications directed to the District Area Office.24 For a proposed private well, ask Telfair County Environmental Health whether a local well-construction permit is required; Georgia’s framework does not establish a uniform domestic-well permit requirement.25

Watch-outs

  • McRae-Helena’s residential-lot RV storage rule requires an unoccupied vehicle; do not treat storage permission as approval to live in an RV.4
  • McRae-Helena may require a certificate of occupancy with the project’s final inspection; ask the Building Inspector before planning a move-in date.22
  • We could not confirm the city building-permit fee schedule or a tiny-home-specific occupancy provision; ask the Building Inspector about the proposed project and zoning district.15

Sources

  1. Section 1304: Application for Permits (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of McRae-Helena (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  3. On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual, quoted and re-checked
  4. Section 919: Storage of Recreation Vehicle, Travel Trailer, or Camper (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  5. City of McRae-Helena (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  6. Section 601: R1 Low Density Residential District (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  7. Section 603: R3 High Density Residential District (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  8. library.municode.com (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  9. Section 605: R5 High Density Residential—Mobile Home Districts (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  10. Residential and Commercial General Contractors Frequently Asked Questions (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Section 1304: Application for Permits (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  12. Mandatory and Permissive State Codes (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  13. McRae-Helena City Hall (mcraehelena.gov)
  14. library.municode.com (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  15. Section 605: R5 High Density Residential—Mobile Home Districts (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  16. Telfair County Health Department (dph.georgia.gov)
  17. Onsite Sewage (2026 county census)
  18. GA DPH Onsite Sewage Manual, quoted and re-checked
  19. GA DPH Onsite Sewage Manual (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Manufactured Home Permit Application (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  21. Georgia Tiny House Fact Sheet (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Residential Building Permit Application, certificate note (McRae-Helena), quoted and re-checked
  23. Telfair County Joint Comprehensive Plan, quoted and re-checked
  24. Regulations for Driveway & Encroachment Control Manual (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. The Water Well Standards Act Protects You and Your Ground-Water, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 McRae-Helena

McRae-Helena’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, additions, placement of buildings, structures, or manufactured homes inside McRae-Helena city limits.

    • A written application is required.
    • Do not begin construction or layout before permit issuance.
    • Other requirements may apply.
    “DO NOT BEGIN ANY CONSTRUCTION OR LAYOUT PRIOR TO PERMIT BEING ISSUED. PLEASE CHECK WITH BUILDING INSPECTOR AS OTHER REQUIREMENTS MAY APPLY.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Projects inside McRae-Helena city limits where the city requires a certificate of occupancy with final inspection.

    • The permit form says a certificate of occupancy may be required, not that it is required for every project.
    • New-building solid-waste clearance requirements may also affect issuance.
    “PLEASE NOTE A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY MAY BE REQUIRED WITH FINAL INSPECTION OF PROJECT.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside McRae-Helena city limits; the city maintains its own zoning ordinance and zoning map.

    • District-specific rules apply.
    • The city website links to McRae-Helena Zoning.
    “Permit Portal McRae-Helena Zoning Public Works”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    McRae-Helena city zoning districts and district-specific dimensional standards.

    • The opened table identifies R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, C1, C2, O1, and M1 districts.
    • The city website separately links to its zoning map.
    “Table 1—Area, Yard and Height Requirements District Minimum Lot Size Lot Width In Ft. Minimum Size of Dwelling Unit (Sq. ft.) Minimum Front Yard Setback 1 From Center Line of Street Maximum Height In Feet Maximum Lot Cov. Prin. Bldg.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    One-family dwellings in the R1 Low Density Residential District.

    • R1 also permits agriculture, excluding raising livestock and poultry.

    minimum dwelling size: >= 1200 sq ft (one-family dwelling; living area on ground floor)

    “One-family dwellings of not less than 1,200 square feet of living area on the ground floor.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R1 Low Density Residential District.

    • Table 1 contains separate district and family-unit columns.

    minimum lot size: >= 12000 sq ft (R1; Table 1)

    “R-1 12,000 12,000 100 1,200 75 75 10 35 30% 30”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Single-width and double-width mobile homes in the R5 High Density Residential—Mobile Home District.
      “Minimum lot sizes; 5,000 square feet for each double width mobile home unit; 5,000 square feet for each single width mobile home unit.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-width and double-width mobile homes in the R5 High Density Residential—Mobile Home District.

    • Front lot lines must abut a paved or dirt street at least 16 feet wide duly dedicated to and accepted by the city.

    front setback: >= 15 ft (from front lot line) · side setback: >= 6 ft (from each side lot line) · rear setback: >= 10 ft (from rear lot line)

    “All single-width and double-width mobile homes shall have the following minimum set-backs from lot lines: a. 15 feet from front lot line; b. 6 feet from each side lot line; c. 10 feet from rear lot line.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Principal building in the R1 Low Density Residential District.

    maximum principal-building lot coverage: <= 30 percent (R1)

    “R-1 12,000 12,000 100 1,200 75 75 10 35 30% 30”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in the R1 Low Density Residential District.

    maximum building height: <= 35 ft (R1)

    “R-1 12,000 12,000 100 1,200 75 75 10 35 30% 30”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Storage and occupancy of a recreation vehicle, travel trailer, or camper on a residential lot inside McRae-Helena city limits.

    • One vehicle may be stored on a residential lot.
    • It must be located and unoccupied.
    “One (1) recreation vehicle, travel trailer, or camper, as defined in Article III Definition of Terms (58) of this Ordinance, may be stored on a residential lot provided it is located and unoccupied.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Manufactured-home placement or relocation inside McRae-Helena city limits when city sewage is unavailable.

    • A copy of the septic tank permit is required with the application only when city sewage is not obtainable.
    “IF CITY SEWAGE NOT OBTAINABLE A COPY OF SEPTIC TANK PERMIT IS REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications inside McRae-Helena city limits.

    • Submit a written application.
    • Include a surveyor's plat, proposed use, scaled plans, lot and building dimensions, and proposed water supply and sewage disposal where a formal site plan is required.
    • The Building Inspector may require additional information.
    • Plans must be furnished for review on all construction.
    “*PLANS MUST BE FURNISHED FOR REVIEW ON ALL CONSTRUCTION.*”

Rules another office applies inside McRae-Helena

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

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction inside McRae-Helena city limits under Georgia statewide mandatory minimum codes.

    • The cited state page says local governments must adopt administrative procedures to enforce mandatory codes.
    • The current code edition may change; DCA states current editions separately.
    “The mandatory codes are applicable to all construction whether or not they are locally enforced”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask McRae-Helena or Telfair County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemptions inside McRae-Helena city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside McRae-Helena city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside McRae-Helena city limits.
  • Septic inspection — On-site sewage inspection requirements inside McRae-Helena city limits.
  • Well permit — Private well permit requirements inside McRae-Helena city limits.
7 more unanswered
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 McRae-Helena publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Telfair County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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