Chatham County building department

Chatham County Building Safety and Regulatory Services issues building and trade permits, performs inspections, and handles zoning administration, property maintenance, and business/occupational tax for unincorporated Chatham County. Work inside the City of Savannah goes through Savannah’s Development Services Department instead. The county’s quick test: look up the parcel identification number (PIN) with the Tax Assessor’s Office at (912) 652-7271. If the PIN begins with 1, the property is under county jurisdiction.

When a county permit is required

The county’s “When are Building Permits Required” list is broader than many homeowners expect. A permit is required for:

• New structures, including garages, carports, attached porches, sun decks, room additions, accessory and storage buildings, and tool sheds
• Renovations, including door and window replacements
• Installing, removing, or cutting any structural beam, joist, or bearing support; foundation and footing repair; underpinning or shoring
• Converting a basement, attic, or other non-habitable space to living space, and partitioning existing habitable space
• Swimming pools with structural work or a permanent water-circulating system
• Fences, canopies, and awnings
• Retaining walls over 18 inches high. These, along with all excavations and any fill that permanently changes grade along a property line, also need County Engineering review.
• Demolition, re-roofing, roof or freestanding antennas, exterior stairs, steps, and ramps
• Signs (except as provided in Section 7-17 of the county zoning ordinance), above- or underground storage tanks, and parking lots
• All electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work, unless the Director of Inspections waives it

After a storm

The county’s post-storm procedure lists work that needs no permit: boarding up windows, tarping a roof, replacing up to 50% of roof shingles or exterior cladding, non-structural repair, and yard clean-up. Accessory-building repair, window replacement, trade repairs, and demolition need a permit but no drawings. New structures and repairs or replacement of structural damage need drawings. Commercial drawings must carry a Georgia architect’s or engineer’s seal.

How to apply

The county’s “Applying for a Permit” sheet says applications and payments are taken in person only, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite D. Applications are not accepted by fax or email. Review takes about three weeks. Each project type has its own application form, and the county lists more than 30 of them, from fences, roofing, and storage buildings to docks and bulkheads, PODs, tents, signs, and wells. Under House Bill 493, the county uses a completeness checklist and affidavit. Incomplete submittals are returned and are not accepted into review.

A new residential or commercial construction application must include:

• Two site plans (no larger than 11 by 17 inches), separate from the construction drawings
• Two sets of construction drawings, each with a typical wall section
• Two copies of REScheck (residential) or COMcheck (commercial). The county requires the 2015 or newer forms.
• A subcontractor list with signatures, plus current State of Georgia and local business licenses for the general contractor and every subcontractor, or a Homeowner Affidavit
• Any other approvals that apply: Environmental Health (septic), Public Works, Engineering (flood zone or land development), and MPC approval for commercial buildings zoned PUD

Fence and storage-building (shed, workshop, greenhouse, pergola, tent) applications also require two site plans and two sets of drawings.

Approvals from other offices

Situation	Approval needed	Contact
Lot has, or will have, a septic tank	Environmental Health, Georgia Dept. of Public Health	(912) 356-2160, 1395 Eisenhower Dr.
Project in a flood zone (AE or VE)	Floodplain approval, Chatham County Engineering	(912) 652-7800, [email protected]
Clearing, grading, or digging	Engineering “Land Disturbing Activity Permit” and erosion control, before work starts	County Engineering

Homeowner permits and contractor licensing

An owner may pull a permit to do the work personally only if the property is a single-family dwelling that is, or will be, the owner’s primary residence. The owner must sign a notarized Homeowner Affidavit, and notary service is available at the office. Homeowner permits are not available for pools or deep wells. In the affidavit, the owner acknowledges that hiring anyone other than a licensed contractor to help is a violation of state law.

For contractors, the county requires a state license for plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work that needs a permit. Since July 1, 2008, residential and commercial general contractors doing permitted work must also hold a state license. Every contractor and subcontractor must also hold a Chatham County Occupational Tax Certificate. Changing subcontractors after a permit is issued requires the Subcontractor Change Form.

Inspections

The county’s Inspection Requirements sheet lists the minimum inspection sequence. Each inspection must pass before the work it covers is concealed:

1. Zoning setbacks. The owner or contractor must string all four sides of the lot, and the string stays up until the slab or footing passes.
2. Under-slab rough-ins, then footing, foundation, slab, or bond beam, before any concrete is placed.
3. Subfloor, before framing. In a flood zone, the Under Construction Elevation Certificate is due at this stage.
4. Sewer, then electrical, plumbing top-out, and gas and HVAC rough-ins.
5. Framing, which includes hydrostatic vents and breakaway walls in flood zones and wind connections rated for 90 to 120 mph depending on location. Next come the nail pattern (15/32-inch sheathing with #8 ring-shank nails, 3 inches on center at edges and 12 inches in the field) and insulation.
6. Trade finals, building final, then the Certificate of Occupancy.

Stamped, approved county drawings must be on site. Proof of termite soil treatment is required. Engineering must approve site improvements before the Certificate of Occupancy and electrical power release.

Adopted codes

The department’s site lists the 2018 IBC, IRC, IFC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, and ISPSC, the 2015 IECC, and the 2020 NEC as in effect since January 1, 2021. Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs has adopted the 2024 I-codes and Georgia amendments to the 2023 NEC as the state minimum codes, effective January 1, 2027.