Chatham County Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Chatham County Building Safety and Regulatory Services administers permits, inspections, tax certificates, property-maintenance enforcement, and county zoning resources. This guide is for county service areas; the City of Savannah has its own Development Services Department and eTRAC system for work inside Savannah city limits, so confirm the jurisdiction before submitting an application.

Chatham County building permits and EnerGov

The county says a permit is required for most major structural changes, including new structures, additions, renovations, occupancy-class changes, structural alterations, demolition, roofing, signs, parking lots, and many electrical, plumbing, and mechanical projects. Permit applications and supporting documents are listed on the Building Safety forms page. Chatham County’s official permit-search link opens the EnerGov self-service portal.

Inspections, zoning, and occupancy changes

Review the county’s inspection requirements with the permit application and keep the approved plans, permit documentation, and required trade approvals available for inspection. Chatham County zoning forms cover rezoning, zoning-text amendments, special uses, site plans, subdivisions, wireless facilities, and zoning-board appeals. A change in construction or occupancy class can trigger a permit review before the space is used.

Official contact information

Building Safety and Regulatory Services lists 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite D, Savannah, Georgia 31406, with mailing address P.O. Box 8161, Savannah, Georgia 31412, and phone (912) 201-4300. Applications are accepted at the office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; use the EnerGov portal for online permit searches and account-based services.