Bryan County is split in two by Fort Stewart, and its Community Development Department runs from two offices to match — Pembroke in the north and Richmond Hill in the south. Payments and correspondence can go to either.
The county is precise about its codes: it adopted the 2024 International Building Code and 2024 International Residential Code, each with Georgia Amendments, on January 1, 2026, and every application after that date must show compliance.
Applies to unincorporated Bryan County. Richmond Hill — the largest city — and Pembroke, the county seat, each permit their own construction, with Richmond Hill running a separate portal and inspection line.
The fire fee comes before the application. For all new residential and commercial construction it must be paid prior to submitting the permit application, in person at either Tax Commissioner's office — it cannot be paid online.
What requires a permit in Bryan County?
Bryan County is split in two by Fort Stewart, and its Community Development Department runs from two offices to match: 51 North Courthouse Street in Pembroke in the north, and 66 Captain Matthew Freeman Drive, Suite 111, in Richmond Hill in the south. Payments and correspondence can go to either.
Bryan is a first-tier Georgia Coastal Management Program county — one of the six that front the ocean — with its southern half sitting in the Savannah metropolitan area and its northern half rural. That split shapes almost everything about working here, including which office you deal with.
The county is precise about its code adoption. Bryan County adopted the 2024 International Building Code and the 2024 International Residential Code, each with Georgia Amendments, on January 1, 2026, and all permit applications submitted after that date must show compliance with them. Georgia turned its codes over on January 1, 2026. The Board of Community Affairs, acting on the recommendation of the State Codes Advisory Committee, adopted the 2024 editions of the building, residential, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, and swimming pool and spa codes, together with the 2023 National Electrical Code carrying the 2026 Georgia Amendments. A project drawn to the previous editions is drawn to a superseded code, and the Georgia Amendments — not the base I-Code text — are what the plan reviewer reads.
Richmond Hill, the county's largest city, permits its own construction through its own portal and inspection line. Pembroke is the county seat. Confirm which authority applies from the parcel.
Permit required
- New residential and commercial construction, additions, and alterations
- Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and gas work
- Encroachment permits, applied for through the permit portal
- Land disturbance, with NPDES fees paid separately
- New construction requiring county water and sewer service
- Marsh, dock, and shoreline work — which also needs state coastal approval
- Any project subject to industrial pretreatment requirements
Typically exempt
- Painting, flooring, and other cosmetic work
- Ordinary repairs that do not touch structure or a regulated system
- Work inside Richmond Hill or Pembroke — permitted by that city
- Like-for-like replacements that do not alter a regulated system
Bryan County building department: who handles permitting
Submittals are digital, with construction plan drawings uploaded as PDFs and each application's required documents identified as you move through the portal. Staff review for completeness first; if the submittal is complete you receive a notice together with an invoice for the plan review fees.
That invoice carries a deadline that is easy to miss. Fees must be received within five business days or the review process will be placed on hold. The review does not fail, but it stops — and restarting it costs whatever time has passed.
Payment method depends on the fee. The department accepts credit card payments online and in person, but cannot accept card payment for impact fees, NPDES fees, or water and sewer tap fees. Those must be cash or cheque, paid in person or mailed to either office with the project number included.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Bryan County Community Development Department |
| Scope | Unincorporated Bryan County — Richmond Hill and Pembroke permit their own |
| North office | 51 North Courthouse Street, Pembroke, GA 31321 |
| South office | 66 Captain Matthew Freeman Drive, Suite 111, Richmond Hill, GA 31324 |
| Codes adopted | 2024 IBC and 2024 IRC with Georgia Amendments, from January 1, 2026 |
| Plan review invoice | Fees within five business days or review goes on hold |
| Card payments | Not accepted for impact, NPDES, or water and sewer tap fees |
| Coastal | First-tier GCMP county |
The Residential Energy Code Compliance Certificate has to be posted, not just filed. Bryan requires it to be posted on or near the electrical distribution panel or air handler, and the building inspector verifies the posting before a certificate of occupancy is issued. It is a physical check on site, and a certificate sitting in a folder does not satisfy it.
Bryan County is physically divided by Fort Stewart, with Pembroke to the north and Richmond Hill to the south, and the two Community Development offices are roughly forty minutes apart. Richmond Hill runs its own permitting through a separate portal with its own inspection line, so a Richmond Hill address does not establish that the county is the authority.
Bryan County permits: record types and what each covers
Bryan's records run through one portal but several payment routes, with fees attached at different stages. These are the records you will file:
Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures above the local size threshold | Full plan review against the 2024 IRC with Georgia Amendments, plus zoning | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural changes, layout changes, or added plumbing, mechanical, or electrical | Plan review scaled to scope; existing-building provisions apply only where locally adopted | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement, recover, and structural deck repair | Dry-in and deck inspection; plan review rarely required | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount arrays, with or without battery storage | Electrical review led, with structural review of the attachment | Flat or system-size based |
| Battery energy storage | Wall or floor-mounted storage added to a dwelling | Electrical review plus fire separation and location check | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, EV chargers, and rewiring | Trade review; filed as its own record under a Class I or Class II licence | Per-permit minimum or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and water heater replacement | Trade review under a Journeyman or Master licence | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts, new ductwork, and refrigeration | Trade review; conditioned air licence class keyed to system capacity | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Deck and porch | New decks, screened porches, and structural rebuilds | Footing and framing review against the residential code | Flat or valuation-based |
| Pool and spa | In-ground and above-ground pools, spas, barriers, and bonding | Structural, barrier, and electrical bonding review under the 2024 ISPSC | Valuation-based |
| Accessory structure | Sheds, detached garages, and carports above the local size threshold | Zoning first, then structural review where applicable | Flat or valuation-based |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a structure | Utility disconnect verification and asbestos notification | Flat |
| Land disturbance | Clearing, grading, and any disturbance above the local threshold | Erosion and sedimentation review on its own statutory clock | Per-acre or valuation-based |
| Engineering checklist | All new residential construction on an individual lot | Uploaded with the application, or the file is held from processing | No separate fee |
| Posted energy certificate | Residential construction reaching a certificate of occupancy | Posted at the panel or air handler; the inspector verifies it before the CO | No separate fee |
Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and multifamily buildings | Full multi-discipline review; sealed plans required | Valuation-based |
| Tenant build-out | Interior fit-ups and suite build-outs in an existing shell | Concurrent building, trade, and fire review | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural, envelope, or system changes to an existing building | Plan review scaled to scope; accessibility triggers attach | Valuation-based |
| Change of occupancy | Converting a building from one occupancy classification to another | Life-safety, accessibility, and zoning review | Valuation or flat |
| Shell building | A building permitted without a known tenant or use | Shell review only; no certificate of occupancy until a build-out closes | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Commercial roof covering replacement or recover | Structural check on added dead load; fire review where applicable | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Commercial rooftop, carport, and ground-mount arrays | Structural, electrical, and fire access review | Valuation or system-size based |
| Electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | Trade review; separate record from the building permit | Valuation or per-device |
| Plumbing | Supply, waste, vent, grease, and gas systems | Trade review; backflow and grease interceptor sign-offs attach | Valuation or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Rooftop units, ductwork, exhaust, and refrigeration | Trade review; energy compliance documented against the 2015 IECC | Valuation or per-unit |
| Fire protection | Sprinkler, standpipe, alarm, hood, and suppression systems | Fire review under the state Safety Fire Commissioner's adopted codes | Valuation or per-device |
| Sign | Wall, monument, and illuminated signage | Zoning review plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Land disturbance | Site clearing, grading, and stormwater installation | Erosion and sedimentation review as a Local Issuing Authority | Per-acre or valuation-based |
| Encroachment permit | Work encroaching on county right of way | Applied for through the permit portal with its own agreement | Set by the county |
| Industrial pretreatment permit | Where the City of Savannah determines pretreatment is required | A preliminary permit obtained from the City of Savannah | Set by Savannah |
Residential
- Single-discipline review in most cases
- Trade records filed separately under Chapter 14 licences regardless of job value
- State licence required once the work exceeds the statutory threshold, per project
- A private professional provider may be engaged to shorten the review path
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, trades, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans across every affected discipline
- Land-disturbance review runs on its own statutory clock under Title 12
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to any change of occupancy
Records you will actually see in Bryan County
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Building permit | New residential and commercial construction, additions, and alterations |
| Trade permits | Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and gas work |
| Encroachment permit | Applied for through the permit portal with its own agreement |
| Fire fee receipt | Paid in person at the Tax Commissioner before the application is submitted |
| Engineering checklist | Required for all new residential construction on an individual lot |
| Residential Energy Code Compliance Certificate | Posted on site and verified before the certificate of occupancy |
| Water and sewer service | Automatically triggered by the building permit application |
| Industrial pretreatment permit | Where the City of Savannah determines it is required |
Solar permits in Bryan County
Solar is filed as its own record across Georgia rather than as a line item on a building permit, and it is reviewed on two tracks at once: the electrical side (conductors, overcurrent protection, rapid shutdown, labelling, and the service or supply-side connection, all against the 2023 National Electrical Code with the 2026 Georgia Amendments) and the structural side (attachment detail, rail spacing, and whether the existing framing carries the added dead load).
Solar in unincorporated Bryan is filed through the portal as a PDF submittal from whichever office covers your half of the county. Watch the plan review invoice: fees are due within five business days or the review is placed on hold until they arrive.
The covenant question comes up on nearly every residential array, and Georgia answers it less generously than several neighbouring states. Georgia's Solar Power Free-Market Financing Act (O.C.G.A. § 44-3-113 and Title 46, Chapter 3, Article 8) makes third-party solar financing lawful and limits a property owners' association's ability to prohibit solar outright, but Georgia gives homeowners materially less protection than North Carolina or Florida do: an association retains real authority over placement and appearance, and a covenant restricting where panels may sit on the roof will usually stand. Read the covenants before designing the array, not after.
Utility interconnection runs on its own clock alongside the permit. Georgia Power and the state's electric membership corporations each set their own application, meter, and witness-test sequence, and permission to operate is not something the building department controls — plan for the two tracks to finish at different times.
Roofing permits in Bryan County
A roof covering replacement needs a permit across most of Georgia. The permit is usually quick, but it is not optional, and the inspection that matters happens before the covering goes on rather than after.
Because Georgia enforces a statewide minimum code, there is no state product-approval database to search and no approval number to cite on the application. The assembly has to comply with the adopted code and the manufacturer's listed installation instructions, and that pairing is what the inspector checks — which makes the manufacturer's instructions a document worth having on site.
Reroofs in unincorporated Bryan are county permits from either the Pembroke or Richmond Hill office. Inside Richmond Hill the city permits the work through its own portal, with inspection requests made 24 hours in advance.
Sequencing is where reroofs go wrong. The deck and dry-in condition has to be visible when the inspector arrives, so covering it first means opening it back up. Where a previous layer has been torn off, expect attention to deck fastening and to any sheathing replaced along the eaves.
Bryan County permit cost
Bryan's fee structure is staged, and each stage has its own rule. The fire fee comes first, paid in person at the Tax Commissioner's office before the permit application is even submitted. Then a plan review invoice follows the completeness check, payable within five business days or the review goes on hold.
Payment method is constrained at the top end. Credit cards work online and in person for most fees, but impact fees, NPDES fees, and water and sewer tap fees must be paid by cash or cheque — which on a new subdivision is the larger share of the money.
One saving is worth knowing. If your permit is for brand new construction and you will be requesting county water and sewer service, you no longer need a separate application — the Water and Sewer Department is automatically notified once you submit the building permit application.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Fire fee | Paid in person at the Tax Commissioner before submitting the application |
| Plan review invoice | Issued after the completeness check; payable within five business days |
| Impact, NPDES, water and sewer tap | Cash or cheque only — no card payment |
| Other fees | Credit card accepted online and in person |
| Water and sewer service | No separate application needed on new construction |
| Coastal permits | Charged by DNR Coastal Resources, not the county |
Want a precise number for a specific Bryan County project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Bryan County trade permits
Bryan attaches several documents to the front of the process rather than the end, and one of them will hold your application if it is missing.
The engineering checklist holds the file
The Engineering Department requires all new residential construction on an individual lot to complete a checklist, uploaded with the permit application. Failure to do so holds the application from processing until it is submitted.
Fire fee before submission
For all new residential and commercial construction, the fire fee is paid in person at the Pembroke or Richmond Hill Tax Commissioner's office before the application is submitted.
Post the energy certificate
The Residential Energy Code Compliance Certificate is posted on or near the electrical distribution panel or air handler, and the inspector verifies the posting before a certificate of occupancy is issued.
State licence still governs
Chapter 14 trade licences authorise the work regardless of job value, and the general contractor threshold sits at two thousand five hundred dollars per project.
Bryan County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Bryan County, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
Richmond Hill and Pembroke permit their own construction. For unincorporated Bryan, the county works from two Community Development offices — Pembroke in the north and Richmond Hill in the south, either side of Fort Stewart.
For all new residential and commercial construction, the fire fee must be paid before you submit the permit application, in person at either Tax Commissioner's office. It cannot be paid online.
All new residential construction on an individual lot requires the Engineering Department's checklist, uploaded with the permit application. Without it the application is held from processing.
The county adopted the 2024 International Building Code and the 2024 International Residential Code with Georgia Amendments on January 1, 2026, and all applications submitted after that date must show compliance.
Construction plan drawings are uploaded as PDFs, with required documents identified as you move through the portal. Once the submittal is deemed complete you receive a notice and a plan review invoice — pay within five business days or the review goes on hold.
Marsh and shore work needs a separate state coastal permit. At the end, post the Residential Energy Code Compliance Certificate on or near the electrical distribution panel or air handler, because the inspector verifies it before issuing the certificate of occupancy.
Inspections in Bryan County
Contractors and property owners should keep copies of all issued permits, approved plans, and inspection sign-off cards at the job site for the duration of construction. Final inspection requests are scheduled in advance, and the certificate of occupancy issues only after all required inspections pass.
The energy certificate is a physical, verified item rather than a filed one: posted on or near the electrical distribution panel or air handler, and checked by the building inspector before a certificate of occupancy is issued. On a handover with a closing date attached, that is worth confirming before the final is booked.
Sequence matters more here than anywhere else in Georgia permitting. A state coastal permit is a separate approval from the building permit and does not travel with it. A local building department can issue a building permit for a project that still needs marsh or shore clearance, and the stop-work that follows is the most common and most expensive coastal delay in the state. Application materials go to the Coastal Resources Division and to the Environmental Protection Division coastal office so the buffer question is settled, and most in-water work also needs the US Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District — three timelines that do not run together.
Keep the permit, approved plans, and inspection sign-off cards on site throughout, and post the energy compliance certificate where the inspector will look for it. a Georgia building permit generally becomes invalid if work does not begin within 180 days of issuance, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after commencing, under the administrative provisions of the adopted International Building and Residential Codes — local ordinance may set a different period, and extensions are usually available in writing on request.
Bryan County permit search and official resources
Bryan publishes its digital submittal requirements, code adoptions, and payment rules through Community Development and Engineering, with Richmond Hill publishing separately.
- Bryan County Building and Codes Division
- Digital permitting — Bryan County Community Development
- Submitting construction plans — Engineering and Inspections
- City of Richmond Hill building permits — separate authority
- DNR Coastal Resources Division — marsh and shore permits
- DCA — current Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Bryan County, GA?
The Bryan County Community Development Department, from two offices — 51 North Courthouse Street in Pembroke and 66 Captain Matthew Freeman Drive, Suite 111 in Richmond Hill. Richmond Hill and Pembroke permit their own construction inside their city limits.
Why does the county have two offices?
Because Fort Stewart divides the county physically. Pembroke serves the northern half and Richmond Hill the southern half, and payments or correspondence can go to either.
When do I pay the fire fee?
Before you submit your permit application. For all new residential and commercial construction the fire fee must be paid in person at either the Pembroke or Richmond Hill Tax Commissioner's office, and it cannot be paid online.
What happens after I submit plans?
Staff review for completeness. If the submittal is complete you receive a notice along with an invoice for the plan review fees. Those fees must be received within five business days or the review process is placed on hold.
Can I pay all fees by credit card?
No. Community Development accepts credit card payments online and in person for most fees, but cannot accept card payment for impact fees, NPDES fees, or water and sewer tap fees. Those must be paid by cash or cheque.
Do I need a separate water and sewer application?
Not for brand new construction. If your permit is for new residential or commercial construction and you will be requesting Bryan County water and sewer service, the Water and Sewer Department is automatically notified once you submit the building permit application.
What is the engineering checklist?
A form the Engineering Department requires for all new residential construction on an individual lot. It must be completed and uploaded with the permit application, and failure to do so holds the application from processing.
Which codes did Bryan County adopt for 2026?
The 2024 International Building Code with Georgia Amendments and the 2024 International Residential Code with Georgia Amendments, adopted on January 1, 2026. All permit applications submitted after that date must show compliance with them.
Where does the energy compliance certificate go?
Posted on or near the electrical distribution panel or air handler. The building inspector verifies the posting before a certificate of occupancy is issued, so it is a physical check rather than a filing requirement.
What should stay on the job site?
Copies of all issued permits, approved plans, and inspection sign-off cards, for the duration of construction. Final inspection requests are scheduled in advance and the certificate of occupancy issues only after all required inspections pass.
Is Bryan County a coastal permitting county?
Yes. Bryan is one of the eleven Georgia Coastal Management Program counties and one of the six first-tier counties that front the ocean, alongside Chatham, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn, and Camden.
When is a Georgia contractor licence required?
Once the value of the work, or the contractor's compensation, exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars, tested per project rather than per invoice. Trade licences under Title 43, Chapter 14 are required regardless of job value.
Simplify Bryan County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Bryan is a fast-growing coastal county running a staged process with a fee at each stage and a different payment rule for each: the fire fee before you apply, a plan review invoice with a five-day clock, and cash or cheque only on the largest fees. Add two offices forty minutes apart and a certificate that has to be physically posted before the CO, and sequencing is the whole job. A permit expediter for Bryan County runs the stages in order.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21 years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Bryan County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- Right authority and right office — unincorporated county from Pembroke or Richmond Hill, or one of the two cities, resolved from the parcel.
- Fees staged correctly — fire fee before submission, plan review invoice inside five business days, and cash or cheque ready for impact and tap fees.
- Complete oversight — every Bryan permit, coastal approval, and inspection tracked across your jobs in one place.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and expediting service. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, and we are not the permitting authority.
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More Georgia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bryan County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.