Charlton County, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Charlton County’s Permitting Office in the County Annex on Kingsland Drive, Folkston, issues building, trade, mobile home and land disturbance permits, and the County Building Inspector carries out the inspections. You apply with the County’s paper application packet; any construction project over 150 square feet needs a permit, a new single-family home is a flat $1,090, and inspections requested by phone are scheduled for the next day.

What requires a permit in Charlton County?

The County requires a building permit for any construction project over 150 square feet. If work starts or is finished without one, the permit still has to be bought and the fee is doubled. The County fee schedule lists these permits:

Who handles permitting in Charlton County?

The Permitting Office handles building permits, mobile home move-on permits, land disturbance permits, 911 addressing and code enforcement, and the County Building Inspector inspects permitted work and used mobile homes. The same officer enforces the property maintenance and existing building codes.

The County’s permit pages do not mention the cities of Folkston and Homeland, and the City of Folkston’s website lists no building permit service.

Charlton County permit packets and contractor rules

There is no online portal. The Permitting Office publishes three application documents: the Building Permit Application Packet, the Mobile Home Move-On Permit Application Packet and the Land Disturbance Permit Application.

• Licensed contractors: the application asks for the Georgia licence number of the general contractor, plumber, HVAC contractor, electrician and low-voltage contractor. All electrical, mechanical and plumbing work must be done by a contractor licensed by the Georgia Secretary of State, and commercial work by a commercial general contractor.
• Homeowner Acting as Contractor Agreement: a homeowner may pull a permit to build their own home once every 2 years. The owner agrees to live in the house for at least 2 years after the Certificate of Occupancy, to hire licensed contractors for electrical, plumbing and conditioned-air work, and to follow the inspection sequence.
• Trade permits for homeowners: a homeowner may not pull electrical, plumbing or gas permits, and may pull a mechanical permit only for a packaged (self-contained) heating and air unit.
• Code Summary Acknowledgement: completed when the plans’ cover page does not state the codes followed.

Permit costs and fees in Charlton County

Most residential permits are flat fees, while commercial buildings are charged per square foot. Figures are from the Charlton County Permit Fee Schedule, updated July 2024.

Work started or finished without a permit pays double the permit fee.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

The Permitting Office issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for work in Charlton County. Each one not related to new construction is a flat $50. On a new home, the trade contractors are named, with their Georgia licence numbers, on the building permit application.

Every electrical, mechanical and plumbing job must be done by a state-licensed contractor; the County says there are no exceptions, and a homeowner can pull only a mechanical permit for a packaged heating and air unit. For a mobile home set-up, the installer and the electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors each sign a contractor agreement for the move-on packet; the plumbing agreement is used when a licensed plumber connects the home to the City of Folkston water system.

Application documents

How to apply: 6-step Charlton County process

Inspections and closeout

Request inspections by calling the Permitting Office at 912-496-3826; every request is scheduled for the next day. Inspections must be done in the established sequence, work that breaks the code must be corrected or may be ordered removed, and each re-inspection after a failed inspection costs $50.

A mobile home set-up has three inspections, which only the permit applicant may book, at least 24 hours ahead:

• Inspection 1: setbacks, with the distances to property lines clearly marked.
• Inspection 2: anchoring and installation, exposed water and sewer or septic connections, the meter pole, the mechanical system, the posted state installation permit, and two sets of steps with rails and at least a 3 ft by 3 ft landing. Skirting goes on only after this inspection passes, and power is then authorized.
• Inspection 3: the 911 address posted on the home and at the street, the skirting and a walk-through.

The set-up must be finished within 60 days, or a new permit must be bought at full price, and the home may not be occupied until the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.

Local Charlton County details

Used mobile homes: a used mobile home may be moved within or into the County only after a County Building Inspector has inspected and approved it. The pre-inspection is $100, plus $0.50 per mile when the home is outside Charlton County, and only a state-licensed installer may set it up.

Land disturbance: clearing more than 1 acre needs a County land disturbance permit; the County’s “Do I need an LDA permit?” sheet also looks at whether a structure will be built and whether the site is in a subdivision or within 200 feet of state waters.

Flood zones: a building permit in a flood zone needs an elevation certificate.

911 addresses: the Permitting Office assigns addresses for $30. Numbers should be at least 4 inches high and in a contrasting color, with a second set at the mailbox or driveway when the door is more than 50 feet from the street.

Georgia building code

Georgia's State Minimum Standard Codes apply statewide: the 2024 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, with Georgia Amendments, in force since 1 January 2026; the energy code is still the 2015 IECC with Georgia supplements. The Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes

Charlton County permit search and official resources

• Georgia DCA — Current State Minimum Codes
• Charlton County — Permit Fee Schedule
• Charlton County — Code Enforcement / Building Inspection
• Charlton County — Permitting / 911 Addressing
• Charlton County — Building Permits & Code Enforcement
• Charlton County Building Permit Application Packet
• Charlton County Mobile Home Move-On Permit Application Packet
• Charlton County: Do I need an LDA permit?

Charlton County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Charlton County?

The Charlton County Permitting Office at 68 Kingsland Drive, Suite C, Folkston (912-496-3826). The County Building Inspector inspects the work.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Charlton County?

A flat $1,090 for a single-family home under the July 2024 fee schedule. A renovation is $545 and an addition, deck or porch $200.

What size project needs a permit?

Any construction project over 150 square feet. Starting without a permit doubles the fee.

Do I need a permit for a new roof or a shed in Charlton County?

Yes. A metal or shingle roof repair is a $50 permit, and an outbuilding over 150 square feet is $225.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Charlton County?

Yes, to build their own home once every 2 years, by signing the Homeowner Acting as Contractor Agreement. Homeowners cannot pull electrical, plumbing or gas permits.

How fast are inspections scheduled?

Requests made by phone to 912-496-3826 are scheduled for the next day. A failed inspection costs $50 to re-inspect.

Can I set up a mobile home myself?

No. Georgia law requires a state-licensed installer, and the County inspects the set-up three times before issuing a Certificate of Occupancy.

Simplify Charlton County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Georgia. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Charlton County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.