Chattooga County, Georgia Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Chattooga County, the County Codes Department issues land disturbance permits for building sites and the permits for manufactured, modular and tiny homes, signs, commercial poultry operations and large subdivision, multi-family and commercial developments. Applications are downloadable PDFs, and the office is reached by call or text at 706-578-0672. The County does not publish a building or trade permit for site-built homes; Summerville and Trion have their own building inspectors.

What requires a County permit in Chattooga County?

The County Codes Department lists these permits and approvals for unincorporated Chattooga County:

Recreational vehicles cannot be used as permanent homes. An RV may be lived in for up to 30 days a calendar year, or for up to 12 months under an emergency permit when a permanent home has been destroyed.

Who handles permitting in Chattooga County?

The County Codes Department enforces the County’s ordinances in the unincorporated area: it issues land disturbance permits for building projects, oversees permitting for manufactured homes, business developments and large subdivisions, and inspects manufactured, modular and tiny homes before they can be occupied. The County says to call if an email gets no reply, because of spam filters.

The City of Summerville has its own Code Enforcement and Building Inspector and publishes a Permit Information Booklet, and the Town of Trion has its own Building Inspector, so property inside those limits is permitted by the city or town.

The joint comprehensive plan notes that Lyerly and Menlo, like the County, have no zoning and rely on building codes and subdivision regulations, but no published source says who issues building permits in either town. Contact the town hall before applying (Lyerly Town Hall, 706-895-2611).

Chattooga County applications

There is no online portal. The County Codes page posts each ordinance with its application as a PDF:

• Mobile Home / Manufactured Home / Tiny Home permit (2025 fillable form): covers manufactured, modular and tiny homes, with a transportation section that Code Enforcement signs before the home is moved, and a Certificate of Occupancy section signed after inspection.
• Commercial Poultry House/Yard, Processing Plant permit: asks for site and erosion plans, plats, the tax map, the acres disturbed, the number of houses and confirmation that the County’s poultry setbacks are met.
• Sign permit: filed with the Building Inspector on the County’s forms; a complete application with its fee is processed within 10 business days.
• Large subdivision, multi-family and commercial developments: reviewed under the 2024 development ordinance, with non-refundable application fees set by the County Commissioner.

The County does not post a fee schedule; its manufactured home ordinance leaves the permit and Certificate of Occupancy fees to the Commissioner.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work

The County Codes Department does not publish electrical, plumbing, mechanical or gas permits or fees for unincorporated Chattooga County. Its manufactured home application records whether sewage disposal and water supply are public or private, and a private septic system needs Chattooga County Health Department approval.

Inside Summerville or Trion, trade work goes through that city’s building inspector.

What a manufactured or tiny home application needs

• A site plan
• Septic approval from the Health Department, where the home uses a private system
• Proof that ad valorem taxes are paid
• A floor plan
• The home’s width, length, square footage, siding, roof, foundation and skirting, manufacturing date, VIN or serial number, make, model and number of sections
• For a tiny home: confirmation that it meets Appendix Q of the 2018 International Residential Code, has no more than 400 sq ft of living space, and that any storage building is no larger than 120 sq ft and matches the home

Manufactured homes must carry a HUD certification label (built after 1976), sit on a permanent foundation with wheels, axles and hitch removed, and have skirting. The County’s ordinance also requires percolation tests or soil data from a registered soil scientist where the lot is not on public sewer.

How to apply: 5-step Chattooga County process

Inspections and occupancy

For manufactured, modular and tiny homes, every permit is treated as pending until the home has been inspected. When the home is on the property and in full working order, call the office of Code Enforcement at 706-578-0672 to request the inspection. The inspector records whether the home is approved for occupancy, and no home may be lived in until the Certificate of Occupancy is issued. If occupancy is denied, the home must be removed immediately at the owner’s expense.

For large developments, storm drain piping and structures are inspected before backfilling, with at least 24 hours’ notice.

Local Chattooga County rules

Lot sizes for manufactured homes: at least 0.5 acre with public water and public sewer, and at least 1 acre with a private septic system. A septic tank is not allowed where public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting right-of-way.

Flood plain: manufactured, mobile and tiny homes cannot be permitted in the 100-year flood plain.

Second home on a lot: two manufactured homes, or a manufactured home and another house, may share a lot only if the lot is over 1 acre, the permit holder is related to the owner within the fourth degree, and the homes stay 150 feet apart.

Signs: County-regulated signs may be no taller than 20 feet, no larger than 150 sq ft, at least 30 feet from a road right-of-way and at least 2,500 feet from another sign on the same side of the road.

Multi-family: a multi-family development needs written approval from the planning commission, and its buildings must be set back at least 50 feet from every property line and right-of-way.

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

Chattooga County permit search and official resources

• Chattooga County — Official Website
• Chattooga County — County Codes Department
• Chattooga County manufactured, modular and tiny home permit guide and application
• Chattooga County 2021 manufactured home, RV and tiny home ordinance
• Chattooga County 2024 large subdivision, multi-family and commercial developments ordinance
• Chattooga County sign construction ordinance
• City of Summerville Planning, Zoning & Code Enforcement
• Town of Trion Building Inspector

Chattooga County permit FAQs

Who issues permits in Chattooga County?

The Chattooga County Codes Department, for unincorporated land (706-578-0672). Summerville and Trion have their own building inspectors; for Lyerly or Menlo, ask the town hall first.

Does Chattooga County issue building permits for new houses?

The County publishes a land disturbance permit for building sites and permits for manufactured, modular and tiny homes, but no building or trade permit for site-built houses.

Do I need a permit to put a mobile home on my land?

Yes. A manufactured or mobile home needs a County permit before it is moved in, and it cannot be lived in until it passes inspection and gets a Certificate of Occupancy.

Can I live in an RV on my property in Chattooga County?

Not permanently. An RV may be occupied for up to 30 days a calendar year, or up to 12 months under an emergency permit after a home is destroyed.

How big can a tiny home be?

No more than 400 sq ft of living space, excluding lofts and porches, built to Appendix Q of the 2018 International Residential Code.

Can I place a manufactured home in a flood plain?

No. The County will not permit a manufactured, mobile or tiny home in the 100-year flood plain.

Simplify Chattooga 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 Chattooga County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.