Decatur County, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Building permits in unincorporated Decatur County come from the shared Bainbridge-Decatur County Building Department, which also permits the City of Bainbridge. Contractors and homeowners apply, upload PDF plans, pay and request inspections on the City of Bainbridge’s SmartGov Online Permit Portal, and contractors must register there before pulling a permit. Under the County’s 2022 Unified Development Ordinance, the signed building permit becomes the Certificate of Occupancy.

What requires a permit in Decatur County?

Section 7.08.01 of the Unified Development Ordinance requires a building permit from the Building Official before anyone:

• Excavates or fills a lot to build
• Erects, moves, extends or enlarges a building
• Does work on an existing building that increases its assessed value by $500 or more
• Installs a manufactured home or industrialized building

No electricity, water or sewer hook-up is made available to a new construction site until a building permit has been secured.

Who handles permitting in Decatur County?

The County’s Building and Planning department has divisions for planning, zoning, and building permitting and inspection. The Building Permitting & Inspection Division reviews building plans and enforces the building code along with the County’s manufactured home and travel trailer, multi-family housing, construction, flood damage prevention and telecommunication tower rules. Every construction-related permit is issued from this department.

The department is shared with the City of Bainbridge, so the same Building Official, office and portal handle a project whether the property is in Bainbridge or in unincorporated Decatur County. The City links to the County qPublic parcel search so you can check which side of the line a property is on.

The County’s Unified Development Ordinance applies only to unincorporated land, and the published sources do not say who issues building permits in Attapulgus, Brinson or Climax. Contact the town hall before applying (Climax City Hall, 105 Drane Street, 229-246-0467).

The Online Permit Portal and contractor rules

After registering on the SmartGov Online Permit Portal, applicants can apply for building and planning or zoning permits, upload PDF drawings and documents, pay, request inspections, look up pending applications, issued permits and inspection results, and review parcel information.

• Contractor registration: every contractor must complete the Contractor’s Registration on the portal before pulling a permit.
• Occupational Tax Certificate: contractors need one to pull a permit, and contractors in state-licensed trades must show proof of their licence before the permit is issued.
• Homeowners: the permit may be applied for by the landowner or by the contractor. A homeowner pulling their own permit must be homestead exempt on the property, which can be checked on the County qPublic site.

The County does not post its permit fee schedule online; fees are set by the Board of Commissioners and paid through the portal.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

Electrical, low-voltage electrical, plumbing, mechanical (HVAC) and sprinkler installation work each need their own permit from the Building Department, applied for on the same portal. Each trade contractor needs an Occupational Tax Certificate and proof of the state licence the work requires.

Where the County has implemented its structure-numbering rules, no building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit is issued until the owner or builder has an official structure number from the Planning Director.

Application documents and review

• The permit application for the type of work, completed on the portal
• PDF drawings and any supporting documents the Building Official asks for
• Decatur County Health Department approval of the water supply and sewage disposal, unless the site is on public water and sewer and the Health Department waives it
• Contractor registration, Occupational Tax Certificate and state licence, or proof of homestead exemption for an owner-builder

The Health Department approves or rejects the water and sewer plans within 30 days of receiving them from the Building Official, and may require a larger lot than the ordinance does. If the Building Official will not issue a permit, the applicant is told within 10 days, with reasons in writing on request.

How to apply: 6-step Decatur County process

Inspections and the Certificate of Occupancy

Inspections are requested and their results checked on the Online Permit Portal. The Building Official explains the procedure and timing of inspections for each job when the permit is issued.

A building may not be occupied or used until it has a Certificate of Occupancy. In Decatur County, the building permit itself becomes the certificate when the Building Official signs it, certifying that the ordinance requirements have been met. The Building Official issues it within 10 days of receiving the permit with the required certifications, or gives the reasons for refusal within 10 days.

Local Decatur County rules

Manufactured homes: a manufactured home needs an installation permit, and mobile homes built before June 15, 1976 are not allowed in the unincorporated county. Each home must have its wheels, axles and hitch removed, full skirting within 30 days of the final inspection, wood, hardboard or vinyl siding, a pitched shingle, shake or tile roof with at least a 4-in-12 slope, eaves of at least 6 inches, shutters and one more architectural feature, and a 3 ft by 3 ft porch or deck facing the street. It needs an unshared yard of at least 5,000 sq ft and must be at least 15 feet from the neighboring property line.

Pre-owned manufactured homes: a relocation permit needs a signed affidavit that the home meets the County’s health and safety standards, interior and exterior photographs, and the permit and inspection fee, which covers the first inspection and one follow-up. The home is inspected on the permitted site before installation.

Planning Commission: the seven-member Bainbridge-Decatur County Planning Commission reviews zoning cases, subdivision plats and variance requests.

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

Decatur County permit search and official resources

• Decatur County — Land Development & Construction Regulations
• Decatur County — Building and Planning
• Bainbridge-Decatur County Online Permit Portal (SmartGov)
• City of Bainbridge Building Department
• Decatur County Unified Development Ordinance (2022)

Decatur County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Decatur County?

The Bainbridge-Decatur County Building Department, shared by the County and the City of Bainbridge. Keith Pollock is the Building Official. For Attapulgus, Brinson or Climax, check with the town hall first.

Can I apply for a Decatur County permit online?

Yes. Applications, PDF plans, payments and inspection requests go through the SmartGov Online Permit Portal, which serves both Bainbridge and Decatur County.

Do I need a permit to remodel?

Yes, if the work increases the building’s assessed value by $500 or more, or extends or enlarges it. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work need their own permits.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Decatur County?

Yes. The landowner may apply, but a homeowner pulling their own permit must be homestead exempt on the property.

How do I get a Certificate of Occupancy?

When the work is approved, the Building Official signs the building permit, which then serves as the Certificate of Occupancy, within 10 days of receiving it with the required certifications.

Can I bring an older mobile home into Decatur County?

Not one built before June 15, 1976. A newer pre-owned home needs a relocation permit, photographs and an inspection before installation.

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