Franklin County’s Building Department, part of Planning & Zoning at 141 Athens Street in Carnesville, issues and tracks permits, reviews plans and inspects homes and commercial buildings. Applications are filed online in the County’s SmartGov portal, and once a complete application is in, most building permits are issued within 5 business days.
What requires a permit in Franklin County?
The County’s answers say a building permit is needed before building, erecting or moving any building or structure of 150 square feet or more, or adding 150 square feet or more to a building. The online portal has separate applications for each permit type.
Permit needed
- New homes and additions
- Residential accessory structures, with or without utilities
- Residential alterations and repairs
- Manufactured homes
- Residential swimming pools
- Electrical, HVAC and plumbing work
- Roof work with structural changes
No permit
- Fences
- Re-roofing without structural changes
- Driveways onto county roads (a GDOT permit is needed onto a state highway)
Who issues permits in Franklin County?
The Building Department sits within the County’s Planning & Zoning Department, which is led by Director Jared Hightower and also handles zoning, plats, variances and site plan reviews. Its building inspection staff also enforce erosion and sediment controls on new developments. Lavonia and Royston have their own building officials under their city codes.
- Franklin Springs: the City’s zoning ordinance requires a City zoning permit before any building is placed, built, moved, added to or structurally altered at a cost over $1,000, but it does not say who issues the building permit; City Hall is at 2531 West Main Street (706-245-6957).
- Canon and Martin: the County’s published sources do not say who issues building permits in these towns; contact the town hall before applying (Canon City Hall: 706-245-8155).
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Office | 141 Athens Street, Carnesville, GA 30521 |
| Phone | 706-384-2483 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Apply | SmartGov online portal |
| Planning & Zoning Director | Jared Hightower |
Applying in the SmartGov portal
All permit applications are submitted electronically. The County’s instructions walk through the portal:
- Sign up at the top right of the portal, leave the portal before verifying your email, then log back in.
- Choose My Portal, then Apply Online, then Building Safety and Construction, and pick the permit.
- Enter the street address; if it will not match, enter the parcel number, adding spaces between its parts until the parcel appears.
- Work through each tab on the project page, then use Submit Application once the green bar shows it is ready.
- Keep the reference or permit number shown on the project page for any follow-up.
Contractors fill in the County’s Contractor’s Registration Form to be added to the permitting software, and an office appointment can be requested online. Every building or manufactured home application needs copies of the state licence and occupational licence of the general contractor and subcontractors; where the homeowner does the trade work, a Homeowner Affidavit goes with the application.
Permit fees in Franklin County
The Building Fee Schedule linked from the County’s Applications & Fees page charges new homes by floor area and commercial work by valuation. The linked file is titled as a draft resolution, so confirm the current figures with the County before you budget. Fees are paid before the permit is issued.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential permit | $0.20 per sq ft heated, $0.10 per sq ft unheated |
| New single-family plan review | No fee |
| Commercial or industrial permit | $100 minimum; $15 for the first $1,000 plus $5 per additional $1,000 up to $50,000, stepping down to $2 per $1,000 above $500,000 |
| Commercial plan review | An additional 50% of the permit fee |
| Trade permits | From the permit fee table, $100 minimum |
| Accessory structure (setback inspection only) | $250; $350 with an electrical permit |
| Manufactured home | $100 plus the electrical permit |
| Pool | $100 above-ground or $250 in-ground, plus the electrical permit |
| Certificate of Occupancy, new single-family home | $50 |
| Re-inspection | $75 per added trip |
| Permit extension | $100 per 3 months |
| Inspection outside business hours | $125 per hour, $250 minimum |
| Work started without a permit | 200% of the permit fee |
A new 2,000 sq ft house with a 500 sq ft unheated garage therefore pays $450 in building permit fees, plus trade permits and the Certificate of Occupancy.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits
Electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits are separate applications in the portal, each under Building Safety and Construction. Each needs the contractor’s state licence card, or a homeowner’s affidavit if the owner is doing the work for personal use; the affidavit cannot be used for rental, development or commercial property. A pool permit also needs the electrician’s licence.
Documents for a Franklin County building permit
The County’s permit checklist for a new home or addition:
- Deed and recorded plat
- Construction drawings
- House location plan: a scaled lot drawing with the footprint of the new structure and every other structure, showing setbacks, building limitations and erosion and sediment controls
- Septic permit
- State licence card, or the homeowner’s affidavit if self-contracting for personal use
- If more than 1 acre is graded: the grader’s GSWCC blue card (or homeowner’s affidavit) and a Notice of Intent from Georgia EPD
Manufactured homes need the title (for a pre-owned home) and HUD labels, plat, deed, site plan, installer and electrician licences and, for a new home, the PT-41 bill of sale. A pre-owned home needs an inspection request first, and its footers must be inspected before the home is moved.
How to get a Franklin County building permit
Make sure the use fits the Unified Development Code zoning district; rezonings, variances and conditional uses go to the Planning Commission.
The checklist needs the septic permit for a new home or addition.
Draw the scaled house location plan and collect the contractors’ licences or the homeowner’s affidavit.
Register, then apply under Building Safety and Construction and upload the documents.
Most permits are issued within 5 business days once the application is complete, depending on volume.
For permit number 2023-100 and later, every inspection is booked online.
Rather not deal with the Franklin County building department?
Get a free quote →Franklin County inspections
Inspections for permit number 2023-100 and later must be scheduled in the online portal. For older permits, requests go by email to inspectionsga@bureauveritas.com with the permit number, site location, the inspection wanted (for example footers, rough plumbing or manufactured home setup), a contact and any gate code or directions.
Emailed requests are handled first come, first served and are usually scheduled for 1 to 2 business days after they arrive. A request sent after 2 p.m. may not be received until the next business day, and one sent after 2 p.m. on a Friday is usually inspected on Tuesday at the earliest.
Local Franklin County rules
Zoning: the Unified Development Code adopted on August 1, 2022, with its zoning map approved on September 19, 2022, replaced the 2005 zoning regulations. It was amended on March 4, 2024 and March 3, 2025.
Planning Commission: meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the Franklin County Justice Center, 7085 Highway 145, Carnesville.
RVs: an RV cannot be a permanent residence in any zoning district, but an owner may live in one while a permitted home is being built.
Grading: County inspectors enforce erosion and sediment controls on new development, and grading over 1 acre needs a certified grader and an EPD Notice of Intent.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Franklin County permit search and official resources
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- Franklin County — Building Permit FAQ
- Franklin County — Permit Checklist
- Franklin County — Building Permit Applications
- Franklin County — Building Department
- Franklin County SmartGov permit portal
- Franklin County Building Permit Instructions
- Franklin County Schedule an Inspection
- Franklin County Planning & Zoning Applications & Fees
- Franklin County Planning & Zoning and Unified Development Code
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Franklin County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Franklin County?
The Franklin County Building Department, part of Planning & Zoning at 141 Athens Street, Carnesville (706-384-2483). Applications are filed in the County’s SmartGov portal.
How long does it take to get a building permit?
Most building permits are issued within 5 business days after a complete application is submitted, though times vary with volume.
Do I need a permit for a shed or small building?
A permit is needed for any building or structure of 150 square feet or more, and for additions of 150 square feet or more.
Do I need a permit for a fence or a new roof?
Not for a fence. A roof replacement needs a permit only when it involves structural changes.
Can a homeowner do their own electrical or plumbing work?
A homeowner doing the work for personal use files a Homeowner Affidavit with the application. It cannot be used for rental, development or commercial properties.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Through the online portal for permit number 2023-100 and later. Older permits are scheduled by email to inspectionsga@bureauveritas.com.
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More Georgia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Franklin County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.