Grady County, Georgia Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Grady County, building, electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, pool and manufactured home permits are issued by Grady County Code Enforcement at 250 North Broad Street, Cairo, led by Director and building official Brian Harrison. The septic approval, recorded deed and plat, 911 address application and building application must all be in hand before the County accepts an application, and house plan review can take 5 business days.

What requires a permit in Grady County?

The County code applies the state construction codes to building work in the unincorporated county, and Code Enforcement’s permit packet says each type of work must be submitted and approved before it starts:

The County’s Regulations for Specific Land Use add their own building permit and site plan requirement for regulated uses such as communication towers, extractive industries, shooting ranges, golf driving ranges, signs and billboards, livestock and poultry operations and solar farms. Owners must register those uses with Code Enforcement before starting them.

Who issues permits in Grady County?

Grady County Code Enforcement issues the permits required by the County building code, soil erosion, land development and land use regulations, reviews plans and plats, and assigns addresses. Brian Harrison is the Director and building official, with two inspectors on staff. The County’s building chapter covers the unincorporated county; inside Cairo, permits come from the City’s building inspector under the City code. The County’s published sources do not say who issues building permits in Whigham; Whigham City Hall is at 126 East Broad Avenue (229-762-4215).

Grady County permit forms

Code Enforcement publishes a separate form for each permit: Building (residential housing), Electrical, Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing, Roofing, Swimming Pool, Mobile Home Installation and Address Application, plus Contractor Registration and a Homeowner Affidavit. Permit fees follow the County’s schedule of fees adopted by the Board of Commissioners.

Any contractor doing building, gas, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sign or pool work, or installing manufactured homes, in the unincorporated county must get the permits from the County building official. State-licensed contractors register with the County by showing their current state licence and paying the registration fee; contractors whose trade has no state licence are licensed by the County after a competency exam.

Electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing and roofing permits

Each trade has its own County permit, and each must be submitted and approved by Code Enforcement before that work starts. When a contractor is hired, the contractor fills out the permits for their own work and must be registered with Grady County. When the homeowner does the work, a homeowner’s affidavit and subcontractor list are required, and the County asks homeowners to talk to the building official before starting.

Roofing contractors must give access for the required inspections of flashing, the shingle nailing pattern, the lathing screw pattern and any sheathing that is replaced or repaired.

What Grady County needs for a house permit

The first four items must be complete before Code Enforcement accepts a residential building permit application:

• Septic tank approval (new or existing) from the Environmental Health Department, in writing or as a copy of the septic permit
• Recorded deed and plat meeting County requirements
• A completed address application for 911 service
• The completed Residential Housing Permit Application, with heated and unheated square footage, foundation, roofing and exterior details

The County then needs the house plans for review, the energy code form, a site plan showing the new house, every other structure and the distances between them and to all property lines, and a utility locate (dig) number. House plan review can take 5 business days before the permit is issued.

How to get a Grady County building permit

Inspections and certificates of occupancy

The inspection record card issued with the permit must be kept in the construction box or posted at the job site, and the installer must give access for every mandatory inspection. Code Enforcement inspects manufactured homes placed in rental communities before they are set and connected to utilities.

For uses covered by the Regulations for Specific Land Use, no building, land or structure that needs a building permit may be used until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy. A manufactured home over 700 sq ft must carry a HUD insignia before it can get a certificate of occupancy.

Local Grady County rules

Manufactured homes: an occupied manufactured home in the unincorporated county must sit in a manufactured home rental community, a manufactured home subdivision or an approved rural manufactured home site, and accessory structures need their own building permit.

Travel trailers: a travel trailer on a lot in a residential subdivision cannot be used as a residence or rented out.

Tired Creek Lake: land in the Tired Creek Lake District has its own zoning classifications (R-1, R-2, RC and Commercial) under the County’s Lake District Ordinance.

Solar farms: a solar farm needs a surety bond of at least 10% of construction costs before construction, and the equipment must be removed within 150 days after operations stop.

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

Grady 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.

• Grady County — Land Use Regulations
• Grady County — Building Code Chapter
• Grady County — Code Enforcement
• Grady County residential building permit requirements and application
• Grady County Contractor Registration
• Grady County Homeowner Affidavit
• Grady County Code of Ordinances (Supplement 4, April 2025)
• Grady County Lake District Ordinance

Grady County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Grady County?

Grady County Code Enforcement, 250 North Broad Street, Cairo (229-377-8857), for the unincorporated county. Inside Cairo, the City issues its own permits. In Whigham, ask City Hall (229-762-4215) before applying.

What do I need before applying for a house permit?

Septic approval from Environmental Health, the recorded deed and plat, a 911 address application and the completed building application. The County will not accept the application without all four.

How long does plan review take?

House plan review may take 5 business days before the permit is issued.

Can I meet the building official without an appointment?

Yes, during walk-in hours from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Appointments are available from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Does my contractor need to register with the County?

Yes. Contractors must be registered with Grady County and fill out the permits for their own work. State-licensed contractors show proof of their licence and pay the registration fee.

Do I need a permit to re-roof?

Yes. Roofing needs its own permit approved by Code Enforcement before the work, and the roof is inspected for flashing, nailing pattern and any replaced sheathing.

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