Harris County, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Harris County Community Development, at 125 Barnes Mill Road in Hamilton, reviews plans and issues building, trade and land disturbance permits for the unincorporated county, and its inspectors also cover Hamilton, Pine Mountain and Waverly Hall under intergovernmental agreements. Under the fee schedule in effect since July 1, 2026, a new home costs $0.35 per heated square foot, with plumbing, electrical, mechanical and gas included.

What requires a permit in Harris County?

Community Development publishes a requirements sheet for each common residential job and prices each permit type in its fee schedule. Some small structures are exempt by size.

Exempt accessory and farm buildings still need separate plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits if that work is done. Commercial accessory structures need a permit at any size.

Who handles permitting in Harris County?

Community Development reviews plans for code compliance, issues building, land disturbance and occupational tax permits, enforces the state building codes and County zoning, and runs the zoning and variance process for the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Adjustments.

Cities: under intergovernmental agreements described in the County’s FY2026 budget, Community Development provides building inspections, code enforcement, planning and zoning, and soil and erosion services for Pine Mountain; building inspections, code enforcement, and planning and zoning for Waverly Hall; and building inspections for Hamilton. Driveway permits inside city limits come from city hall. Shiloh (706-846-3814) and West Point (706-645-2226), which lies partly in Troup County, are not named in those agreements, so start with city hall there.

Harris County applications and forms

There is no online application. The building permit application is completed with staff at the Community Development office, and all paperwork must be in the name of the licensed contractor, its qualifying agent or the homeowner. Forms and checklists the County publishes:

• Requirement sheets for a new home, an addition or accessory structure, an accessory dwelling unit, manufactured housing, demolition, decks, residential remodels, window replacement and private pools.
• Stand-alone plumbing, electrical and mechanical permit form, which doubles as a credit card authorisation that can be faxed to 706-628-4140 or emailed.
• Authorized Permit Agent Form, the state licensing board’s notarised form that lets a contractor’s qualifying agent name someone else to pull permits; one original form is needed per project.
• Georgia Residential Energy Code Compliance (insulation affidavit).

Community Development posts a monthly report of the permits it has issued on its Building Permits page.

Permit costs and fees in Harris County

The Building Permits Fee Schedule was approved by the Board of Commissioners on June 16, 2026 and took effect on July 1, 2026. The minimum permit fee is $50.

Commercial valuation is set at $100 per sq ft unless the builder provides a value, and commercial fees do not include trade permits. For example, a 2,000 sq ft heated home pays $700. A 5,000 sq ft commercial building valued at $500,000 pays $3,009 for the building permit plus $451.35 for plan review.

Short-term vacation rental and commercial business inspections cost $50, as do after-hours inspections on weekdays. Work started before a permit is issued pays double fees. Card payments carry a $3 fee up to $100 or 3% above that.

Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits

On a new home the $0.35 per sq ft fee already covers plumbing, electrical, mechanical and gas. Every trade permit must still be pulled by a Georgia licensed electrician, plumber or heating and air contractor, with copies of the state licence and occupational tax certificate on file. A homeowner building their own home may pull the trade permits only if they do all of that work themselves. Stand-alone trade permits are priced as follows:

Documents for a new home

The County’s April 2026 checklist for a new residential permit asks for:

• A driveway permit: from Public Works (215 Water Oak Way, 706-628-5850) for a county road, or from Georgia DOT for a state road
• An approved on-site sewage management application from the Health Department
• A recorded plat with the Clerk of Court’s raised seal, or an electronic certified copy; for land created before December 21, 1982, the recorded deed and a tax map
• Two site plans: one showing erosion controls, the structures, setbacks, driveway, buffers, flood zones and state waters, and one showing final stabilization
• A Secondary Permittee Notice of Intent to Georgia EPD if the subdivision was developed after 1998 or you disturb more than 1 acre
• Two sets of complete plans, preferably 11 in by 17 in, with foundation, floor plans, all four elevations and total square footage, signed and stamped by the Health Department
• The contractor’s licence number and occupational tax certificate, and the blue card of the certified person doing the clearing and grading

The site plans and plan documents must match, and the permit is not issued until correct plans are in the office. Remodels need only a recorded plat and a scope of work or two sets of plans; demolition needs the plat and the owner’s written permission.

How to apply: 6-step Harris County process

Inspections and closeout

Community Development’s building inspectors carry out inspections in the unincorporated county and, under the agreements above, in Hamilton, Pine Mountain and Waverly Hall. The permitting line is 706-628-4700 and the email hcpermits@harriscountyga.gov. The fee schedule charges $25 for a second inspection and $50 for each one after that, paid before the inspector returns.

The County’s checklists set out some job-specific inspections: window replacement and demolition each have a single final inspection (for demolition, once all debris is removed). Private pools have a rebar cage inspection for gunite or shotcrete shells, an electrical bonding inspection (the pool electrical permit must be issued first) and a final once door and window alarms and the required fence are in place.

Local Harris County details

Setbacks: the new-home checklist requires 50 feet from the front property line, 35 feet from the back and 20 feet on each side. Accessory dwelling units must sit in the side or rear yard, 10 feet from all structures and property lines, on the same utilities as the main house. Pools must be at least 10 feet from property lines and other structures.

Erosion control: through construction you must keep the construction exit in place and 2 to 4 inches of mulch on disturbed areas, and all rights of way must be grassed at the end.

Planning Commission: meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the courthouse, 102 N. College Street, Hamilton. The Board of Zoning Adjustments meets as needed.

Short-term rentals: the fee schedule includes a $50 inspection for short-term vacation rentals.

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

Harris County permit search and official resources

• Harris County Community Development
• Harris County Building Permits Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2026)
• Harris County permit requirements by project
• Harris County new residential building permit checklist (April 2026)
• Harris County monthly building permit reports
• Harris County FY2026 budget (Community Development profile)
• Cities in Harris County

Harris County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Harris County?

Harris County Community Development, 125 Barnes Mill Road, Hamilton (706-628-4700), for the unincorporated county. It also carries out building inspections for Hamilton, Pine Mountain and Waverly Hall under intergovernmental agreements.

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

$0.35 per square foot of heated space, which includes the plumbing, electrical, mechanical and gas permits. A 2,000 sq ft home pays $700.

Do I need a permit for a shed or barn?

Not for a residential accessory building of 400 sq ft or less, or an agricultural building of 800 sq ft or less. Larger ones cost $0.10 per sq ft, and any wiring or plumbing still needs a trade permit.

Do I need a permit to replace windows?

Yes, if you replace 4 or more windows. Bring the recorded plat and a scope of work; there is one final inspection.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Harris County?

Yes. Paperwork can be in the homeowner’s name, and a homeowner building their own house may pull the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits only if they do all of that work themselves.

Can I apply online?

No. The application is completed with staff at the Community Development office; trade permit fees can be paid by card using the County’s authorisation form.

What does a re-inspection cost?

$25 for the second inspection and $50 for each one after that, paid in advance.

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