Hart County’s Building Permitting Office, run with the County’s E-911 addressing office at 800 Chandler Street in Hartwell, issues building and mobile home permits for the unincorporated county; it does not issue permits inside the City of Hartwell. New homes cost $0.20 per heated square foot and $0.10 per unheated square foot plus $100 per trade, and their plans and inspections are handled by the County’s inspection firm, Bureau Veritas.
What requires a permit in Hart County?
Building permits are governed by Chapter 18 of the Hart County Code of Ordinances and mobile home permits by Chapter 50. The County publishes three routes:
Building permit
- New homes: plan review and inspections by Bureau Veritas, with trade fees
- Additions and renovations
- Outbuildings
- Commercial structures
Other County permits
- Mobile home transportation (moving a home onto a lot)
- New 911 address for a new home or commercial building
The application sets a $25 fee for construction valued over $2,500. The County allows only single-family or multi-family stick-built buildings and pre-built mobile homes approved under its ordinances and by the State Fire Marshal. Tiny houses, including converted storage buildings and shipping containers, are not allowed.
Who handles permitting in Hart County?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Permits | Hart County Building Permitting Office (with E-911 Addressing) |
| Address | 800 Chandler Street, Hartwell, GA 30643 |
| Phone | 706-376-1468 (County page); the permit forms print 706-376-2024 for Building Permitting |
| buildingpermitting@hartcountyga.gov | |
| Plan review and inspections (new homes) | Bureau Veritas, the County’s inspection firm |
| Septic permits | Hart County Health Department |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The permitting office works alongside the E-911 department so that every home and commercial building is properly addressed. For new residential construction, the County directs all questions about codes, plan reviews and inspections to Bureau Veritas.
City of Hartwell: the County does not issue permits inside Hartwell; projects there go to the City Building Inspector. Because Hartwell has annexed parts of the county, a site near the city limits needs a City of Hartwell Building Permit Exemption Certification, signed by a City official, before the County will issue its permit.
Other towns: the County’s permit office covers only the unincorporated county.
- Bowersville: the Town’s Planning & Inspection Department enforces the building codes and schedules and conducts building inspections; Town Hall is at 1126 West Main Street (706-245-8971).
- Lavonia and Royston: both city codes provide for a city building official and city building permits. Royston’s building ordinance applies to all land inside its city limits, and in Lavonia any construction or remodeling costing over $1,000 needs a permit.
- Canon: the County’s published sources do not say who issues building permits in Canon; contact Canon City Hall (706-245-8155) before applying.
Permit costs and fees in Hart County
The fees are set out on the County’s Building Permitting page and on its application forms:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home, heated space | $0.20 per sq ft |
| New home, unheated space | $0.10 per sq ft |
| New home, each trade | $100 |
| Renovation, addition, outbuilding or other construction valued over $2,500 | $25 |
| Mobile home transportation permit | $100 |
For example, a new home with 1,800 sq ft heated and 500 sq ft unheated, and electrical, plumbing and mechanical trades, comes to $360 plus $50 plus $300: $710.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work
On a new home the County charges $100 for each trade on top of the square-foot fee, and Bureau Veritas reviews and inspects the work. The County’s checklist asks for licensing documentation from the contractor and every subcontractor: state licence card, business licence and driver’s licence. The building application states that a contractor must prove they are properly licensed before a permit is issued.
Septic systems are permitted by the Hart County Health Department. If you are building or expanding any habitable structure, the County will deny the permit unless you attach a copy of the approved septic permit.
Application documents
The County’s application checklist warns that incomplete forms will not be processed. It asks for:
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →- Completed building permit application
- Contractor and subcontractor licensing documents (state licence card, business licence, driver’s licence)
- GSWCC Level 1A certification (blue card)
- Copy of the recorded plat
- One set of digital, scaled construction drawings with dimensions: foundation plan and detail, floor plan of each level, elevations and wall details
- House location plan: a scaled lot drawing with the footprint of every structure, setbacks and erosion and sediment controls
- GSWCC-approved erosion control plans for the initial, intermediate and final phases, for secondary and tertiary permittees
- Verification of the 911 address
- Septic inspection or re-evaluation from Environmental Health, and water or sewer approval, where they apply
- Owner’s affidavit, if the homeowner is acting as contractor
Applicants also sign an Affidavit of Relationship of Permit Applicant to Property Owner. An owner’s name must match the deed or appraiser’s record; a buyer under contract attaches the contract and a notarised letter from the seller; a tenant attaches a notarised letter from the owner.
How to apply: 6-step Hart County process
Inside Hartwell, apply to the City. Next to the city limits, have a City official sign the exemption certification first.
File the New Address Application with the County’s E-911 addressing office.
Apply to the Hart County Health Department; the County needs the approved septic permit for any habitable structure.
Gather the licences, blue card, plat, digital drawings, house location plan and affidavits.
Return the application and checklist to the Building Permitting Office; for a new home, Bureau Veritas reviews the plans.
For a new home, book every inspection with Bureau Veritas.
Rather not deal with the Hart County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections
Inspections are required for all new residential construction, and all of them are scheduled through Bureau Veritas, which also answers questions about plan review and codes. The County’s notice says renovations, outbuildings and other construction continue to be permitted as before, for the flat $25 fee.
Mobile homes follow the transport permit process: a used home needs a home inspection before the permit, along with the septic permit, a bill of sale or PT-41 dealer form or valid title, the homestead decal, proof that taxes are paid in the county the home is leaving, proof of land ownership or a rental contract, and the recorded plat.
Local Hart County details
Setbacks on newer lots: for parcels subdivided after 2000, County Ordinance Sec. 46-191(c) requires the principal building to sit 40 feet from the front and 10 feet from each side; the 10-foot rear setback applies to lots subdivided after July 27, 2010. Applicants sign an affidavit agreeing to these setbacks.
Housing types: tiny houses, converted storage buildings and shipping containers cannot be used as homes.
Permit records: the County posts yearly building permit summaries from 2017 onward on its Building Permitting page.
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 →Hart County permit search and official resources
- Hart County — Official Website
- Hart County — Building Permitting
- Hart County building permit application checklist (PDF)
- Hart County building permit application form (PDF)
- Hart County mobile home transport permit packet (PDF)
- City of Hartwell building permit exemption certification (PDF)
Hart County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Hart County?
The Hart County Building Permitting Office at 800 Chandler Street, Hartwell (706-376-1468), for the unincorporated county. Inside the City of Hartwell, the City Building Inspector issues permits; Bowersville, Lavonia and Royston also handle permits and inspections inside their own limits.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Hart County?
$0.20 per heated square foot and $0.10 per unheated square foot, plus $100 for each trade. A home with 1,800 sq ft heated, 500 sq ft unheated and three trades comes to $710.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a permit for a shed, addition or remodel?
$25 for construction valued over $2,500.
Who does plan review and inspections?
Bureau Veritas, the County’s inspection firm, reviews new-home plans and applications and schedules all new-home inspections.
Can I live in a tiny house or shipping container in Hart County?
No. The County does not allow tiny houses, including converted storage buildings and shipping containers.
Do I need anything from Hartwell if I build outside the city?
Only if the site is next to the Hartwell city limits. Then a City official must sign the exemption certification confirming no City permit is needed.
How much is a mobile home moving permit?
$100. A used home also needs an inspection before the permit is issued.
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More Georgia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Hart County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.