Kingsland, Georgia Building Permit Guide

The City of Kingsland’s Housing & Development Department reviews plans, issues building and trade permits and inspects construction inside city limits, and applications are filed online through the City’s GovWell portal. Under the City’s fee ordinance a building permit costs 0.5% of the building cost, trade work 2% of its cost, and no permit is less than $50.

What requires a permit in Kingsland?

Kingsland’s zoning ordinance makes it unlawful to build, rebuild or alter a building or other structure without a building permit, or to use it without an occupancy permit. The City’s permit fee schedule shows the work it permits:

Commercial buildings, tenant spaces and commercial sites also need fire permits after fire plan review. Rezonings, variances, special uses and subdivision plats are separate Planning & Zoning applications.

Kingsland building department: who handles permitting

Housing & Development is home to the City’s Building Official and Building Inspection. It reviews plans, issues permits for residential, commercial and industrial projects, inspects the work, enforces the subdivision code and verifies contractor licensing. Planning & Zoning handles zoning, addressing and floodplain questions, and the Kingsland Fire Department’s fire marshal’s office reviews commercial fire plans.

Kingsland permit types and filing

The City’s Building Permits link opens the GovWell form picker, where you choose the permit type and file it online. Planning and zoning applications have a separate GovWell form list, and business licences are also handled in GovWell.

• Building permits for new buildings, additions, pools and alterations, with separate trade permits for electrical, low-voltage, plumbing, HVAC, gas, fire suppression and underground utilities.
• Flat-fee permits for temporary power poles, permanent power, above-ground pools, mobile homes, demolition, land disturbing activity and culverts or extra driveways.
• Development permits for any development in a flood hazard area, filed with the planning department.
• Sign permits, with a sign tag issued for freestanding signs.
• Planning & Zoning applications: zoning certification letters, rezonings, variances, special uses, annexation and subdivision plats.

Permit costs and fees in Kingsland

Building permit fees are set in Section 231 of Kingsland’s Zoning and Land Development Ordinance. The building fee is based on the total building cost, with trade work taken out and charged separately.

For example, a $20,000 deck or addition with no trade work carries a $100 building permit fee. If work starts before a permit is issued, all fees are doubled, and demolition without a permit carries a $400 penalty.

Planning fees in Section 230 include $25 for a zoning certification letter, $100 for a residential variance, $50 for a wall sign, $75 for a ground sign and $1,200 for commercial engineering review.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work

Housing & Development issues the trade permits. Electrical, low-voltage, plumbing, HVAC, gas, fire suppression and underground utility work are each charged at 2% of the cost of that work, with the $50 minimum, and the building permit fee is calculated on the building cost net of those trades. Temporary power poles and permanent power releases are $25 each.

For commercial buildings, tenant spaces and sites, plans go to the fire marshal’s fire plan review before the fire permits are issued. Fire permits are also needed before adding, removing or changing a fire protection system.

Do not cover regulated work before the required inspection. A project can be ready structurally while an electrical, plumbing or mechanical inspection is still outstanding.

Alliance handles electrical permit filing for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

Application documents and plan review

Besides the plans required by the building code, Kingsland’s zoning ordinance asks for a site plan showing:

• The location and dimensions of proposed structures and the number of dwelling units in each
• Building setback lines on the lot and on the adjoining lot
• The number, layout and size of parking spaces, if any
• Where driveways meet the street or alley

Before a permit is issued, staff check the proposal against the zoning ordinance and the City Engineer checks that the lot has suitable elevation and drainage. New construction must have a finished floor at least 1 foot above the nearest City street elevation or 1 foot above the floodplain, shown on a foundation plan sealed by a Georgia-licensed surveyor or engineer. Work cannot continue past the foundation until the City Engineer approves that plan.

For commercial fire plan review, plans must carry the seal of a Georgia-registered architect or engineer for assembly spaces with 100 or more occupants, healthcare facilities, jails and day-care centers with 12 or more clients, among others.

How to apply: 6-step Kingsland process

Kingsland inspections

Housing & Development’s Building Inspection staff inspect permitted work for compliance with state and local building codes, and the Building Inspector can be reached at 912-729-8296. A re-inspection costs $20.

For a demolition, the contractor must contact the Building Inspector, who authorizes the start, after all utilities are cut off and the water and sewer lines are capped at the property line. In a flood hazard area, an as-built certification of the lowest floor elevation is due as soon as the lowest floor is in place, and later work is at the permit holder’s risk until it is submitted.

The City issues a certificate of occupancy once the building passes final inspection and conforms to the zoning ordinance and building code. Each business also needs a final inspection and certificate of occupancy from the fire marshal’s office before it opens.

Local Kingsland details that matter

Flood zones: Kingsland is a low-lying coastal community. In mapped flood hazard areas the lowest floor of new and substantially improved buildings must be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation, and a development permit is needed before any development starts.

Work hours: demolition and construction are allowed from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday.

Trees on demolition sites: the Planning & Zoning Director must approve any trees removed, and they must be marked with yellow line.

Utilities: the City’s Municipal Utilities Department handles new water and sewer connections, meter installations and sewer connection permits and inspections.

Planning Commission: meets on the first Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at 107 South Lee Street; special uses cost $300 to apply for and lapse if the use does not start within 12 months.

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

Kingsland 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.

• Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes
• Kingsland FAQ: How do I get a building permit?
• Kingsland GovWell permit portal
• Kingsland Housing & Development Department
• DCA effective-date memorandum
• Kingsland GovWell building permit forms
• Kingsland permit and application fees (Zoning Ordinance Art. XXIII)
• Kingsland Code Chapter 5: Buildings, floor elevation and demolition
• Kingsland Code Chapter 8: fire plan review
• Kingsland Code Chapter 9: Flood damage prevention
• Kingsland Planning & Zoning

Kingsland permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Kingsland?

The City of Kingsland Housing & Development Department issues building and trade permits and inspects the work for property inside city limits.

How much is a building permit in Kingsland?

0.5% of the total building cost, net of trade work, with a $50 minimum. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, gas and other trade work is 2% of the cost of that work.

Where do I apply?

Online in the City’s GovWell portal, which the City’s Building Permits link opens.

How much does a demolition permit cost?

$200. Starting demolition without a permit adds a $400 penalty, and utilities must be cut off before work begins.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

All permit fees are doubled under the City’s fee schedule.

How high must a new house sit?

The finished floor must be at least 1 foot above the nearest City street elevation or 1 foot above the floodplain, and in a flood hazard area at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation.

Who do I call about a Kingsland permit?

The City lists its Building Inspector at 912-729-8296. The office is at 105 S. Lee Street, Kingsland.

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