Lee County’s Building Inspection Department in Leesburg issues building and trade permits and inspects construction in both the unincorporated county and the incorporated areas, which include Leesburg and Smithville. Paper applications go to the Inspections office with a complete set of plans after Planning & Zoning approves the site plan, and every new dwelling pays a $770.35 impact fee on top of the valuation-based permit fee.
What requires a building permit in Lee County?
The County’s building permit application covers new construction, accessory structures and additions for single-family, multi-family and commercial projects. Its fee schedule and forms list these other permits:
Building Inspection
- New homes, additions and accessory structures
- Commercial and industrial buildings
- Renovations and alterations
- Mobile homes and house moving
- Plumbing, electrical and heating and air work
- Swimming pools, spas and hot tubs
- Open sheds, demolition and temporary construction trailers
- Headwalls and brick mailboxes, unless permitted with the main building
Other County permits
- Site plan approval and address assignment (Planning & Zoning)
- Floodplain development permit
- Land development permit
- Sign permit
- Driveway permit (Public Works)
- Well and septic approval (Environmental Health)
Starting work before the permit is issued costs extra: Building Inspection charges the permit fee plus 50%, and Planning & Development charges double its normal fee.
Who handles permitting in Lee County?
The Building Inspection Department inspects all construction in both the unincorporated county and the incorporated areas for compliance with the adopted codes. It also checks that contractors licensed by the state hold current certifications. Joey Davenport is the Chief Building Official.
Planning & Zoning runs zoning, site plan and subdivision review and the flood management plan, and it advises the Leesburg and Smithville City Councils on site plans, variances and conditional uses as well as the County Commission.
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Get a free quote →| Office | Details |
|---|---|
| Building Inspection | T. Page Tharp Governmental Building, 102 Starksville Avenue North, Leesburg, GA 31763 · 229-759-3326 · fax 229-759-2346 · jdavenport@leecountyga.gov |
| Planning & Zoning | Same building · Planning Director 229-759-6038 |
| Environmental Health (well and septic) | 103 Main Street, Leesburg · 229-759-3016 |
| Utilities Authority (water and sewer taps) | 905 US Hwy 19 South, Leesburg · 229-759-6056 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
Permit costs and fees in Lee County
Building Inspection prices a building permit in two stages. First the project is valued at a set rate per square foot of each area type, then the fee is taken from the valuation bands below. The schedule is the Department’s current Permit Fee Schedule PDF, which carries no date.
| Area | Valuation |
|---|---|
| Residential living area | $50 per sq ft |
| Residential porch or carport | $15 per sq ft |
| Residential storage or garage | $20 per sq ft |
| Office, other commercial or industrial building | $40 per sq ft |
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Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Valuation up to $15,000 | $6 per $1,000 |
| Over $15,000 up to $100,000 | $90 for the first $15,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000 |
| Over $100,000 up to $500,000 | $350 for the first $100,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000 |
| Over $500,000 up to $1,000,000 | $800 for the first $500,000 plus $1 per additional $1,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $1,000 for the first $1,000,000 plus $0.75 per additional $1,000 |
| Minimum building permit fee | $35 |
| Impact fee, each new dwelling | $770.35, due with the permit fee |
| House moving | $150 per home |
| Open shed | $7 per sq ft |
| Swimming pool installation | $10 per $1,000 of value |
| Demolition | $120 |
| Headwalls (per pair) or brick mailbox | $40 each, unless permitted with the main building |
| Temporary construction trailer | $35 |
| Re-inspection | $35 |
| Work started before the permit | Permit fee plus 50% of the permit fee |
Signs start at $50 and are priced on the Planning & Development fee schedule, which also sets variance ($250), conditional use ($125), rezoning, subdivision and land development fees.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits in Lee County
Trade permits come from the same Building Inspection Department, and the building permit application asks you to name the plumber, heating and air contractor and electrician. Fees from the Department’s schedule:
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, residential (site-built, mobile home or apartments) | $0.30 per amp |
| Electrical, commercial or industrial | $0.40 per amp |
| Electrical service change-out | $35 flat |
| Electrical, swimming pool | $35 flat |
| Plumbing | $6 base fee plus $6 per drain |
| Heating and air | $25 base fee plus $5 per ton of cooling |
| Electric heat | $1 per kW |
| Natural gas or LP heat | $5 per 50,000 BTU plus $0.25 per additional 1,000 BTU |
A homeowner doing their own plumbing, heating and air, utility or electrical work in a home they own or occupy signs the County’s Home Owner’s Affidavit, accepting responsibility for the work.
How to apply for a new home permit in Lee County
The County’s Procedures for Building New Homes sets out this order:
Planning & Zoning reviews a site plan drawn to scale before the building permit can be issued, and notes its approval on the permit application.
The Planning Department assigns the address. Changes can be requested online.
Get approval for a well and septic tank, or for connection to public water and sewer, from Environmental Health at 103 Main Street.
Pay the water and sewer tap fees at the Utilities Authority, and get driveway approval from the County’s Utility Department. On a state highway, the Georgia DOT approves the driveway.
Turn in the Application for Building Permit with a complete set of plans, plus any owner affidavit that applies. The form asks for heated and total square footage, footing and wall materials, water and sewer source, the trade contractors and the estimated cost.
Pay the permit fee and the $770.35 impact fee when the permit is approved. The permit expires 6 months after it is issued.
Rather not deal with the Lee County building department?
Get a free quote →What the site plan must show
Under the County zoning code (Sec. 70-91), a building permit is not issued for a site plan that misses any of these items:
- Drawn to scale; if flood zone questions exist, the planning director can ask for a Georgia-registered engineer or surveyor to draw it
- The outline and actual size of each proposed building, and all existing structures with exact dimensions
- All property lines, lot dimensions and required setback lines
- The exact location of every easement
- Parking, driveways, well, septic tank and drainfield locations, trees larger than 24 inches in caliper and landscape buffers
- Structures on adjacent lots within 10 feet of the property line
- Front, side and rear elevations showing building height from finished grade
Owners building, altering or renovating their own home sign the Construction Affidavit or the Renovations and Alterations Affidavit, which states the work is not being done for resale.
Inspections in Lee County
Building Inspection carries out the inspections for permits anywhere in the county. Before construction starts, the builder must find and clearly mark all lot corners. At the foundation inspection the inspector can measure from the property lines to the outer edge of the building to check it against the approved site plan.
Each re-inspection costs $35. For pools, spas and hot tubs, the owner and contractor sign a notarized affidavit to meet the swimming pool and spa code and the electrical code before any water goes in, and the homeowner is responsible for having the pool ready for final inspection and for scheduling it.
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Get a free quote →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
Lee 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.
- Lee County — Forms & Documents
- Lee County — Planning & Zoning
- Lee County — Building Inspection
- Lee County Permit Fee Schedule (PDF)
- Lee County Procedures for Building New Homes (PDF)
- Lee County Application for Building Permit (PDF)
- Lee County Home Owner’s Affidavit (PDF)
- Lee County Pool Affidavit (PDF)
Lee County permit FAQs
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who inspects construction in Leesburg and Smithville?
The Lee County Building Inspection Department. The County states that it inspects all construction in both the incorporated and unincorporated areas of the county.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Lee County?
The County values living area at $50 per sq ft, porches and carports at $15 and garages and storage at $20, then applies its valuation bands (for example, $350 for the first $100,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000). Each new dwelling also pays a $770.35 impact fee.
What do I need before applying for a new home permit?
An approved site plan and an address from Planning & Zoning, well and septic or water and sewer approval, paid tap fees where public utilities are used, and driveway approval.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Lee County?
Yes, for a home they own or occupy. The owner signs the Home Owner’s Affidavit for their own trade work, or the Construction or Renovations and Alterations Affidavit for building work, confirming it is not for resale.
How long is a Lee County building permit valid?
The application states that the permit expires 6 months from the date of issue.
What happens if I start work without a permit?
Building Inspection charges the permit fee plus 50%, and Planning & Development charges double its normal fee.
What are the Building Inspection office hours?
Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at 102 Starksville Avenue North in Leesburg (229-759-3326).
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More Georgia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lee County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.