In unincorporated McIntosh County, permits come from the County’s Building & Zoning office at 100 Madison Street in Darien, which moved its permits online to GovWell in September 2026. Review does not start until every document is in, trade permits cost $150 each including the inspection, and starting work without a permit means a double fee. The City of Darien issues its own building permits.
What requires a permit in McIntosh County?
Building & Zoning publishes a separate application for each of these permit types:
Building
- New home construction
- Additions and remodels (repair, renovation or alteration)
- Accessory buildings
- Commercial buildings and commercial modular offices
- Mobile homes moved on, and moved off or within the county
- Pools
- Demolition
Trades, land use and other
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits
- Solar power permits
- Well permits
- Signs
- Rezoning, variances and special use permits, including surface mining
The new home application asks whether the project includes detached structures such as accessory buildings or pools, which may need permits of their own.
Who handles permitting in McIntosh County?
McIntosh County Building & Zoning reviews applications, issues permits and inspects work outside the City of Darien. Bryan Boone is the Administrator, and the office also has an inspector, a permit technician, a code enforcement officer and an addressing coordinator. Applications and status tracking now run through the County’s GovWell portal, and the paper applications remain on the Building & Zoning page.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The City of Darien publishes its own building, mobile home, pool, sign and minor construction permit applications, and its fees are set separately from the County’s, so parcels inside city limits go to the City.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Building & Zoning | 100 Madison Street, Darien, GA 31305 (P.O. Box 2694) · 912-437-6603 |
| Online permits | GovWell portal (app.govwell.com/mcintosh-ga) |
| Environmental Health (septic) | 912-832-5473 |
| Road Department (driveways and culverts) | 912-832-5220 |
| County water and Tax Commissioner | County Annex, 1200 North Way, Darien |
Permit costs and fees in McIntosh County
The County code leaves permit and inspection fees to resolutions of the Board of Commissioners, kept at the County Clerk’s office. The current application forms (revised in 2026) state these amounts:
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, plumbing, HVAC or solar | $50 permit fee plus $100 inspection fee ($150) |
| Pool | $50 plus $1.50 per $1,000 of project cost |
| Mobile home move-on | $100 permit plus $200 inspection fee |
| Mobile home move-off (out of or within the county) | $100 |
| Mobile home placed before the permit | Double fee ($600) |
| Any construction started before the permit | Double fee |
| Re-inspection | $35 first, $50 second, $65 third, paid before the inspector returns |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and solar permits
Each trade has its own one-page application listing the homeowner, the address and the contractor’s licence number, at $50 plus a $100 inspection fee. For a new home, copies of the electrician’s, plumber’s and HVAC contractor’s state licences go in with the building application, each contractor signs the affidavit page, and a homeowner doing their own electrical, plumbing or HVAC work signs a Homeowner’s Affidavit. If a subcontractor is changed, the general contractor has 48 hours to give Building & Zoning the new paperwork.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to apply for a new home permit
Get the septic permit from Environmental Health, and a water tap-in receipt or will-serve letter. Homes within 200 feet of County water must connect to it; businesses within 500 feet must too.
Get Road Department approval for a new or existing driveway, including a letter on whether a culvert is needed.
Gather the approved recorded plat, the current deed and, in a flood zone, an elevation certificate.
Draw a plot plan showing every existing and proposed structure with sizes, setbacks from all property lines and the septic tank and drain field. Add two complete sets of building plans with a footing and wall detail, plus one set on a thumb drive.
Include the general contractor’s, electrician’s, plumber’s and HVAC contractor’s state licences, the concrete contractor’s business licence, and the signed contractors’, subcontractors’ and affidavit pages.
File the complete package. Review cannot begin until every document is received and every form is signed.
Inspections in McIntosh County
Call for inspections at least 24 hours ahead, by 12:00 p.m. the previous day. If an inspection fails, or the work is not ready when the inspector arrives, the re-inspection fee ($35, then $50, then $65) must be paid before the next visit. In a flood zone, an elevation certificate is due when the slab is finished, before the walls go up. A permit is void if work does not start within 6 months or stops for 6 months.
A mobile home is inspected only when it is tied down on a #6 poly vapor barrier, connected to water and septic, under-skirted, wired in conduit with the service ready for the power company, and showing its current decal in the front window. No power is released until all of this is done.
Rather not deal with the McIntosh County building department?
Get a free quote →Coastal and local rules in McIntosh County
Marsh buffer: the new home and commercial applications require you to acknowledge that no construction may take place within 25 feet of the marsh, or 50 feet of state-designated trout streams. These buffers stay in their natural state.
Flood zones: homes must be built at or above the required flood elevation, and space below it may be used only for parking, access and limited storage for maintenance equipment.
Mobile homes: the home must be at least 720 square feet, rated Wind Zone II and set by a state-certified installer, and the site must be zoned for mobile homes. A move-off permit needs a paid-in-full tax receipt, and the move-on permit card must travel in the truck.
Covenants and debris: owners are responsible for any property owners’ association approval, and burning or burying construction or demolition debris violates state law.
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
McIntosh 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.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →- Georgia DCA — Current State Minimum Codes
- McIntosh County — Permits
- McIntosh County — Official Website
- McIntosh County Building & Zoning (applications)
- McIntosh County GovWell permit portal
- McIntosh County New Home Construction Permit packet (PDF)
- McIntosh County Mobile Home Move-On Permit packet (PDF)
- McIntosh County Code of Ordinances
- City of Darien Forms and Applications
McIntosh County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in McIntosh County?
McIntosh County Building & Zoning, 100 Madison Street, Darien (912-437-6603), for property outside the City of Darien. The City of Darien has its own permit applications.
Can I apply online?
Yes. Since September 2026 the County takes permit applications and tracks their status through its GovWell portal.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much does an electrical or plumbing permit cost?
$150: a $50 permit fee plus a $100 inspection fee. HVAC and solar permits are priced the same way.
What happens if I build without a permit?
The County charges a double fee. For a mobile home placed before the permit, that is $600.
How much notice does an inspection need?
At least 24 hours, by noon the day before. Re-inspections cost $35, $50 and then $65.
Can I build near the marsh?
No construction is allowed within 25 feet of the marsh, and the applications ask you to acknowledge that buffer.
What size mobile home is allowed?
At least 720 square feet, Wind Zone II, set by a state-certified installer on land zoned for mobile homes.
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More Georgia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about McIntosh County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.