Meriwether County’s Department of Planning, Zoning, and Community Development in Greenville reviews plans, issues building permits and inspects construction, with applications filed online through Cloudpermit or by email. A new home costs a $50 application fee, $150 plan review and $0.45 per square foot (trades included), and residential permits take 3–7 business days to process.
What requires a building permit in Meriwether County?
The County’s fee schedule, approved by the Board of Commissioners on July 23, 2024, lists the work it permits. Plans must be reviewed and approved before any building, renovation, pool, spa or accessory building permit is issued.
Permit required
- New homes and guest houses
- Garages, open decks, slabs, patios, carports and porches
- Accessory structures of 241 sq ft or more
- Repairs and remodels, and re-roofs
- Swimming pools (residential and commercial)
- Fences and walls over 4 feet, including retaining walls, and fences around stormwater basins deeper than 3½ feet
- Demolition, with an abatement letter
- Stand-alone electrical, gas, HVAC and temporary pole permits
- Manufactured home relocation
- Commercial buildings, churches and chicken houses
- Signs, solar panels, solar farms and communication towers
- Land disturbance over one acre
No building permit
- Accessory structures under 240 sq ft
Any work started without a permit has all its fees doubled.
Who handles permitting in Meriwether County?
The Department of Planning, Zoning, and Community Development issues permits, reviews plans, inspects construction at set phases and enforces the building, electrical and plumbing codes. It also administers the County zoning ordinance and supports the Planning Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Board of Commissioners. Jeff McCartney is the Director.
Applications go through Cloudpermit, where you also request inspections and receive the results by email; paper applications are still accepted during the launch phase. When you start a Cloudpermit application you choose the municipality where the work is.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The towns handle building permits in different ways:
- Luthersville, Warm Springs and Woodbury: the County issues the permits. Luthersville states that all its building and demolition permits are issued by Meriwether County; Warm Springs lists a County building permits officer (706-672-6636) and the County Planning and Zoning number; Woodbury sends residents to the County department for permit and zoning needs.
- Gay: the Town issues its own building, trade and sign permits. Applications and fees go to City Hall, 19125 GA Hwy 85 (706-538-6097), and the Town asks applicants to read its SAFEbuilt building permit requirements first.
- Manchester: the City has its own Permit and Inspection Departments, with contracted inspectors and an online permit portal; City Hall is at 116 2nd Street (706-846-3141).
- Haralson (mainly in Coweta County): the City publishes its own residential, commercial, accessory building and trade permit applications and permit fees; call the city clerk at 770-599-3985.
- Pine Mountain: the Town sends building permit questions to the Department of Community Development at 706-628-4700, the number of Harris County Community Development, which provides services to Pine Mountain.
- Lone Oak: neither the County nor the Town publishes who issues building permits in Lone Oak; call the Town Hall at 706-637-9094 before applying.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Office | 17234 Roosevelt Highway, Building A, Greenville, GA 30222 |
| Phone | 706-672-1283 or 706-672-6628 |
| Inspection line | 706-672-6620 |
| Email (forms and questions) | permits@meriwethercountyga.gov |
| Health Department (water, septic, soil testing) | 706-672-4974 |
Permit costs and fees in Meriwether County
Fees come from the Community Development Building Fee Schedule approved on July 23, 2024. Each permit has an application fee, a plan review fee where one applies, and the permit fee itself.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home or guest house (electrical, plumbing and HVAC included) | $50 application + $150 plan review + $0.45 per sq ft of total area |
| Open deck, slab, patio, carport or porch | $50 + $0.25 per sq ft |
| Garage with electrical only | $50 + $0.30 per sq ft |
| Accessory structure 241 sq ft or larger (no trades) | $50 + $0.25 per sq ft |
| Residential repair or remodel (all trades) | $50 + $250 per building |
| Residential re-roof | $50 + $50 per building |
| Residential swimming pool (safety fence included) | $50 + $150 |
| Commercial building, new or remodel | $100 application + $0.50 per sq ft, plus plan review at 50% of the permit fee |
| Fence or wall over 4 feet | $50 + $50 |
| Demolition | $25 + $150 per building |
| Manufactured home relocation | $25 + $250 |
| Re-inspection after a failed inspection | $50 the first time, $75 each time after |
| Permit renewal | $50 if expired within 30 days of the last inspection; $100 if expired 31–90 days |
| Land disturbance over one acre | $40 per acre to the County and $40 per acre to the state EPD |
For example, a new home with 2,000 sq ft of total area pays $50 + $150 + $900 = $1,100. Work begun without a permit pays double.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas permits
For a new home, guest house or residential remodel, the electrical, plumbing and HVAC work is included in the building permit fee. Stand-alone trade permits each carry a $25 application fee plus:
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, up to 200 A | $75 |
| Electrical, 201–1,000 A | $0.60 per amp over 200 |
| Temporary pole (200 A limit) | $50 application + $50 |
| Disconnect / reconnect (restoration) | $75 |
| Gas | $44 per outlet |
| Residential solar panels | $25 application + $25 review + $25 per panel |
HVAC heating and cooling permits are priced by BTU and by tonnage on the same schedule. Contractors and subcontractors each provide a copy of their business licence and an affidavit, and the department publishes a Sub-Contractor Agreement and a Homeowner Permit Affidavit for owners doing their own work.
How to apply in Meriwether County
Register with an email address; the confirmation email is valid for 24 hours. Paper forms can still be emailed to permits@meriwethercountyga.gov.
Name the project, set the location and municipality, and choose the application type (sheds and detached garages are “accessory structures”).
Water, septic and soil testing approval comes from the Health Department and must be in hand before the permit is issued.
Plans, deed, plat, the current property tax receipt, site plan, contractor licences and affidavits, and the name of the power company.
Every building, renovation, pool, spa and accessory building permit goes through plan review. Processing takes 3–7 business days for residential and 7–14 for commercial permits.
Set up the job box, then pass the site prep inspection before further work.
Rather not deal with the Meriwether County building department?
Get a free quote →What to submit
- One set of plans, plus the deed and plat (available in the Courthouse basement)
- Receipt for the current year’s property taxes on the parcel
- Health Department letter for water, septic and soil testing
- Name of the power company
- Copies of the contractor’s and each subcontractor’s business licence, with affidavits
- Site plan with distances to each property line and easement
- Floor plan, deck framing detail and pool plans where they apply
- Signed and sealed architectural plans with a code summary where required
- HOA approval, if the property is in an HOA
Assembly, educational, health care, detention, hotel, dormitory, multifamily and care facility projects need plans sealed by a Georgia licensed architect. Some applications also need tap receipts or Health Department construction approvals.
Inspections in Meriwether County
Request inspections in Cloudpermit or on the inspection line (706-672-6620) before 4:00 p.m. the day before. Inspections run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. without set appointments, so the property must be accessible; if personal belongings are in the home, someone must be there. On the day, call 706-672-1283 for the inspector’s name and an estimated arrival time.
- Site prep: dumpster, portable toilet, driveway with the address posted, silt fence, temporary power pole, under-slab plumbing and crawlspace footings. The job box, with the permit and a copy of the plans, must be within 100 feet of the road.
- Rough-in: framing, plumbing, electrical and mechanical called in together, not separately, then gas and insulation.
- Pools: forming shell, underground plumbing and electrical, pool bonding, deck bonding, and a final that includes the fence or electric cover.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →More than 3 inspections on a permit means extra inspection fees.
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
Meriwether 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.
- Meriwether County — Official Website
- Meriwether County Code of Ordinances (Municode)
- Meriwether County Planning, Zoning, and Community Development (Cloudpermit link)
- Meriwether County Community Development Building Fee Schedule (2024)
- How to obtain a Building Permit in Meriwether County (PDF)
- Meriwether County Cloudpermit walkthrough (PDF)
- Meriwether County Homeowner Permit Affidavit (PDF)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Meriwether County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Meriwether County?
The Department of Planning, Zoning, and Community Development, 17234 Roosevelt Highway, Building A, Greenville (706-672-1283).
How much is a building permit for a new house?
$50 application fee, $150 plan review and $0.45 per square foot of total area, which covers electrical, plumbing and HVAC. A 2,000 sq ft home pays $1,100.
Do I need a permit for a shed?
Not if it is under 240 sq ft. Accessory structures of 241 sq ft or more cost $50 plus $0.25 per sq ft.
Do I need a permit for a fence?
Fences and walls over 4 feet, including retaining walls, need a $100 permit ($50 application plus $50), as do fences around stormwater basins deeper than 3½ feet.
How long does a permit take?
3–7 business days for residential permits and 7–14 business days for commercial permits.
How do I request an inspection?
Through Cloudpermit or by calling 706-672-6620 before 4:00 p.m. the day before.
What if I start work without a permit?
All fees for that work are doubled.
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More Georgia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Meriwether County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.