Toombs County, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Toombs County’s Building Permit Ordinance requires a County building permit before construction of any building or structure begins, and the application is made at the Tax Assessor’s office in the county courthouse in Lyons. Manufactured homes need a separate placement permit with a $100 permit and inspection fee and a $500 refundable bond. The Cities of Vidalia and Lyons issue their own building permits inside city limits.

What requires a permit in Toombs County?

The Building Permit Ordinance, adopted on October 1, 1996 and in force since January 1, 1997, covers all new construction in the county limits. Its rule is short: no building or other structure may be started without a County building permit. The County’s other ordinances add:

Who handles permitting in Toombs County?

The ordinance states its purpose plainly: the building permit gives the County the information it needs to assess and tax additions to property fairly, and adds to County revenue. The manufactured home ordinance applies in the unincorporated county.

City of Vidalia: inside Vidalia city limits, building and trade permits come from the City Marshal’s office at City Hall, not from the County.

City of Lyons: the county seat publishes its own building, commercial building and mobile home permit applications, filed at City Hall, 161 NE Broad Street (912-526-3626). The City’s residential application carries a $75 administrative fee plus $75 for each electrical, grading, HVAC, plumbing or framing permit. This is separate from the County permit taken at the courthouse.

Santa Claus: the City’s code requires a building permit from its building inspector before any building is put up, moved, enlarged or structurally altered, and only single-family dwellings may be built for living in; City Hall, 25 December Drive, 912-526-6949. The 2024 joint comprehensive plan for the County and its three cities records that only Lyons and Vidalia have building code enforcement.

Toombs County permit fees

The $3 figure is the only building permit fee the County publishes. It is paid by the property owner or the contractor, and the County can sue in Magistrate Court to collect an unpaid fee or fine.

Electrical work on manufactured homes

For manufactured homes, the County’s ordinance requires the electrical system to be certified to the Building Inspector by a licensed and bonded electrician or a state-licensed installer, at the owner’s cost, and the home is subject to an electrical continuity test to confirm that its metal parts are bonded.

How to get a permit in Toombs County: 4 steps

Manufactured home inspections

Once a manufactured home permit is issued, the home can be moved onto the site, and the applicant arranges an inspection when installation is finished. At the owner’s request, the Building Inspector may inspect a home before it is moved if it is already elsewhere in the county. The certificate of occupancy is issued when the home meets these standards, and a copy goes to the Assessor’s office:

• A HUD label, with installation to the state installation rules
• Sound floors, walls, ceilings and roof; operable, watertight doors and windows; siding free of rot and rust
• Working kitchen sink, lavatory, toilet and tub or shower, and a water heater
• Safe heating, with no unvented heaters
• An egress window in every bedroom and a window or vent in the kitchen
• A battery smoke detector in each bedroom and the kitchen
• Steps and a landing of at least 4 by 6 feet at every exterior door, with handrails and guardrails when the landing is more than 30 inches above the ground
• Skirting installed to the manufacturer’s instructions, and all towing devices, wheels and axles removed

Local Toombs County rules

Manufactured home taxes: the owner must report the home’s location and buy the annual tax decal from the Tax Commissioner by May 1 each year. A home left unoccupied for more than six months, without active efforts to rent it, is treated as abandoned.

Subdivisions and roads: a subdivision plat with any road or access onto the state or county road system goes to the Board of Commissioners, and the preliminary plat must meet the Toombs County Health Department’s pre-development review standards. Private roads can be offered to the County only with engineer-stamped as-built drawings.

Timber harvesting: loggers must give written notice to the County before cutting and post a $5,000 surety bond or letter of credit; the Code Enforcement Officer inspects the site and roads before the bond is released.

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

Toombs 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.

• Toombs County — Official Website
• Toombs County — Ordinances
• Toombs County — Manufactured Home Ordinance
• Toombs County — Building Permit Ordinance
• Toombs County Building Permit Ordinance (1996, scanned PDF)
• Toombs County roads and subdivision ordinance

Toombs County permit FAQs

Where do I get a building permit in Toombs County?

At the Tax Assessor’s office in the county courthouse in Lyons (912-526-8698), under the County’s Building Permit Ordinance. Inside Vidalia and Lyons, the cities issue their own permits, and Santa Claus’s code requires a permit from its building inspector.

How much is a building permit in Toombs County?

The Building Permit Ordinance on the County website sets the fee at $3, paid by the owner or contractor.

What if I build without a permit?

The ordinance allows a fine of up to $50 plus the cost of the permit, and the permit must be posted on site during construction.

What does it cost to place a manufactured home?

A $100 permit and inspection fee, which covers the first inspection and one follow-up, plus a $500 refundable bond or cash deposit. Further follow-up inspections are $50 each.

Do I need a permit to move a manufactured home?

Yes. A home that was permitted under the ordinance needs a $10 moving permit from the Tax Commissioner, whether it is moving within or out of the county.

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