Wayne County Building Inspections, based in the Tax Assessor’s office at 341 E Walnut Street in Jesup, issues building, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits for the unincorporated county and the City of Odum. A house is valued at $100 per square foot for the fee, so a 2,000 sq ft home pays a $425 building permit plus trade permits, and every inspection needs 24 hours’ notice.
What requires a permit in Wayne County?
Section 8-103 of the County code requires a permit from the building inspector before anyone builds a new building or structure or installs an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system covered by the codes. The County’s combined application covers building, moving and certificate of occupancy requests:
Permit needed
- New buildings, additions, alterations and repairs
- Electrical, plumbing and heat/air work
- Accessory buildings, pole barns and metal buildings
- Manufactured home set-ups
- Signs
- Moving or demolishing a building
- Solar farms
No permit
- Ordinary minor repairs that do not break the codes
- Portable heaters, fans, coolers and evaporative coolers
- Replacement parts that do not change an appliance’s approval
- Small self-contained refrigeration units (10 lb of refrigerant or less)
Homeowners may do their own work, including wiring, on their own property, but the code makes clear they still need the permit, the inspections and the fees.
Who handles permitting in Wayne County?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Office | Wayne County Building Inspections (a division listed under the Tax Assessor) |
| Address | 341 E Walnut Street, Jesup, GA 31546 |
| Phone / fax | 912-427-5920 / 912-427-5924; County main line 912-427-5900 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Building Inspector | Kyle Jones, kjones@waynecountyga.us |
| Area served | Unincorporated Wayne County and the City of Odum |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The County code sets up an inspections department headed by the building inspector, who reviews applications, issues permits, inspects the work and issues the Certificate of Occupancy. The County’s 2026 permit packets are headed “Wayne County & City of Odum”, so Odum projects use the same packets and office.
Wayne County has three cities: Jesup, Odum and Screven. Jesup has its own Building Inspections Department, which reviews plans, issues building permits and inspects all residential and commercial work inside the city.
For sites in Screven, ask city hall which office issues building permits.
Wayne County permit fees
For one- and two-family homes the County works out the project value as total square footage times $100, then applies its fee schedule:
| Project value | Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 to $75,000 | $175 |
| $75,001 to $150,000 | $300 for the first $75,000, plus $2.25 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $150,001 to $500,000 | $350 for the first $150,000, plus $1.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 and above | $1,000 for the first $500,000, plus $1.00 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
For example, a 2,000 sq ft home is valued at $200,000, so the building permit is $350 plus 50 × $1.50, or $425, before trade permits.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, new construction | $80 ($95 over 3,500 sq ft) |
| Plumbing, new construction | $75 ($90 over 3,500 sq ft) |
| HVAC, new construction | $65 ($80 over 3,500 sq ft) |
| Accessory building (pole barn, metal building) under 4,000 sq ft | $75 for structure and foundation; add $55 each for electrical, plumbing or HVAC |
| Manufactured home set-up, single / double wide | $150 / $300, plus $55 each for electrical, plumbing and HVAC |
| Solar farm | $500 up to 50 acres; $1,000 for 50–100 acres; $2,500 for 100 acres and above |
| Additional inspection beyond those included | $50 re-inspection fee may be charged |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →If no work has been done, the building inspector may refund up to 80% of a permit fee on a written request made within 180 days of payment.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits in Wayne County
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits are separate fee lines on the County building permit application, so a new house normally carries four permits. The County’s packets state that general, residential, electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors must all be licensed, and the owner-builder packet includes a subcontractor list with each licence number.
An owner-builder who hires licensed trade contractors must have those contractors take out their own trade permits. Under the application’s terms, using a subcontractor without a County licence is grounds for revoking the permit.
Application documents
Homes and small projects
- Application for Building/Moving Permit and/or Certificate of Occupancy, with heated and total square footage and value of work
- Address for the site
- Septic approval letter from the Health Department, where there is no sewer
- Copy of the building plans
- Notarized owner affidavit used by the Tax Assessor’s office
- Contractors: Authorized Permit Agent Form if someone else pulls the permit (one original per permit)
- Owner-builders: subcontractor list and Owner-Occupant affidavit
Commercial development
- Three copies of a site plan based on a registered surveyor’s survey, at 1 inch = 40 feet or larger
- Buildings with floor and roof levels relative to mean sea level, and state waters within 200 feet
- Drainage design report by a Georgia Professional Engineer
- Tree survey of trees 24 inches or more in diameter
- Flood hazard area statement and sign locations
- Erosion control permit where required
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Sealed architect or engineer drawings are required for assembly, educational and institutional buildings, buildings of three or more stories and buildings of 5,000 sq ft or more; single-family homes of any size do not need them.
How to apply: 6 steps in Wayne County
Inside Jesup, go to the City. In Odum or the unincorporated county, use Wayne County Building Inspections.
File the New Address Application with the site marked on a tax map, and get the Health Department’s septic approval letter if there is no sewer.
Use the Contractor Permit Packet if a licensed contractor is building, or the Owner-Builder Permit Packet if you are building your own home.
Submit the application, plans and affidavits at 341 E Walnut Street; the County site also links an online building permit page.
Pay the building and trade fees, then post the permit card on site before work starts.
Give 24 hours’ notice for each inspection; nobody may move in until the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Wayne County inspections
All inspections need 24 hours’ notice. The permit fee for a house covers a set number of visits:
Rather not deal with the Wayne County building department?
Get a free quote →| Inspection | Visits included |
|---|---|
| Footing / foundation / plumbing | 2 |
| Temporary power | 1 |
| Cover-up / framing | 2 |
| Permanent power | 1 |
| Final | 2 |
Further visits may cost $50 each. Owner-builders sign an affidavit agreeing that inspections follow the set sequence and that work done in violation of the codes must be corrected or may be ordered removed.
Utilities may not be connected to a new building until the building inspector releases it, and occupancy without a Certificate of Occupancy is prohibited. A permit lapses if work does not start within 6 months or stops for 6 months; extensions of up to 90 days can be requested in writing.
Local Wayne County details that matter
Manufactured homes: homes built before June 15, 1976 may not be set up in Wayne County. A state-licensed installer must set the home up and post the temporary install permit on a door or window. The first inspection checks footing pads, a 6 mil vapor barrier, the service panel, drain slope with a cleanout outside the skirting, the HVAC disconnect and the water cut-off; skirting goes on only after that inspection passes.
Driveways and culverts: driveways onto County roads need concrete culverts, and the Road Department decides whether one is required. Work in a County right-of-way needs a right-of-way permit; driveways onto state highways go to GDOT.
Large sites: on commercial sites over 1 acre, a copy of the stormwater Notice of Intent filed with Georgia EPD must reach the County inspection department at least 14 days before construction starts.
Accessory buildings: the County permit application notes that storage buildings, accessory structures and barns are not intended as living space.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Wayne County permit search and official resources
- Wayne County — Contact Information
- Wayne County — Building Permit Fee Schedule
- Wayne County — Commercial Development Site Plan Checklist
- Wayne County Contractor Permit Packet (2026)
- Wayne County Owner-Builder Permit Packet (2026)
- Wayne County Manufactured Home Permit Packet
- Wayne County New Address Application
- Wayne County Code of Ordinances (Municode)
- City of Jesup Building Inspections & Zoning
Wayne County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Wayne County, GA?
Wayne County Building Inspections, 341 E Walnut Street, Jesup (912-427-5920), for the unincorporated county and the City of Odum. The City of Jesup issues its own permits.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a building permit for a new house in Wayne County?
The house is valued at $100 per square foot and priced on the County fee schedule. A 2,000 sq ft home is valued at $200,000 and pays $425, plus $80 electrical, $75 plumbing and $65 HVAC permits.
Can I pull my own permit as a homeowner?
Yes, if you live or will live in the house. Use the Owner-Builder Permit Packet and its Owner-Occupant affidavit, and any licensed trade contractor you hire must pull their own trade permit.
Do I need an architect or engineer?
Not for a single-family home of any size. Sealed drawings are required for assembly, educational and institutional buildings, buildings of three or more stories and buildings of 5,000 sq ft or more.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Contact Building Inspections at least 24 hours ahead. A house permit includes a set number of visits, and extra visits may cost $50.
How much is a permit for a pole barn?
$75 for a pole barn or metal building under 4,000 sq ft, covering the structure and foundation; electrical, plumbing or HVAC add $55 each.
Can I move an older mobile home into Wayne County?
Not if it was built before June 15, 1976. Other homes need a set-up permit ($150 single wide, $300 double wide) and must be installed by a state-licensed installer.
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More Georgia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Wayne County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.