St. Marys, GA — 2026 Building Permit Guide

On this page 6

§ 01

Permit authority

Building Department

Street address

418 Osborne Street, St. Marys, GA 31558

Phone

(912) 510-4032

buildinginspections@stmarysga.gov

Coverage

The Building Department handles permitting and inspections for building and development throughout the City of St. Marys.

Online portal

St. Marys Cloudpermit Portal

Cloudpermit

Website

Department website

Additional resources

§ 02

When a permit is required

Permit triggers and exempt work for St. Marys

Residential and commercial building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, low-voltage, pool, and related construction work

Note: No public exempt-work list was found on the reviewed St. Marys building-permit pages. The city does publish exemptions in its soil-erosion ordinance, but that is not a general building-permit exemption list.

Required documents

Completed permit application
Site plan by Georgia registered surveyor
Signed and sealed design documents where required by Georgia law
Foundation plan
Floor plan
Elevations
Wall details
Electrical plan
Plumbing plan
Mechanical plan
Elevation certificates where applicable
Signed contract
Contractor license information
Occupational tax documentation

Building code: IBC 2024 with Georgia amendments, IRC 2024 with Georgia amendments, IFC 2024, NFPA 101 2024, IPC 2024 with Georgia amendments, IMC 2024 with Georgia amendments, IFGC 2024 with Georgia amendments, ISPSC 2024 with Georgia amendments, NEC 2023, IECC 2024 with Georgia supplements and amendments, IPMC 2024 with Georgia amendments, and IEBC 2024 with Georgia amendments
Owner-builder: Homeowner permit affidavit required. Requires owner occupancy, a 2-year no sale or rental period after certificate of occupancy for new construction, and licensed subcontractors for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and low-voltage work.
Contractor requirements: Contractor license information and occupational tax certificates required; license verification should be checked through the Georgia Secretary of State

§ 03

Application process

Typical processing: Residential packets submitted by Friday noon are reviewed Wednesday morning, with approval or denial notice within 2 business days after review; commercial preliminary plan review can take up to 4 weeks

01

Create a Cloudpermit account using the city-published Forms and Permits link
02

Submit the building request online through Cloudpermit (required as of January 25, 2024)
03

Upload the required packet items including completed permit applications, LDA approval before plan review, survey/site-plan materials, foundation and floor plans, trade plans, contractor licensing and occupational tax documentation, signed contract, and elevation certificates where applicable
04

Submit all materials by 12:00 noon Friday for the city's Wednesday review committee cycle
05

After approval, the city emails the fee schedule and any notes within 2 business days; denials are also emailed within 2 business days
06

Keep the permit, site inspection sheet, and plans on site in a doc box and request inspections through Cloudpermit after issuance

Typical processing time: Residential packets submitted by Friday noon are reviewed Wednesday morning, with approval or denial notice within 2 business days after review; commercial preliminary plan review can take up to 4 weeks

§ 04

Fee schedule

St. Marys building permit fees

Fee type

Amount

Minimum permit fee

$100 minimum on plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and similar trade permits ($50 plus $50 admin fee)

Permit fee formula

Trade permits are 2% of actual contract cost, minimum $50, plus $50 admin fee; the reviewed public sources do not publish a single consolidated formula for every building-permit type

The city emails fee schedule after review; online payments are separately available through the city payment vendor

§ 05

Required inspections

Scheduling and sequence

How to schedule

Cloudpermit (for permits issued after 2/1/2024) (phone)

Scheduling deadline: 2:00 p.m. the day prior
Time windows: Inspection requests and cancellations must be submitted no later than 2:00 p.m. the day prior

Typical sequence: Setbacks, sediment control, termite treatment record, bond beam, pier/footer/slab, wall and roof nail-off, windows and doors, framing prior to cover-up, insulation, strapping, gas vent, gas letters and code-compliance letters, post-elevation certificates, and final certificate of occupancy; plus separate plumbing, electrical, HVAC, low-voltage, fire/life-safety, public-works, and pool inspection items

§ 06

Frequently asked

Common questions about St. Marys permits

01 Do I need a building permit in St. Marys, GA? ▸

Residential and commercial building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, low-voltage, pool, and related construction work

02 How much does a building permit cost in St. Marys, GA? ▸

Building permit fees in St. Marys, GA are set by the local building department and vary by project type and valuation. The minimum permit fee is $100 minimum on plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and similar trade permits ($50 plus $50 admin fee). Fees are calculated as: Trade permits are 2% of actual contract cost, minimum $50, plus $50 admin fee; the reviewed public sources do not publish a single consolidated formula for every building-permit type.

03 How do I apply for a building permit in St. Marys, GA? ▸

To apply for a building permit in St. Marys, GA, follow these steps: 1. Create a Cloudpermit account using the city-published Forms and Permits link 2. Submit the building request online through Cloudpermit (required as of January 25, 2024) 3. Upload the required packet items including completed permit applications, LDA approval before plan review, survey/site-plan materials, foundation and floor plans, trade plans, contractor licensing and occupational tax documentation, signed contract, and elevation certificates where applicable 4. Submit all materials by 12:00 noon Friday for the city's Wednesday review committee cycle 5. After approval, the city emails the fee schedule and any notes within 2 business days; denials are also emailed within 2 business days 6. Keep the permit, site inspection sheet, and plans on site in a doc box and request inspections through Cloudpermit after issuance

04 How long does it take to get a building permit in St. Marys, GA? ▸

Building permit processing times in St. Marys, GA typically run Residential packets submitted by Friday noon are reviewed Wednesday morning, with approval or denial notice within 2 business days after review; commercial preliminary plan review can take up to 4 weeks. Timelines can vary based on project complexity and current department workload.

05 How do I schedule a building inspection in St. Marys, GA? ▸

Once your permit is issued and work reaches an inspection milestone, you can schedule a building inspection in St. Marys, GA via: Cloudpermit (for permits issued after 2/1/2024). 2:00 p.m. the day prior.

last verified April 2026 entry id permits/georgia/camden/st-marys

Report a correction

Educational reference. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with Building Department before applying. Jaspector is not legal advice.

City of St. Marys

Other jurisdictions in Camden County.