Unincorporated Murray County

Murray County Land Use / Zoning lists building permits among the applications it processes. The county building-inspection page states the department performs permitting and inspections for construction work in unincorporated Murray County.

• Exempt Ordinary repairs to structures
• Exempt Replacement of lamps
• Exempt Connection of approved portable electrical equipment to approved permanently installed receptacles

Note: Exempt work does not include cutting away walls or partitions, removing structural members or load-bearing supports, changing required means of egress, or adding, altering, replacing, or relocating standpipes, water supply, sewer, drainage, gas, electrical wiring, mechanical systems, or other work affecting public health or general safety. Emergency equipment replacements and repairs still require a permit application by the next business day.

Building code

Murray County Code Chapter 18 adopts by reference the latest editions of the listed construction codes as adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. The county building page also links applicants to Georgia amendments and code resources.

Permit validity

The county's 2026 land-development application states permits are valid for 1 year from issuance. It also states the application fee is non-refundable once the form has been processed.

Owner-builder

No county-specific owner-builder affidavit or public owner-builder rule was located in the sources reviewed for standard building permits.

Contractor requirements

The county inspection schedule states all licensed contractors involved with each project must come into the Building Inspection Office and sign the permit for their respective portion of the project, with photo ID and contractor license. Georgia state law separately requires residential contractors performing work over $2,500 to hold the required state license.

1. 01
   Confirm zoning and land-use constraints with Murray County Land Use / Zoning, including setbacks, flood-hazard status, driveway access, mountain-protection, and land-disturbance triggers noted on the county application.
2. 02
   Obtain prerequisite outside approvals where applicable. Murray County code states building permits will not be issued until water-supply and sewage-disposal plans have been approved by the county board of health.
3. 03
   Complete the Murray County Land Development Application. The public form asks for applicant and owner information, mailing and site addresses, building type, description of work, square footage, and manufactured-home details if applicable.
4. 04
   Assemble required attachments identified on the county form as applicable, including property record, pre-bill, decal number, bill of sale/title, aerial photo, zoning map, flood map, and environmental-health septic information.
5. 05
   Submit the application to the county building office. Public county materials identify the Building Inspection Department at 121 N. Fourth Ave. as the permit office and publish county building-inspector contacts and department phone lines, but do not publish a dedicated online submission workflow.
6. 06
   After permit issuance, each licensed contractor involved in the project must come into the Building Inspection Office and sign the permit for that contractor's portion of the work, bringing photo ID and contractor license credentials.
7. 07
   Call inspections at least one day in advance and complete the required inspection sequence before occupancy. Final inspection and issuance of a certificate of occupancy are required before use or occupancy.

Typical processing time: No public permit-review turnaround was found. Inspections must be called at least one day in advance.

Source: Murray County Building Inspection Department ↗

The county application states the application fee is non-refundable once the form has been processed.

• Call the Murray County Building Inspection Department (phone)

Scheduling deadline

All inspections must be called for at least one day in advance

Inspection hours

Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Typical sequence: The county's published inspection schedule lists footing, foundation, slab, rough-in, insulation, pre-final power, and final inspection for certificate of occupancy.

No public county reinspection-fee sheet was found. County code requires work to remain accessible and exposed for inspection until approved. County final-inspection materials also state the structure must not be occupied before final inspection and certificate of occupancy.