Unincorporated Stephens County

The county states all work to any structure, whether new construction, addition, or alteration to an existing structure, must be approved and permitted before construction begins

Note: No public Stephens County exempt-work list was found in the reviewed county materials

Building code

The county states it operates under and enforces International Building Codes as prescribed by the International Code Council, mandated and amended by the State of Georgia. The statewide DCA green sheet lists the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes effective January 1, 2026, including the 2024 IBC, IRC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IFC, and ISPSC, the 2023 NEC, and the 2015 IECC

Owner-builder

The county publicly posts a Homeowner Affidavit, indicating an owner-builder path is used for at least some permit types

Contractor requirements

Georgia residential contractor licensing rules apply. The county also publicly posts separate subcontractor affidavit and trade-specific permit forms

1. 01
   Before requesting a permit, contact the Health Department for soil/septic needs and obtain a 911 address for the property; if no address exists, use https://www.requestmyaddress.com/
2. 02
   Open the MyGov portal and create an account or log in, then use the Permits function to apply
3. 03
   Submit the correct application packet for the project type. The county publicly posts separate packets/applications for residential-commercial buildings, accessory structures, mobile homes, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, towers, signs, pools, RV-campers, and change of occupancy, plus homeowner and subcontractor affidavits
4. 04
   County staff reviews the application. The county states residential and commercial permit applications are processed within 24-48 hours, while mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits are processed at the time the application is submitted
5. 05
   Pay the quoted fees and post the permit where it is visible from the road once issued
6. 06
   Schedule inspections with the department. The county warns not to assume an inspection is scheduled until a confirmation email is received

Typical processing time: Residential/commercial 24-48 hours; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing at submission

Source: Stephens County Building Department / Building Inspections Department ↗

County warns it will never ask for a wire transfer or for added payment after the initial fee unless a reinspection or renewal is needed; portal payments route to GovernmentWindow

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ before budgeting.

• MyGov portal (phone)
• Phone: 706-898-5750 (phone)
• Email: scpermits@stephenscountyga.gov (email)
• Voicemail (phone)

Scheduling deadline

Requests received before 4:00 PM are scheduled for the next business day unless the schedule is full; no same-day inspections

Inspection hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM, closed daily noon-1:00 PM

Typical sequence: County requires a setback inspection for all homes before any concrete is poured; each inspection must pass before the next inspection can be scheduled; temporary or permanent power inspections trigger county notification to the utility after a pass; setback and final inspections cannot be satisfied by third-party letters

Source: Stephens County Building Department / Building Inspections Department ↗