Unincorporated Washington County

The county's permit information sheet states development permits are required in unincorporated Washington County for new or used mobile homes, residential or commercial construction, remodels, new outbuildings over 400 square feet, new RV parks, mobile home parks, subdivisions with private roads, and new or rebuilt driveways. The county road department page also states permits are required for remodels and for new outbuildings over 400 square feet.

• Exempt The Road Department page states there are no requirements for pools in the county.

Note: No broader public exempt-work list was found in the reviewed county sources.

Building code

Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes apply statewide through DCA. No separate Washington County local amendment package for unincorporated construction was found in the reviewed source set.

Owner-builder

No county-specific owner-builder rule was found in the reviewed county permit materials.

Contractor requirements

Georgia state contractor licensing rules apply where applicable. For used mobile homes, the county relies on third-party inspection by a certified home inspector, licensed contractor, or municipal building inspector.

1. 01
   If needed, apply for an E-911 address first. The county says each residence or commercial establishment must have its own address, the site must be staked out before an address is issued, the fee is $50, and turnaround can take up to 7 business days.
2. 02
   Apply for the county development permit after obtaining a valid E-911 address. The county states this permit is required for residential or commercial construction, all new additions or outbuildings over 400 square feet, new subdivisions, RV parks, mobile home parks, new or used mobile homes, and pool houses.
3. 03
   Complete the required county site visit before construction starts. The county states development permits require one or more site visits and turnaround is typically 5 to 10 business days.
4. 04
   If the project involves human occupancy served by septic, apply for the septic tank permit after obtaining the E-911 address and development permit. The county says septic permits are issued by the Board of Health and may take up to 20 business days depending on state testing schedules.
5. 05
   If the project includes a driveway or other county right-of-way encroachment, obtain the county permit and site visit approval. If the project involves transporting a used mobile or manufactured home, obtain the transport permit before moving the unit to the site and provide the required third-party inspection documentation.

Typical processing time: Up to 7 business days for E-911 addresses, typically 5 to 10 business days for development permits, up to 20 business days for septic permits, and up to 10 business days for county right-of-way encroachments

Source: Washington County Board of Assessors for development permits, E-911 addresses, county right-of-way driveway permits, and mobile home transport permits ↗

The Road Department page states payments can be made by cash or check, and credit or debit is accepted with a 4 percent service fee.

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

• County permit review is handled through the Board of Assessors by phone, email, or in person (phone)
• Septic inspection is coordinated through the Board of Health after county site review (phone)

Inspection hours

The Road Department page states permits can be obtained by phone from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

Typical sequence: E-911 address site visit if needed, county development permit site visit before construction, septic review for occupied structures if applicable, county right-of-way review for driveway work if applicable, and third-party used mobile home inspection where required

Existing septic systems require re-inspection and approval by the Health Department when a new or used mobile home is brought to an existing home site