Chatham County, Georgia Building Department 2026: Permits, Inspections & Services

Chatham County Building Permits, Inspections & Official Services

If your property is in unincorporated Chatham County, Georgia, building permits, construction plan review, inspections, zoning administration and several related services are handled through the Chatham County Department of Building Safety & Regulatory Services.

The first thing to check is jurisdiction. A Savannah mailing address does not automatically mean Chatham County issues your permit. Properties inside Savannah, Pooler, Garden City, Port Wentworth, Tybee Island, Thunderbolt, Bloomingdale or another incorporated municipality may use that city’s permitting office instead.

First, Make Sure Chatham County Is the Right Permit Office

This simple check can save you a wasted trip and a rejected application. Chatham County’s building ordinance generally applies to unincorporated areas of the county and to municipalities that have an agreement for county enforcement.

Use SAGIS to locate the parcel by address or Property Identification Number (PIN). The Metropolitan Planning Commission explains that SAGIS can show property and zoning information, but an online map should not be treated as the final legal zoning determination.

If the property is actually within Savannah city limits, use the City of Savannah Development Services Department. Savannah handles its own building permits and inspections through its city system.

What Work Requires a Chatham County Building Permit?

Chatham County publishes a fairly broad permit-required list. A permit may be needed even when the project feels small to a homeowner.

County guidance identifies permit requirements for work including new buildings, garages, carports, porches, decks, room additions, accessory and storage buildings, renovations, door and window replacement, structural beam or joist work, foundation repair, conversion of non-habitable areas to living space, interior partitioning, pools, fences, canopies, awnings, certain retaining walls, demolition, reroofing, antennas, exterior stairs and ramps, signs, storage tanks and parking lots.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work also generally requires permits unless the responsible inspection authority determines otherwise.

Retaining walls over 18 inches, excavation and fill that changes elevation near property lines can also trigger Engineering review. That detail matters in Chatham County because drainage, floodplain and coastal conditions can turn a seemingly basic project into a multi-department review.

How to Apply for a Chatham County Building Permit

1. Confirm jurisdiction. Check that the property is in unincorporated Chatham County before preparing a county application.
2. Find the parcel PIN and property details. Use your tax record or SAGIS. New-construction applications request the PIN, project address and flood-zone information.
3. Choose the correct permit packet. Open the official permit forms page. Separate applications are available for new construction, additions, remodeling, roofing, fences, pools and spas, electrical work, plumbing, mechanical work, demolition, storage buildings, docks, signs and other project types.
4. Collect outside approvals before submitting. Depending on the project, this can include Environmental Health, Public Works, Engineering or Metropolitan Planning Commission approval.
5. Prepare the plans and supporting documents. The County’s new-construction packet calls for items such as site plans, construction drawings, energy-compliance documents, contractor licensing information and subcontractor signatures.
6. Check the application for completeness. Chatham County specifically warns that incomplete applications may be returned rather than entering the normal permitting process.
7. Submit the packet. The County’s current forms page directs applicants to 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah, GA 31406. Published intake hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. It states that permit applications cannot be submitted by fax or email.
8. Wait for issuance before beginning regulated work. Application submission is not the same as permit approval. Keep the issued permit and County-approved plans available at the project site.

Documents Commonly Needed for New Construction

The County’s residential/commercial new-construction packet is useful because it shows what often causes an application to be returned.

Project type changes the checklist. An addition, fence, dock, pool or reroofing job will not use exactly the same packet as a new commercial building.

Chatham County Building Permit Fees in 2026

A County permit document updated in 2026 publishes a plan-review fee of $2 per $1,000 of construction value. That plan-review amount is credited toward the building permit fee rather than added on top of it.

Do not calculate your final invoice from these figures alone. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, pool, sign, dock and other permits can have separate charges, and project valuation rules or other reviews can affect the amount due.

What Happens After the Permit Is Issued?

Do not put the permit in a desk drawer. County guidance requires the permit to remain posted at the job site, protected and visible from the right-of-way while the permitted work is underway.

Keep the County-stamped approved drawings available at the site. If the approved design changes during construction, submit revised drawings for review rather than simply building from an altered set.

Chatham County Building Inspection Sequence

The exact inspections depend on the project, but the County’s current inspection-requirements document lays out a typical progression.

The County’s inspection document says a building should not be occupied without the required Certificate of Occupancy. Flood-zone projects also need applicable flood documentation and Engineering approval before the CO and electrical power release.

For current inspection scheduling instructions, call Building Safety & Regulatory Services at 912-201-4300 with the permit number, project address and inspection type ready. The County publishes the inspection sequence clearly, but the reviewed public pages do not provide one universal scheduling method for every permit type.

How to Search Chatham County Building Permits

You do not have to visit the office simply to look for an existing permit. The County’s Building Safety website links to its EnerGov/Tyler public permit-search system.

1. Open the Chatham County Building Permit Search.
2. Use the public search tools offered by the portal.
3. Search using the permit or project information you have, such as the address or permit number.
4. Open the matching record and review the available status or permit details.
5. If the record is unclear, call 912-201-4300 before assuming a permit is closed, expired or approved for additional work.

This is especially useful when buying a home, checking whether an addition was permitted, following an active construction project or confirming that a permit has reached final approval.

Zoning Comes Before Building Approval

A structure can satisfy construction-code requirements and still violate zoning. Before designing an addition, detached garage, shed, fence, commercial conversion or new building, check permitted use, setbacks and other site restrictions.

The Metropolitan Planning Commission explains that the public can use an address or PIN in SAGIS to research zoning. For an official zoning determination or zoning-verification letter for unincorporated property, contact Chatham County’s zoning administration.

If your project needs a variance, rezoning, subdivision approval or special-use action, handle that early. Waiting until the building-permit packet is ready can cause avoidable redesign work.

Flood Zones Are a Major Part of Building in Chatham County

Flood review is not a minor issue in coastal Chatham County. County Engineering states that construction, additions, conversions and development in special flood-hazard areas must comply with the County’s flood-damage-prevention requirements.

For flood-zone construction, expect Engineering review and elevation-related documentation. The County’s current inspection sheet specifically requires an Under Construction Elevation Certificate at the subfloor stage for structures built in a flood zone and requires applicable flood documentation before final occupancy approval.

Also check land disturbance before clearing, grading or digging. County inspection guidance says erosion-control requirements and a Chatham County Engineering Land Disturbing Activity permit can apply before site work begins.

Which Building Codes Apply in Chatham County in 2026?

This is an area where checking the date of the source matters. Chatham County’s Building Safety homepage still displays a code list labeled as of January 1, 2021, including the 2018 I-Codes and 2020 NEC.

Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs currently publishes newer statewide minimum construction-code information for 2026, including the 2024 International Building Code, 2024 International Residential Code, 2024 plumbing, mechanical and fuel-gas codes, the 2023 National Electrical Code, the 2024 swimming-pool code and applicable Georgia amendments. Georgia continues to list the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code with state supplements and amendments.

For additional context on how Georgia’s statewide code system interacts with local permit offices, you can also review our Georgia-focused building code discussion in the Atlanta code guide. The local permitting rules are different, but the statewide Georgia code layer is relevant throughout the state.

Homeowner Permits and Contractor Information

Chatham County publishes a Homeowner Affidavit and asks for contractor and subcontractor licensing information in applicable permit packets. A homeowner doing eligible work should not assume that owner-builder status removes plan review, trade requirements or inspections.

Where licensed contractors or subcontractors are used, prepare the requested Georgia license and local business-license information. New-construction packets also include a subcontractor signature page for plumbing, electrical, HVAC and other trades where applicable.

County Office Contact Information

If Your Property Is Inside Savannah

Stop before submitting a County application. Savannah Development Services says it permits and inspects construction within Savannah city limits and uses its own eTRAC system for building, trade and site permits.

Start with the City of Savannah building permit page instead. This distinction is one of the most important parts of getting a Chatham-area permit right the first time.

If you are researching Georgia permitting beyond Chatham County, our Atlanta building department guide covers another major Georgia jurisdiction, while the USBuilding.org building department guides can help locate information for other areas.

Common Mistakes That Delay Chatham County Permits

• Applying to Chatham County for a property that is actually inside a municipality.
• Submitting an incomplete application without required outside approvals.
• Leaving out the site plan, construction drawings or required energy documentation.
• Ignoring septic, flood-zone, Public Works or Engineering approvals.
• Beginning work before the permit is issued.
• Covering electrical, plumbing, structural or mechanical work before inspection.
• Failing to keep approved plans and the permit at the job site.
• Treating an online zoning map as an official zoning determination.
• Using an old building-code edition without checking current Georgia amendments.
• Occupying a building before required final approvals and Certificate of Occupancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Information reviewed for 2026. USBuilding.org is an independent informational resource and is not Chatham County government. Permit requirements, fees, adopted codes, forms and review procedures can change. The responsible government agency makes the final determination for a specific property and project.