Macon-Bibb County allows accessory dwelling units as accessory uses in certain residential zones under the consolidated Macon-Bibb Comprehensive Land Development Resolution (CLDR). ADUs must be subordinate to the principal single-family dwelling and require both a zoning compliance review by the Planning & Zoning Commission and a building permit from the Building Inspection Division.
After the 2014 consolidation of the City of Macon and Bibb County, the unified Macon-Bibb Comprehensive Land Development Resolution governs zoning. The CLDR treats accessory dwelling units as accessory uses to a single-family residence, permitted in selected residential districts subject to district-specific standards. Typical requirements derived from the CLDR's accessory-use chapter: the ADU must be clearly subordinate to the principal dwelling; only one ADU is allowed per parcel; the ADU must comply with the underlying district's setbacks (commonly 5 ft side and 10 ft rear for accessory structures in single-family districts); height is limited to that of the principal structure; and the lot must continue to satisfy the minimum lot-area, lot-width, and impervious-coverage requirements of the district. Permitting flows through the Macon-Bibb Planning & Zoning Commission (1180 Riverside Drive) for zoning compliance, then to the Building Inspection Division for a building permit issued under the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes (O.C.G.A. §8-2-20) — currently the 2018 IRC with Georgia amendments. Mobile homes and travel trailers are not permitted as ADUs. The CLDR has been amended several times since consolidation, so applicants should verify current standards with Planning & Zoning before designing.
Building an ADU without a zoning compliance review or building permit triggers a Code Enforcement citation under the CLDR with stop-work orders, daily fines, and possible orders to remove the structure. Operating an unpermitted ADU as a rental compounds the violation under the Macon-Bibb occupation-tax certificate ordinance.
Macon, GA
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Macon, GA
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Macon, GA
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Macon, GA
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Macon, GA
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Macon, GA
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See how Macon's adu permits rules stack up against other locations.
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