Walton County, GA Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)

4 acres if the lot relies on a well. A guest house is treated strictly as an accessory use to the primary residence, capped at no more than 800 square feet, whether it is called a guest house, tenant house or caretaker house. The rental or lease of a guest house is flatly prohibited, so it cannot be used as a separate income unit. The same section separately allows Caretaker Houses by right in the county's commercial and industrial districts, B-2, B-3, TC, MUBP, M-1 and M-2, for on-site staff.

Any of these units must maintain a residential appearance and produce no impact in appearance, noise, light or traffic detrimental to neighboring properties. Detailed design standards apply: a minimum roof pitch of 5:12, roofing limited to asphalt or fiberglass shingles, wood shakes, standing seam metal, clay tile, slate or Director-approved equivalents, exterior walls of wood, brick, stone, masonry or fiber cement siding with vinyl and aluminum siding prohibited, minimum 12-inch roof overhangs, no exposed unpainted wood on the front facade except porch flooring, a permanent slab or pier foundation meeting IRC standards, and a minimum six-by-eight-foot front porch, patio or deck with code-compliant steps.