Columbus, GA Accessory Structures: Carport Rules (2026)

There is no statewide Georgia statute that pre-empts local carport rules, so detached and attached carports inside the consolidated Columbus-Muscogee County government are controlled entirely by the Columbus Unified Development Ordinance (Appendix A of the Code of Ordinances) and the building permit program run by the Inspections & Code Department. As an accessory structure, a carport must be incidental to the principal residential use of the lot, must comply with the setback, height, and lot-coverage standards for the underlying zoning district (set district-by-district in the UDO and on the city's GIS zoning map), and may not be placed in a required front yard or right-of-way. A residential building permit is required before any carport - prefabricated metal kit, site-built wood, or attached addition - is constructed, anchored, or enclosed; the application is filed with the Inspections & Code Office at 420 10th Street, and zoning verification is done through the CCG Planning Department at 1111 1st Avenue, 3rd Floor (706-653-4116). Anchoring details must satisfy the adopted Georgia State Minimum Standard Building Code wind load provisions, and any electrical service to the carport (lighting, outlets, EV charging) requires a separate electrical permit. Converting a carport to an enclosed garage or to habitable space is a separate scope that requires plan review for egress, energy code, and possible re-evaluation of off-street parking and lot coverage.