Effingham County, GA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Development Services administers permitting under Sec. 14-51 through 14-61 of the Official Code, which adopt the International Building, Electrical, Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes with state and local amendments. An application must go to the building official on the county's form, describing the work and its location, and must be signed by the owner or an authorized agent (Sec. 14-56(e)). A permit application lapses if a permit has not been issued within six months of filing, though the building official may grant 90-day extensions on written, justified request (Sec.

14-56(f)). Once issued, a permit itself becomes invalid unless work starts within six months, or is not suspended for six months, with the same 90-day extension option (Sec. 14-56(s)(1)). Fees are set under Section 8.5 of the county's Zoning Ordinance in Appendix C, and must be paid before the permit issues; an amendment to a permit is not released until any additional fee tied to a higher estimated cost is paid (Sec. 14-56(u)(1)). Non-residential projects in the B-1, B-2, B-3, PD-Manufacturing, PD-Commercial, Light Industrial and Heavy Industrial zonings must also submit a site plan, prepared by a licensed engineer or surveyor, for approval by the board of commissioners before any building permit is reviewed or issued (Sec.

14-56(w)). Permits are not required for seven categories of portable or minor mechanical work, including portable heaters, ventilation equipment, coolers, evaporative coolers, and small self-contained refrigeration units of ten pounds or less of refrigerant. Working before a permit is issued triggers a fee penalty equal to 100 percent of the usual permit fee, on top of the permit fee itself (Sec. 14-56(u)(2)).