Barrow County, GA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)

Chapter 22's construction-codes article lists the Georgia State Energy Code for Buildings as item (8) of the technical codes the county enforces, "as adopted and amended by the state department of community affairs" (§ 22-31(a)(8)). The applicability section spells out exactly what that code reaches: it "shall regulate the design of building envelopes for adequate thermal resistance and low air leakage and the design and selection of mechanical, electrical, service water heating and illumination systems and equipment that will enable the effective use of energy in new building construction" (§ 22-34(a)(9)).

That single sentence sweeps in insulation, air sealing, HVAC equipment, water heaters and lighting design together rather than treating any one of them as a stand-alone "green" requirement. Compliance is checked through two energy-specific inspections under § 22-98(f)(6): a frame inspection made "before the exterior wall insulation is concealed by wall board," which checks the insulation installation and confirms "all holes and cracks through the structure envelope have been sealed" to restrict air passage, and a final inspection made after the building is complete that verifies the installed R-value of ceiling and floor insulation and confirms appliances carry the correct SEER ratings.

Because the energy code is one of the article's "technical codes" under § 22-32, it is administered through the same building-official permit and inspection process as the building, electrical and plumbing codes, and a builder cannot get a certificate of occupancy under § 22-99 until the energy inspections, like the others, have been released.