Effingham County, GA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Lot Coverage Limits (2026)

Zoning Ordinance § 5.5.3, the 'Lot and building requirements' table for the R-1-A Single-Family Residential District (Alternative), lists 'Maximum percent of lot coverage' at 30 percent, meaning the footprint of a principal building, its attached garage and any other structures counted toward lot coverage cannot together exceed three-tenths of the total lot area. The same table sets minimum lot areas of 12,000 square feet with public water and sewer, 21,780 square feet with public water only, and 43,560 square feet, one acre, with private water and septic, so the 30-percent ceiling applies against whichever of those minimums the parcel actually meets; a larger private-well lot allows more square footage of coverage in absolute terms even though the percentage cap stays the same.

R-1-A applies this cap to 'principal buildings' specifically, the heading under which the whole dimensional table sits, and pairs it with a 100-foot building line, a 35-foot front yard, and a 35-foot maximum building height. Development Services checks the lot-coverage figure against the submitted site plan at the building-permit stage, using the footprint shown on the plan rather than a self-reported estimate, and a homeowner proposing an addition, detached garage or accessory structure that would push the parcel over 30 percent needs either a redesign or a variance from the board of zoning appeals before the county will issue a permit.