Glynn County, GA Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)

Section 502(b) of the Glynn County Zoning Ordinance sets the baseline height framework: no building anywhere in unincorporated Glynn County may exceed the height limit set for its zoning district, and any exceptions run through Article VI, Section 617. For the county's core one-family residential districts, R-6, R-9, M-6, M-9, Mh-6 and Mh-9, Section 701.5(8) fixes that limit at 35 feet, with the first story allowed to include structured parking. The same 35-foot cap applies to the larger-lot R-12, R-20, M-12, M-20, Mh-12, and Mh-20 districts under Section 702.5(8), and to the RE One-Family Residential Estates District under Section 703.4(7).

Because St. Simons Island is designated an Area of Scenic Beauty and Historic Interest, Section 502(b) layers an island-specific rule on top of the district limits: no building on St. Simons Island may exceed 45 feet or four stories, and no more than three of those stories may be habitable. The area above the top habitable story is restricted to limited storage, mechanical equipment, or roof ventilation systems. A stricter overlay applies along Ocean Boulevard between Mallery Street and East Beach Causeway, where Section 502(c) caps height at 35 feet regardless of what the underlying district would otherwise allow, and buildings that became nonconforming when that rule took effect on February 17, 2022 may rebuild to their original height if the owner documents the building predated that date and repairs begin within two years.

Substandard lots of record get their own sliding-scale height cap tied to how far below the district minimum the lot falls, running from 22 feet up to the full district height, under Section 507.2.