Building Setbacks & Zoning in Barrow County, GA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Barrow County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
In unincorporated Barrow County, every principal building must sit back from its street, side and rear lot lines by the exact distances Table 4.1 sets for the property's zoning district. County Code Section 89-404 also pushes the front setback out to 100 feet along any arterial road, and the strictest rural district, AG, keeps a 50-foot front, 40-foot side and 40-foot rear yard.
Barrow County Yard Setback Minimums by Zone
Some RestrictionsBarrow County Code §§ 89-403, 89-404 (Table 4.1)
Sec. 89-404. - Minimum setbacks; principal buildings. (a)All principal buildings on a lot shall be setback from the street right-of-way lines and from the side and rear lot lines bounding the lot no less than the distances shown on Table 4.1.(b)Minimum setback along highways. For any lot that adjoins an arterial road, the minimum building setback along such road shall be 100 feet from the right...
Structure Height Limits
Unincorporated Barrow County caps building and structure heights by zoning district under Table 4.1, but section 89-405 layers on its own rules: a hard 35-foot ceiling with no exceptions inside the Airport Hazard Overlay District, a 200-foot cap on exempt structures like silos and church spires, and separate height limits on fences and freestanding walls that run as low as four feet.
Barrow County Building Height Limits by Zone
Some RestrictionsBarrow County Code § 89-405
Sec. 89-405. - Building and structure heights. ... (b)Maximum building and structure heights. The maximum height of all buildings and structures in each zoning district, except as otherwise provided in this section, shall be as shown on Table 4.1.(1)The maximum height for all buildings and structures within the AHO airport hazard overlay district shall be 35 feet and shall not exceed AHO height...
Lot Coverage Limits
Unincorporated Barrow County caps impervious surface at 25 percent inside its small water supply watersheds: Cedar Creek, Laurel Lane Reservoir, Fort Yargo Lake, Barber's Creek and Bear Creek. That cap covers every building, driveway, parking area and utility pad on the property. A landowner who needs more coverage cannot get it administratively; the board of commissioners must approve the overage as a special use.
Barrow County Watershed Impervious Surface Cap
Some RestrictionsBarrow County Code § 89-999(a)
(a)Impervious surface area restricted. The impervious surface area, including all public and private structures, utilities or facilities, of the entire watershed protection area shall be limited to 25 percent. The board of commissioners must approve any individual development that will result in more impervious surface than 25 percent of the total area of the property as a special use. See the ...
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