How to Get Chatham County Building Permits

Getting a building permit in Chatham County can be complicated, but it shouldn't be. It should be easy to build on your property, but it can be confusing to determine how to get a building permit with all the paperwork.

And it's not just Chatham County; Florida can be just as bad; from Palm Beach to Sarasota getting a building permit can be a nightmare. It's even worse in big cities like Los Angeles and Chicago when it really shouldn't be so complicated at all.

This guide will talk about when you need a , how to get a building permit yourself, and why you should rely on DoNotPay to get a permit in no time.

When Is a Building Permit Necessary in Chatham County?

A building permit is necessary for the following reasons:

New structures including main buildings, garages, carports, attached porches, sun decks, room additions, and extensions or enlargement of existing rooms, accessory buildings, storage buildings, tool sheds, renovations, door and window replacements;
Work which involves the installation, removal, or cutting of any structural beam, joists replacement, or bearing support, foundations and footing repair or replacement, underpinning or shoring of structure;
Any work that changes the class of construction or occupancy class of the building;
Conversion of basement or other below-grade space, attic, storage, or other non-habitable space to living quarters (such as bedrooms, kitchens, dining rooms, etc.);
Partitioning of any existing habitable space;
Swimming pools that involve structural work or supports and all pools that have a permanently equipped water circulating system;
Fences, canopies, awnings;
Retaining walls over 18" high;
All excavations and retaining walls over 18" high and earth fill site work creating any permanent change of elevation along property lines require the County Engineering Department's review.
Removal or demolition of any building or structures;
Re-roofing;
Radio, television or other antennas, freestanding attached to and on the roof of a building;
Exterior stairs, steps, or ramps;
All signage, except as directed in Section 7-17 of the Chatham County Zoning Ordinance.
Underground or above ground storage tanks;
Parking Lots;
All electrical, plumbing and mechanical work require a permit unless waived by the Director of Inspections or designated authority.

How to Get a Building Permit in Chatham County

Submit completed applications, along with any necessary attachments, to 1117 Eisenhower Dr., Savannah, GA 31406. Applications can be submitted Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 3:30 pm. Applications CANNOT be accepted by fax or email.

There are problems with all these solutions. First, to pay the fees for your permit, you have to go to the offices in person. And you may not have time to go to the office in person, especially since they're only open Mondays through Fridays.

Further, once you figure out how to apply, there are all the fees, and the building permit request form is long and confusing. DoNotPay makes it easy to get a permit for what you are building and fills the application out for you with just a bit of information.

What Fees Are Associated With Getting a Permit?

Permit fees range from flat fees to per square foot. These are some of the most basic impact fees you can expect to pay:

Impact Fee
Single-family home Mobile home Modular home	$3,500
Multi-family home Duplex	$1,100
Single-family dwelling Modular home Detached garage *Includes anything under the roof (front porches, unfinished space, etc.)	.30 per square foot

You can find the full list of fees associated with getting a building permit here.

How to Get a Building Permit in Chatham County With the Help of DoNotPay

DoNotPay takes the pain out of applying for . We'll find the exact rules of the area of Chatham County you're in, fill out the application form, and get you the lowest possible processing fee.

How to apply for a Building Permit Fast in Chatham County with DoNotPay:

If you want to apply for a building permit fast in Chatham County but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered. Create your own cancellation letter in 6 easy steps:

Go to the Planning Permissions product on DoNotPay.
Choose one of the following options:

Check whether your project needs a building permit or if it's exempt
Generate a permission request letter to send to your HOA
Generate a guide on how to complete the building permit application

Choose the focus of your project (new ADU, pool, shed, fence, etc.) and answer a few questions about your plans, including the size of the structure and estimated cost.
Indicate whether you're hiring a contractor and include the estimated start date and timeline for the project.
Indicate whether any public sidewalk/street space will be used during construction.
And that's it! DoNotPay will help guide you through the building permit process by checking if your project needs a building permit, contacting any HOAs you're a part of to request building permission, or generating detailed instructions on how to start and complete your building permit application process.