Bolthole Index

DeKalb County, Georgia

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Dunwoody, Georgia

The City of Dunwoody, Georgia (DeKalb County) requires a building permit for construction, repair, alteration or addition to a structure1. The city adopts its own zoning in Chapter 27 of its code2. Septic permits for a lot using an on-site system come from DeKalb Public Health Environmental Health, not the city3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required; issued by the community development director or a building inspector1
Zoning
Dunwoody adopts its own zoning (Chapter 27 of the city code)2
Single-dwelling districts
R-150, R-100, R-85, R-75, R-60, R-50, RA-5 and RA-84
Building height
35 ft principal building, 20 ft accessory buildings5
Septic
Permit required from DeKalb Public Health Environmental Health3
Owner-builder
DeKalb County lets homeowners act as their own contractor on a primary residence with a Homeowner’s Affidavit; Dunwoody’s own rule is unconfirmed6
RV or tiny home living
Not confirmed for private land; camping in public places needs a designated area or permit7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Dunwoody Community Development: Permits & Inspections

Building permits, inspections and code enforcement inside Dunwoody city limits

678-382-6821

permits@dunwoodyga.gov

4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338

Floodplain permits

DeKalb County Floodplain Management

Floodplain questions and property-specific floodplain guidance for DeKalb County, including Dunwoody

404-297-2567

floodplainmanagement@dekalbcountyga.gov

Septic permits

DeKalb Public Health Environmental Health

Septic permits, site evaluations and inspections for lots in DeKalb County, including those inside Dunwoody

dekalb.eh@dph.ga.gov

445 Winn Way, Suite 320, Decatur, GA 30030

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 16, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Dunwoody means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Dunwoody, Georgia have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Dunwoody adopts its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 27 of the city code, for land inside the city limits2. Its single-dwelling districts are R-150, R-100, R-85, R-75, R-60, R-50, RA-5 and RA-84.

Minimum lot area depends on the district: R-150 requires 43,560 square feet (one acre), R-100 requires 15,000, R-85 requires 12,000, R-75 requires 10,000, R-60 requires 8,000 and R-50 requires 6,000 square feet8. Detached houses in RA-5 and RA-8 follow the R-50 regulations8.

In R-100, the street setback is 35 feet, the interior side setback is 10 feet and the rear setback is 40 feet; R-150 needs 45 feet and R-60 needs 30 feet on the street side9. Corner lots have street setbacks on every street frontage9. Principal buildings may be 35 feet tall and accessory buildings 20 feet5.

Do you need a building permit in Dunwoody, and who issues it?

Yes. A Dunwoody building permit is written permission issued by the community development director or a building inspector for the construction, repair, alteration or addition to a structure1. We could not confirm any small-project exemption, so ask the city before assuming a shed or deck is exempt.

The City of Dunwoody Community Development office takes permit questions at 678-382-6821 or permits@dunwoodyga.gov10. DeKalb County’s permit division serves unincorporated areas, and its own page warns that a project inside an incorporated DeKalb city may have a different permitting authority11.

How do septic permits work inside Dunwoody?

Septic permits for Dunwoody addresses come from DeKalb Public Health Environmental Health, which permits a new septic system, a new drain line or a repair to an existing system before a contractor does the work3. The same office reviews plans, analyzes soil reports and conducts site evaluations12.

Georgia’s on-site sewage rules require connection to a public or community sewer if an existing system fails and one is available13. Whether sewer is available at a particular address is something we could not confirm; ask DeKalb Public Health before buying a lot you expect to septic.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Dunwoody?

We could not confirm a Dunwoody rule for living in an RV or tiny home on private land. The city code does say it is unlawful to use any public place, including city recreation facilities, for living accommodations or camping except in areas designated for it or authorized by permit7.

That rule covers public places only. Ask Dunwoody Community Development before placing an RV or tiny home on a lot10.

Building a home in Dunwoody: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot’s zoning district and its lot-area, setback and height rules in Chapter 27 of the city code4.
  2. If the lot sits near a creek, check the floodplain: new principal buildings are not allowed in the future-conditions floodplain unless the city’s section 16-139 requirements are met14.
  3. If the lot is not on sewer, get a septic site evaluation and permit from DeKalb Public Health Environmental Health3.
  4. Apply for the building permit with Dunwoody Community Development1.
  5. Surface residential driveways and parking areas with dust-free, all-weather materials15.

What stays with DeKalb County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits stay with DeKalb Public Health Environmental Health for every address in DeKalb County, city or not3. Land outside city limits falls under DeKalb County’s rules, which differ from Dunwoody’s.

County-level figures: DeKalb County’s effective property tax rate is 0.9%16 and the median property tax bill is $3,046 a year17. The typical home value is $339,25918.

Dunwoody’s lot-coverage limits also matter on small lots: 25% for lots of 43,560 square feet or more, down to 40% for lots of 19,999 square feet or less19. For floodplain questions, DeKalb County’s Floodplain Management office is at 404-297-256720.

Watch-outs

  • Building code details, inspection steps, the owner-builder rule and permit fees for Dunwoody are unconfirmed; ask Dunwoody Community Development at 678-382-682110.
  • Infill lots can be subject to contextual averaging of nearby lots, so a lot’s required size can differ from the district table21.
  • We could not confirm which small structures, if any, are exempt from a Dunwoody building permit; ask before starting any structure1.

Sources

  1. Dunwoody Code Sec. 16-301 Terms defined (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  2. Dunwoody Code Sec. 27-58 Lot and building regulations (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  3. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. Dunwoody Code Sec. 27-58 Lot and building regulations (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  5. Dunwoody Code Sec. 27-58 Lot and building regulations (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  6. Permits, Plan Review & Inspections, quoted and re-checked
  7. Dunwoody Code Sec. 25-41 Miscellaneous prohibitions (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  8. Dunwoody Code Sec. 27-58 Lot and building regulations (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  9. Dunwoody Code Sec. 27-58 Lot and building regulations (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Dunwoody Community Development: Permits & Inspections (dunwoodyga.gov)
  11. Permits, Plan Review & Inspections, quoted and re-checked
  12. DeKalb Public Health Environmental Health (dekalbpublichealth.com)
  13. Permits, Plan Review & Inspections, quoted and re-checked
  14. Dunwoody Code Sec. 16-140 Flood hazard reduction (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  15. Dunwoody Code Sec. 27-206 Location of off-street parking (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  17. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  19. Dunwoody Code Sec. 27-58 Lot and building regulations (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked
  20. DeKalb County Floodplain Management (dekalbcountyga.gov)
  21. Dunwoody Code Sec. 27-147 Residential infill (Dunwoody), quoted and re-checked

Written October 16, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Dunwoody

Dunwoody’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, repair, alteration or addition to a structure in Dunwoody city

    • Issued by the community development director or a building inspector
    • Exemptions and thresholds not located
    “Building permit means required written permission issued by the community development director or a building inspector for the construction, repair, alteration or addition to a structure.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Dunwoody city limits; the city adopts Chapter 27 - Zoning

    “This section establishes basic lot and building regulations that apply in residential zoning districts.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Residential zoning districts in Dunwoody city

    • Single-dwelling: R-150, R-100, R-85, R-75, R-60, R-50, RA-5, RA-8
    • Multi-dwelling: RM-150, RM-100, RM-85, RM-75, RM-HD
    “when this zoning ordinance refers to "r" zoning districts, it is referring to the single-dwelling zoning districts: r-150, r-100, r-85, r-75, r-60, r-50, ra-5 and ra-8.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-dwelling residential districts in Dunwoody city (R-150 through R-50)

    • Detached houses in RA-5 and RA-8 are subject to R-50 regulations
    • Residential infill contextual lot characteristics may require averaging of nearby lots (Sec. 27-147)

    R-150 min lot area: >= 43560 sq ft · R-100 min lot area: >= 15000 sq ft · R-85 min lot area: >= 12000 sq ft · R-75 min lot area: >= 10000 sq ft · R-60 min lot area: >= 8000 sq ft · R-50 min lot area: >= 6000 sq ft

    “minimum lot area (sq. ft.) 43,560 15,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 na[1] na[1]”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-dwelling residential districts in Dunwoody city

    • Add five feet for setbacks from arterial streets
    • Corner lots have street setbacks on all street frontages
    • Contextual street setbacks apply under Sec. 27-147

    R-100 front/side street setback: >= 35 ft · R-100 interior side setback: >= 10 ft · R-100 rear setback: >= 40 ft · R-150 front/side street setback: >= 45 ft · R-60 front/side street setback: >= 30 ft

    “corner lots are subject to street setbacks along all street frontages.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-dwelling residential districts in Dunwoody city

    • 25% for 43,560+ sq ft lots; 30% for 30,000-43,559; 35% for 20,000-29,999; 40% for 19,999 or less
    • Institutional uses up to 60%

    max lot coverage in street yards: <= 35 percent (not applicable to institutional uses)

    “maximum lot coverage in street yards shall not exceed 35 percent. this standard shall not apply to institutional uses.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Single-dwelling residential districts in Dunwoody city

    • Principal building 35 ft; accessory buildings/structures 20 ft

    principal building max height: <= 35 ft · accessory building max height: <= 20 ft

    “maximum building height (ft.) principal building 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 35 accessory buildings/structures 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Public places and city recreation facilities in Dunwoody city; camping on private land not addressed in sections reviewed

    • Allowed in areas specifically designated or authorized by permit
    “it shall be unlawful to use any public place, including city recreation facilities, for living accommodations purposes or camping, except in areas specifically designated for such use or specifically authorized by permit”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land zoned single family in Dunwoody city

    • Also subject to chapters 16 and 27
    • Contextual lot area, frontage and width averaged from nearest four lots on both sides
    “the residential infill regulations of this subsection apply to the construction and reconstruction of detached houses and the subdivision of land zoned single family”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Residential driveways in R and RA districts in Dunwoody city

    • Porous pavement or gravel allowed subject to approval and gravel standards (4 inch depth, durable border)
    • Parking in street yards prohibited except on approved driveways
    “in r and ra districts, all driveways and parking areas on residential properties must be surfaced and maintained with dust-free, all-weather materials”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Special flood hazard areas in Dunwoody city

    • New principal buildings not allowed in future-conditions floodplain unless Sec. 16-139(c),(d),(e) met
    • Lowest floor at least three feet above base flood elevation or one foot above future-conditions flood elevation, whichever higher
    “new construction of principal buildings, including manufactured homes is not allowed within the limits of the future-conditions floodplain unless all requirements of section 16-139 (c), (d) and (e) have been met.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Dunwoody or DeKalb County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Dunwoody city
  • Building code adopted — Building code in Dunwoody city
  • Inspections — Building inspections in Dunwoody city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy in Dunwoody city
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in current residential districts in Dunwoody city
13 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Dunwoody publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. DeKalb County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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