Locust Grove, GA Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

Locust Grove, Georgia, in Henry County, administers its own zoning under Title 17 of the city code¹, and its Community Development Department handles building permits². Septic permits are issued by the county health office, District 4 Environmental Health, not the city³. Tiny homes need a conditional use permit in two districts⁴, and we found no general rule allowing RV living on a lot⁵.

At a glance

Zoning: City zoning (Title 17) inside city limits¹
Building permits: Issued by the city Community Development Department²
Septic: District 4 Environmental Health, with a permit before construction³⁶
RV living: No general residential rule found; RV parks are conditional in C-3⁵
Tiny homes: Conditional use permit from city council in two districts⁴
Manufactured homes: Class A permitted in RMH; others conditional⁷
Owner-builder: Not confirmed inside the city; allowed in unincorporated Henry County⁸

Who to call

Building permits

City of Locust Grove Community Development Department

Building permits, building plan review, business licensing, code enforcement and planning inside Locust Grove city limits

(770) 957-5043

3644 Highway 42, Locust Grove, GA 30248

Septic permits

District 4 Public Health - Environmental Health (Henry County)

Septic (onsite sewage) permits, inspections and well location permits for Henry County

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 Locust Grove means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Locust Grove, GA have zoning?

Yes. Locust Grove administers its own Title 17 zoning code, built on the Henry County zoning sections as amended¹. The city publishes a table of permitted uses for its base districts: RA, R-1, R-2, R-3, RMH, PD, RD, RM 1-3, PR-4, PR-5, O-1, C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1 and M-2⁹.

RVs: Locust Grove allows RV parks as a conditional use in the C-3 heavy commercial district, on at least 5 acres⁵. We did not find a rule allowing a person to live in an RV on an ordinary residential lot, so call Community Development before parking one for occupancy².

Tiny homes: the use table lists tiny homes as a conditional use in two districts, each needing a conditional use permit from city council⁴.

Manufactured homes: in the RMH district, Class A manufactured homes on individual lots are permitted, while Class B homes, mobile home parks and modular buildings are conditional uses that need public water and sewer⁷.

What are the minimum lot sizes, floor areas and setbacks in Locust Grove?

The answer depends on the district. In the RMH manufactured home district, lots must be at least 18,000 square feet¹⁰, homes at least 1,200 square feet heated¹¹, with a 60-foot front yard, 40-foot rear yard and 10-foot side yard¹² and a 35-foot height limit¹³.

In the active adult residential (AAR) district, lots must be at least 6,000 square feet¹⁴. Homes need at least 1,600 square feet heated if single-story and 2,000 if two-story¹⁵. The front setback is 20 feet with an alley or 25 feet without one¹⁶, and height tops out at 40 feet¹⁷.

We could not confirm the numbers for the city's main residential districts such as the single-family districts; ask Community Development².

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

Locust Grove's own Community Development Department lists building permits and building plan review among its services, so a project inside city limits goes to the city, not to Henry County². The office is open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday². We could not confirm the city's permit thresholds, inspection steps or fee schedule, so ask the department what your project needs.

Henry County's Building & Plan Review Department serves unincorporated land only; its residential permit process does not apply inside the city¹⁸. Georgia's mandatory state building codes apply to all construction whether or not they are locally enforced¹⁹.

Georgia does not require a license to build your own home, but that exemption does not waive local permits, inspections or zoning²⁰.

How do septic permits work in Locust Grove?

Septic permits for Henry County come from the District 4 Environmental Health office, which administers permits, inspections and complaints for on-site sewage systems³. A county health department construction permit must be obtained before installing a system, and the permit stays valid no more than 12 months from issue⁶.

A final inspection and written approval are required before the system is backfilled or used²¹.

We could not confirm whether any particular Locust Grove address is on city sewer. In the RMH district, public sewer is required²². Where the property is on sewer, the county checklist treats a septic permit as unnecessary²³. Henry County's soils are favorable: about 72% of soils rate not limited for a conventional drain field, though a site evaluation is still required²⁴.

Building a home in Locust Grove: the steps, in order

Call the Community Development Department to confirm your lot's zoning district and what the district allows².
Check the district's lot size, floor area and setbacks in Title 17⁹.
If the lot is on septic rather than sewer, apply to the district environmental health office for a septic construction permit before building⁶.
If the lot is near a creek, check the floodplain rules: new principal buildings and manufactured homes in the future-conditions floodplain are restricted²⁵.
Apply for the building permit with the city².
Get the septic final inspection and written approval before backfilling²¹.

What stays with Henry County, and what to check before you buy in Locust Grove

Septic permits, septic inspections and well location permits are handled through District 4 Environmental Health rather than the city³²⁶. Land outside city limits follows Henry County's rules; see the Henry County page for unincorporated land.

Henry County's typical home value is $322,555²⁷ and its effective property tax rate is 0.9%²⁸.

Short-term rentals inside the city are limited to rentals of no more than 30 days, with an occupational tax license number posted in ads²⁹.

Watch-outs

We could not confirm Locust Grove's building permit thresholds, fee schedule or inspection process; ask the Community Development Department at (770) 957-5043².
Short-term rentals may not add occupancy by RVs, tents or accessory structures other than legally permitted ADUs²⁹.
Henry County's impact fee on a new single-family home is $7,085.90 for unincorporated land; we could not confirm whether the city charges the same³⁰.

Sources

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.

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

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Locust Grove, Georgia