Bolthole Index

Lee County, Georgia

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Leesburg, Georgia

Leesburg, Georgia has its own zoning, adopted by the city council, so city rules decide lot size, setbacks and RV parks inside city limits1. Lee County's Building Inspection Department inspects construction in incorporated areas as well as unincorporated ones2. Septic permits come from the county health department, not the city3.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: Leesburg zoning is Appendix A of the city code, run by the city council1
Building permit and inspections
Lee County Building Inspection inspects all construction in the county, cities included; we could not confirm which counter issues the permit inside city limits2
Septic
Construction permit from the County Health Department3
RV living
RV parks sit in the MHP district; camping on public places is banned45
Manufactured homes
Allowed on individual lots if at least 16 feet wide, on a permanent foundation6
Owner-builder
Georgia does not require a license to build your own home; local codes still apply7

Who to call

Zoning

City of Leesburg City Hall

The city's main office; the place to ask about Leesburg zoning, rezoning and city council hearings

(229) 759-6465

107 Walnut Ave. N Leesburg, GA 31763

Building permits

Lee County Building Inspection Department

Construction inspections and adopted building-code compliance, in both cities and unincorporated Lee County

(229) 759-3326

102 Starksville Avenue North, Leesburg, Georgia 31763

Septic permits

Lee County Environmental Health

Septic and well questions for Lee County addresses, including Leesburg

(229) 759-3016

103 Main Street East, Leesburg, GA 31763

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

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Does Leesburg, GA have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Leesburg zoning is Appendix A of the city code, and the city council is the governing body1. Inside city limits the city's districts apply, not Lee County's.

In the R-1 single-family district, lot size depends on utilities: one dwelling per 2 acres on well and septic, one per acre on city water and septic, and a one-third-acre minimum with water and sewer8. The county health department approves final lot sizes where septic is involved9. R-1 front setback is 35 feet and side and rear setbacks are 10 feet10. Lot coverage tops out at 40%11 and buildings may not exceed 32 feet or 3 stories, whichever is less12.

In the AG-1 Active Agriculture district the minimum lot is 25 acres13, with a 100-foot building setback, 20-foot side setback and 50-foot rear setback14.

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

Leesburg's code refers to building and construction codes adopted by the city council and administered by the building inspection department15. Lee County's Building Inspection Department states that it inspects all construction in both the unincorporated and incorporated areas of the county16.

We could not confirm whether a Leesburg building permit is issued at the county counter or at City Hall. Call Lee County Building Inspection at (229) 759-332616 before you pull plans, and ask City Hall about zoning approval at the same time17.

Georgia does not require a license to build your own home, but the owner must still comply with local building codes and regulations7. A city certificate of occupancy requirement inside Leesburg is unconfirmed.

How do septic permits work inside Leesburg?

Georgia requires a construction permit from the County Health Department before an on-site sewage system is installed or the lot is developed for one3. That office is Lee County Environmental Health18.

The city's R-1 table ties lot size to service: well and septic needs more land than a lot on city water and sewer8. Public sewer is the likely route on small lots. For manufactured home park districts the code requires public water and sewer19.

Across Lee County, 44.1% of soils rate not limited for a conventional drain field, a strict rating, so plan on a site evaluation20. We could not confirm a separate septic or well rule in Leesburg's own code.

Can you live in an RV, manufactured home or tiny home in Leesburg?

RVs: the MHP district is the zoning for manufactured home or recreational vehicle parks, with public water and sewer and a minimum park size of 5 acres4. The code bans camping on streets, squares and other public places in the city; private land is not addressed there5. Living in an RV on your own residential lot is therefore not something we could confirm as allowed.

Manufactured homes on individual lots must be at least 16 feet wide, carry a HUD label, sit on a permanent foundation with towing gear removed, and have a pitched roof with overhang6. Manufactured home developments go to the planning commission21.

Tiny homes and accessory dwellings: we could not confirm a rule; ask City Hall17.

Building a home in Leesburg: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district and its lot, setback and coverage rules with City Hall17.
  2. Get septic or sewer sorted: a septic construction permit from Lee County Environmental Health, or a sewer connection3.
  3. Apply for the building permit and ask Lee County Building Inspection to confirm who issues it inside the city16.
  4. Check flood maps: in special flood hazard areas Leesburg's code bars encroachments within the stream's width or 20 feet, whichever is greater22.
  5. Make sure each R-1 lot has a 30-foot-wide access to a public road23.
  6. Book inspections as the work proceeds16.

What stays with Lee County, and what to check before you buy in Leesburg

Septic and well questions stay with the county health office18, and the county inspects construction16. For land outside city limits, use the Lee County page, where the county's own zoning and rules apply.

A driveway onto a State Route needs Georgia Department of Transportation approval before the county issues a permit24. Lee County's effective property tax rate is 1% and the median bill is $2,273 a year2526. The nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 69 miles away27.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether building permits inside Leesburg are issued by the city or the county, so ask both Lee County Building Inspection and City Hall before you buy16.
  • Septic permits come from the county health office even inside city limits3.
  • Tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum house size and a certificate of occupancy inside Leesburg are unconfirmed; ask City Hall17.

Sources

  1. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 4.04 R-1 area, height, bulk and placement (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  2. Building Inspection, quoted and re-checked
  3. GA DPH Onsite Sewage Manual, quoted and re-checked
  4. Leesburg Sec. 20-110 RV park design standards (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  5. Leesburg Sec. 22-6 Camping (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  6. Leesburg Sec. 20-89 Manufactured home sites outside parks (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  7. Residential and Commercial General Contractors Frequently Asked Questions (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 4.04 R-1 area, height, bulk and placement (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  9. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 4.04 R-1 area, height, bulk and placement (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  10. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 4.04 R-1 area, height, bulk and placement (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  11. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 4.04 R-1 area, height, bulk and placement (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  12. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 4.04 R-1 area, height, bulk and placement (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  13. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 8.04 AG-1 area, height and placement (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  14. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 8.04 AG-1 area, height and placement (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  15. Leesburg Sec. 20-111 RV park utilities (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  16. Lee County Building Inspection Department (leecountyga.gov)
  17. City of Leesburg City Hall (leesburgga.gov)
  18. Lee County Environmental Health (leecountyga.gov)
  19. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 7.01 MHP statement of purpose (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  20. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Leesburg Subdivisions Sec. 1.17 (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  22. Leesburg Sec. 18-70 Flood building standards (A zones) (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  23. Leesburg Zoning Sec. 4.04 R-1 area, height, bulk and placement (Leesburg), quoted and re-checked
  24. Driveway Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  27. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data

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 Leesburg

Leesburg’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction inside Leesburg city

    • Specific code editions not identified in the sections reviewed.
    “the building and construction codes adopted by the city council and administered by the building inspection department”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Leesburg city limits

    • Zoning is Appendix A of the city code; governing body is the city council.
    “Area, height, bulk and placement requirements in the R-1 district are as follows:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Leesburg zoning districts including R-1, AG-1, MHP, C-3

    • Full district list not enumerated.
    “The MHP district is for areas suitable for manufactured home or recreational vehicle parks.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    AG-1 Active Agriculture District, inside Leesburg city

    • Lot width at setback 500'.

    minimum lot size: >= 25 acres

    “minimum lot sizes 25 acres lot width at setback 500'”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    AG-1 district, inside Leesburg city

    • 20 feet minimum between buildings on separate lots.

    building setback: >= 100 feet · side setback: >= 20 feet · rear setback: >= 50 feet

    “minimum building setback 100' minimum side setback 20' minimum rear setback 50' the minimum distance between buildings on separate lots shall be 20 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    AG-1 district, inside Leesburg city

    maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent

    “maximum lot coverage 40% minimum building setback 100'”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 district, inside Leesburg city

    • Limit does not apply to grain elevators, silos, windmills, elevator legs, cooling towers, water towers, chimneys and smokestacks, or spires on places of worship.

    maximum height: <= 32 feet (or 3 stories, whichever is less)

    “maximum building height 32' or 3 stories, whichever is less”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    RV occupancy inside Leesburg city; RV parks

    • RV parks are in the MHP district with public water and sewer; minimum 5 acres; lots at least 3,000 sq ft; MHP aims at long-term residential use rather than transient travel trailer use.

    minimum RV park area: >= 5 acres

    “the mhp district is for areas suitable for manufactured home or recreational vehicle parks.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping on public places inside Leesburg city; private land not addressed

    • Campgrounds are a permitted use in the C-3 district.
    “No person shall camp on the streets, square or any other public place of the city.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes on individual lots inside Leesburg city

    • HUD label required
    • at least 16 feet wide
    • permanent foundation
    • towing apparatus, axle and wheels removed
    • pitched roof 4:12 with 12-inch overhang
    • no finished grade below the 100-year flood level

    minimum width: >= 16 feet

    “all manufactured homes located outside of manufactured home parks shall be at least 16 feet wide at the main body's narrowest point.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    R-1 single-family lots inside Leesburg city

    • Well and septic requires 1 dwelling per 2 acres and 150' width; county health department approves final lot sizes.

    R-1 well and septic density: 1 per every 2 acres

    “well and septic 1 per every 2 acres water and septic 1 per every 1 acre”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    MHP district developments inside Leesburg city; R-1 lots may use well and septic at lower density

    • General connect-when-available rule for single-family homes not found.
    • R-1 table allows well/septic or water/septic at lower densities.
    “public water and sewer shall be required.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions inside Leesburg city (Appendix B)

    • Manufactured home developments go to the planning commission.
    “Manufactured home developments shall be submitted to the planning commission whether such lots are to be recorded as a subdivision or as a rental park.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    R-1 lots inside Leesburg city

    • Footnote applies to each lot in the R-1 table.

    minimum access width: >= 30 feet

    “each lot shall have, at a minimum, a 30-foot-wide access to a public road.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Special flood hazard areas (A zones) inside Leesburg city

    • Lowest floor at least three feet above highest adjacent grade where no BFE data; encroachments allowed only with engineer certification of no more than 1 foot rise.

    stream setback for encroachment: >= 20 feet or stream width, greater (engineer certification)

    “No encroachments, including structures or fill material, shall be located within an area equal to the width of the stream or 20 feet, whichever is greater”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Leesburg city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Leesburg city
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Leesburg city
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Leesburg city
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwellings inside Leesburg city
7 more unanswered
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • 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 Leesburg publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lee County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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