Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Paulding County, Georgia

At a glance

Building permit

Required after the Private Dwelling Permit is approved¹

Zoning

County zoning applies in areas under Paulding County authority²

Septic permit

Required when a dwelling will use septic⁵

Owner-builder

Available for work on the owner's own home; permits and codes still apply⁶

Tiny home

At least 1,100 sq. ft. of heated area unless otherwise noted; zoning and building approval still apply⁷

A-1 lot size

Existing platted A-1 property: 5 acres unless otherwise specified, subject to Environmental Health approval⁸

RV living

A-1 RV parks and campgrounds need a Special Use Permit; individual-lot occupancy remains unconfirmed⁹¹⁰

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 10, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Paulding County, Georgia?

Yes. A new private dwelling in unincorporated Paulding County needs department approvals on the Private Dwelling Permit before the county will issue the Building Permit¹. Georgia's mandatory construction codes apply whether or not they are locally enforced, and Paulding County administers building, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and other codes¹¹¹². Paulding County requires applicable inspections for each issued building permit, scheduled by telephone or email; for houses, the builder must request footing, framing/rough and final inspections with footing inspection before concrete is poured; framing, plumbing, electrical and heating/air inspections are coordinated together¹³¹⁴. A homeowner may perform work on their own home, but that exception does not remove county permit and code requirements¹⁵. Incorporated municipalities may have different local building and zoning requirements, so confirm the authority for the parcel¹⁶. Building permit cost is based on the home's square footage, and re-inspection fees apply when work is incomplete at inspection: $50 the first time, $100 the second and $200 the third or more¹⁷.

Who is the Paulding County building department, and how do you reach it?

Paulding County's Building & Permitting Division issues building, electrical, heating/air-conditioning and plumbing permits and conducts related inspections¹⁸. Permit technicians are available at 770-443-7571 or commdevpermits@paulding.gov, and the office is at 240 Constitution Boulevard, First Floor, Dallas, GA 30132¹⁸. The division also answers technical questions about adopted codes¹⁸. Planning & Zoning is at the same street address on the second floor; call 770-443-7601 or email zoning@paulding.gov for land-use and zoning-verification questions¹⁰. Start with Planning & Zoning when the proposed use or dwelling type is uncertain, then enter the dwelling and building permit process¹⁰¹⁹.

Does Paulding County have zoning?

Paulding County zoning applies to unincorporated land; incorporated municipalities may administer their own rules². Planning & Zoning provides the current county zoning map, and permitted uses and dimensions vary by district²⁰. For existing platted A-1 Agricultural District property, the minimum lot size is 5 acres unless otherwise specified, subject to Environmental Health approval⁸. County zoning text lists district-specific setbacks and height limits, but that source is titled as a draft; ask Planning & Zoning for the adopted standards before designing²¹²²¹⁰. New agricultural uses limited to cultivation, dairying or animal husbandry qualify for an exemption from the Development Regulations only on A-1 land; that exemption does not establish a blanket building-permit exemption²³¹. Dividing unincorporated land into two or more parcels requires Development Control Committee approval of the preliminary plat and construction plans²⁴.

How do septic permits work in Paulding County?

A Paulding County dwelling using septic needs a septic permit when applicable, and the county form directs applicants to the State Environmental Health Department before the Private Dwelling Permit can advance²⁵⁵¹⁹. The local contact is Paulding County Environmental Health at 240 Constitution Boulevard, Suite 1A, Dallas, GA 30132; call 770-443-7877²⁶. Georgia sets statewide onsite-sewage rules, with County Boards of Health handling permits and inspections²⁷. A construction permit is valid for no more than 12 months, and the system needs written final approval before backfilling or use²⁸²⁹. A private well must be installed by a licensed water well contractor, who must notify the county health department of intent to drill before construction; the source does not state a separate well permit for an ordinary private well³⁰. About 38% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so obtain a parcel-specific site evaluation³¹.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Paulding County?

Paulding County allows RV parks and campgrounds in the A-1 Agricultural District only with a Special Use Permit approved by the Board of Commissioners following a Planning Commission recommendation, with other UDO and health requirements still applying⁹. That rule does not establish permission to live long-term in an RV on an individual private lot; we could not confirm individual-lot occupancy or temporary camping, so ask Planning & Zoning about the parcel, duration and utility setup⁹¹⁰. A tiny home proposed as a dwelling through the county process must meet the minimum 1,100 square feet of heated area unless otherwise noted, plus zoning, setbacks, lot size and septic or sewer requirements⁷. Site-built and modular dwellings also need applicable Georgia building-code compliance and local siting approval³². Manufactured homes follow separate state installation rules; Paulding County prohibits manufactured homes and doublewides in platted subdivisions and requires a solid foundation³³³⁴.

Building a home in Paulding County: the steps, in order

1. Confirm whether Paulding County or a municipality governs the parcel, then have Planning & Zoning verify the district, use, size, setbacks and height²²²¹⁰.
2. Prepare the Private Dwelling Permit, whose approvals include zoning, taxes, addressing/GIS, Environmental Health and development review¹⁹.
3. Establish the utility path: public water or sewer service carries applicable tap fees, while a well-and-septic path receives the applicable reviews³⁵³⁶.
4. If using septic, obtain the applicable permit and inspection through Environmental Health⁵⁴.
5. Obtain the Building Permit, then request footing, framing/rough and final inspections as work progresses¹⁹¹⁴¹³.
6. Complete final septic approval where applicable and all county finals; applicable construction requires a certificate of occupancy⁴³⁷.

What should you check before buying land in Paulding County?

Verify jurisdiction and zoning first, because district standards control dwelling size, setbacks and height, and city rules may differ²²¹²². If the parcel needs septic, arrange a site evaluation before closing: about 38% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field³¹. Ask whether the parcel can use county water and sewer or instead needs well and septic, and budget for applicable tap fees³⁵³⁶. Georgia requires connection to public or community sewage treatment when available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way, so confirm sewer availability before planning septic³⁸. PCDOT issues driveway, mailbox and right-of-way encroachment permits after an online or in-person application; processing is approximately 7–10 business days³⁹. A driveway onto a state highway separately requires an application through the appropriate GDOT district office⁴⁰. If floodplain conditions affect the property, county flood-damage-prevention review applies⁴¹.

Watch-outs

• The county dwelling policy requires at least 1,100 square feet of heated area unless otherwise noted; the R-3 zoning text lists 1,800 square feet but is titled as a draft, so confirm the adopted district minimum with Planning & Zoning¹⁴²¹⁰.
• We could not confirm individual-lot RV occupancy, temporary camping, accessory dwellings, lot coverage or short-term rentals; ask Planning & Zoning, and ask Environmental Health about alternative off-grid sanitation¹⁰²⁶.
• A floodplain-affected parcel is subject to county flood-damage-prevention review, and a special-flood-hazard parcel requires elevation documentation before the certificate of occupancy⁴¹³⁷.

Sources

1. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
2. Planning & Zoning Division, quoted and re-checked
3. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
4. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
5. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
6. Building & Permitting FAQs, quoted and re-checked
7. Private Dwelling Permit Policies & Procedures, quoted and re-checked
8. Section 210-10. A-1 Agricultural District, quoted and re-checked
9. Section 210-10. A-1 Agricultural District, quoted and re-checked
10. Paulding County Planning & Zoning Division (paulding.gov)
11. Mandatory and Permissive State Codes (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. Building & Permitting Division, quoted and re-checked
13. Building & Permitting Division, quoted and re-checked
14. Building & Permitting Division, quoted and re-checked
15. Building & Permitting FAQs, quoted and re-checked
16. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
17. Documents & Forms, quoted and re-checked
18. Paulding County Building & Permitting Division (paulding.gov)
19. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
20. Planning & Zoning Division, quoted and re-checked
21. Title 2: Zoning, quoted and re-checked
22. Title 2: Zoning, quoted and re-checked
23. Development Regulations, quoted and re-checked
24. Development Regulations, quoted and re-checked
25. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
26. Paulding County Environmental Health (paulding.gov)
27. Onsite Sewage (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
28. Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
29. Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
30. Well Water, quoted and re-checked
31. 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
32. Georgia Tiny House Fact Sheet (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
33. Manufactured Housing (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
34. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
35. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
36. Private Dwelling Permit, quoted and re-checked
37. paulding.gov, quoted and re-checked
38. GA DPH Onsite Sewage Manual (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
39. paulding.gov, quoted and re-checked
40. Regulations for Driveway & Encroachment Control Manual (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
41. Development Division, quoted and re-checked
42. Title 2: Zoning, quoted and re-checked

Written October 10, 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.