Bolthole Index

Upson County, Georgia

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Thomaston, Georgia

Inside Thomaston, Georgia, any construction, renovation or redevelopment needs a permit from the City of Thomaston1, and the city enforces its own zoning ordinance2. Septic and private-well programs for Upson County run through Upson County Environmental Health3. Land outside city limits follows Upson County's rules instead.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for any construction, renovation or redevelopment inside city limits; issued by the city's Department of Building Safety1
Zoning
City zoning ordinance with ES, R-1, R-2 and other districts24
Septic
Upson County Environmental Health runs the county's on-site sewage program; city-specific septic rules unconfirmed3
Minimum home size (R-1)
1,500 sq ft heated floor area5
Minimum lot (R-1)
15,000 sq ft, 100 ft frontage6
Setbacks (R-1)
35 ft front, 10 ft side, 35 ft rear7
Owner-builder
Georgia does not require a license to build your own home; city permits still apply8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Thomaston Department of Building Safety

Building permits, plan reviews, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside Thomaston city limits.

706-647-4242 ext 3

permits@cityofthomaston.com

106 East Lee Street Thomaston, GA 30286

Septic permits

Upson County Environmental Health

On-site sewage and private-well programs for Upson County.

706-647-5749

314 E. Lee St. Thomaston, GA 30286

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 17, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Thomaston, Georgia?

Yes. Any construction, renovation or redevelopment inside Thomaston requires a permit from the City of Thomaston1. The city's Department of Building Safety issues building permits, performs plan reviews, conducts inspections and issues certificates of occupancy and completion1.

Site-built buildings in Thomaston must be constructed to the standards of the city's building codes, as amended9. Georgia also applies its mandatory state construction codes to all construction whether or not a locality enforces them10.

Georgia does not require a license to build your own home, but that exemption does not waive local permits, inspections or zoning8. We could not confirm whether the city has a separate owner-builder permit process, so ask the Department of Building Safety before you hire or act as your own contractor.

Who issues building permits in Thomaston, and how do you reach them?

The City of Thomaston Department of Building Safety handles building permits inside city limits1. Call 706-647-4242 ext 3, or email permits@cityofthomaston.com with general questions about permits and inspections1. The office is at 106 East Lee Street, Thomaston, GA 302861.

The city's page lists application forms for in-person permits, including building, trade, sign, land disturbance, demolition, and utility and right-of-way construction permits1. We could not confirm the city's fee schedule or inspection list, so ask the department for both.

Do not take a Thomaston address to the Upson County Building & Zoning office: the county ordinance applies to the unincorporated parts of Upson County, not to land inside active municipalities11.

Does Thomaston have zoning, and what does it mean for homes, lots and setbacks?

Thomaston has its own zoning ordinance for land inside city limits, and the ordinance prohibits any use not specifically named as permitted2. Districts include ES Class One, ES Class Two, R-1 and R-2, among others4. We could not confirm which office administers zoning approvals, so ask city hall at 706-647-42421.

In the R-1 Low Density Residential District, a single-family home needs at least 1,500 square feet of heated floor area5. R-1 lots need at least 15,000 square feet, 100 feet of frontage and 80 feet of width at the building line6. R-1 setbacks are 35 feet in front, 10 feet on the side, 15 feet on a street side and 35 feet in the rear7. Maximum lot coverage in R-1 is 40 percent12, and maximum building height is 35 feet13.

The larger ES districts differ: ES Class One requires 43,560 square feet and ES Class Two requires 87,120 square feet6. Look up your parcel's district before you buy, since these numbers change by district.

We could not confirm Thomaston's rules for RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask the city before you plan any of them.

How do septic permits work in Thomaston?

Septic permits come from the county health department, not the city. Upson County Environmental Health is a division of the Upson County Health Department, and its programs include on-site sewage and private-well water14. Georgia rule 511-3-1 says no one may begin physical development of a lot where an on-site sewage system will be used without first obtaining a construction permit from the County Health Department15.

We could not confirm which Thomaston lots must connect to city sewer or whether the city adds septic rules of its own. Georgia requires a property intended for human occupancy to have an approved on-site system only if public or community sewage treatment is not available16. Call Upson County Environmental Health at 706-647-574914 and the city at 706-647-42421 before you plan a septic system or well.

Building a home in Thomaston: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district with the City of Thomaston and check the district's minimum home size, lot size and setbacks4.
  2. If the lot has no city sewer, ask Upson County Environmental Health about a septic or well permit14.
  3. Submit a building permit application to the Department of Building Safety, which performs plan reviews1.
  4. Ask the department whether your project needs a land disturbance permit, which the city lists among its application forms1.
  5. Build to the city's building codes and call for inspections9.
  6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy or completion from the Department of Building Safety before you move in1.

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

Septic and private-well programs stay with Upson County Environmental Health14. Outside city limits, the county's own permit and zoning rules apply to unincorporated land, and the county's minimum home size in its R-1 district is 2,200 square feet versus 1,500 square feet in the city's R-1175. See the Upson County page for rules on land outside Thomaston.

Driveways onto a county road need a permit from the Upson County Road Department, and for Highways 19, 36, 74 or 80 the Georgia DOT issues the driveway permit or letter18. We could not confirm the city's own driveway rules for city streets.

Upson County's effective property tax rate is about 0.9 percent19, and the county's median property tax bill is about $1,325 per year20. These figures are county-level, so confirm the city's millage with the Upson County Tax Commissioner.

Watch-outs

  • The zoning ordinance we reviewed is the version adopted April 5, 2022, and a 2024 amendment draft appears on the city's site, so ask the city whether any amendment has been adopted2.
  • Thomaston's floodplain, fee schedule, certificate-of-occupancy details and RV rules were not confirmed; call the Department of Building Safety at 706-647-4242 ext 3 before you buy1.
  • Several towns share the name Thomaston; this page covers Thomaston in Upson County, Georgia, and the county's rules for unincorporated land do not apply inside city limits11.

Sources

  1. City of Thomaston Department of Building Safety (cityofthomaston.com)
  2. City of Thomaston, Georgia Zoning Ordinance (Adopted 4-5-22) (Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  3. Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  4. City of Thomaston, Georgia Zoning Ordinance (Adopted 4-5-22) (Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Thomaston, Georgia Zoning Ordinance (Adopted 4-5-22) (Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Thomaston, Georgia Zoning Ordinance (Adopted 4-5-22) (Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Thomaston, Georgia Zoning Ordinance (Adopted 4-5-22) (Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  8. Residential and Commercial General Contractors Frequently Asked Questions (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Thomaston, Georgia Zoning Ordinance (Adopted 4-5-22) (Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  10. Mandatory and Permissive State Codes, quoted and re-checked
  11. Appendix A Zoning, Upson County Code of Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Thomaston, Georgia Zoning Ordinance (Adopted 4-5-22) (Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Thomaston, Georgia Zoning Ordinance (Adopted 4-5-22) (Thomaston), quoted and re-checked
  14. Upson County Environmental Health (upsoncountyga.org)
  15. Georgia Rule 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems, quoted and re-checked
  16. Georgia Rule 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems, quoted and re-checked
  17. Upson County Appendix A Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  18. New Construction Building Permit Requirements, quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 17, 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 Thomaston

Thomaston’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Site-built buildings inside Thomaston city

    • Specific code editions not identified.
    “site-built buildings shall be constructed according to standards established by the thomaston building codes, as amended from time to time.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Thomaston city limits

    • Adopted ordinance dated 4-5-22 per the document title; a 2024 amendment draft exists on the city site and its adoption was not verified.
    “any use not specifically named as permitted shall be prohibited. a. single family dwellings having a minimum heated floor area of 1,500 square feet, exclusive of garages and carports.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Thomaston city limits (ES Class One, ES Class Two, R-1, R-2 and others)

    • Only the ES-1, ES-2 and R-1 districts' dimensional tables were read.
    “sec. 98-4.4.4. r-2 medium density residential district sec. 98-4.4.4.1. purpose. the purpose of the r-2 district is to acknowledge the historic development patterns”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Thomaston city (ES-1 and ES-2 districts also 1,500 sq ft)

    • Minimum building footprint for two-story and two and a half-story dwellings is 900 sq ft.

    minimum heated floor area: >= 1500 sq ft (footprint 900 sq ft for two-story)

    “minimum heated floor area1 1,500 square feet maximum building height 35 feet minimum open space n/a 1minimum building footprint for two-story and two and a half-story dwellings shall be 900 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Thomaston city

    • ES Class One requires 43,560 sq ft; ES Class Two requires 87,120 sq ft.

    minimum lot area: >= 15000 sq ft · minimum lot frontage: >= 100 ft · minimum lot width at building line: >= 80 ft

    “r-1 low density residential district dimensional standards standard r-1 district minimum lot area 15,000 square feet minimum lot frontage 100 feet minimum lot width at the building line 80 feet”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Thomaston city

    • ES Class One: front 50, side 25, street side 35, rear 40 ft. ES Class Two: front 60, side 30, street side 40, rear 50 ft.

    front yard: >= 35 ft · side yard: >= 10 ft · street side: >= 15 ft · rear yard: >= 35 ft

    “minimum front yard setback 35 feet minimum side yard setback 10 feet minimum street side setback 15 feet minimum rear yard setback 35 feet”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Thomaston city

    • ES Class One 35%; ES Class Two 30%.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent

    “maximum lot coverage 40 % minimum heated floor area1 1,500 square feet maximum building height 35 feet”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-1 Low Density Residential District inside Thomaston city

    • ES Class One 35 ft; ES Class Two 38 ft.

    maximum building height: <= 35 ft

    “maximum lot coverage 40 % minimum heated floor area1 1,500 square feet maximum building height 35 feet minimum open space n/a”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Construction inside Thomaston city
  • Owner-builder exemption — Inside Thomaston city
  • Inspections — Construction inside Thomaston city
  • Certificate of occupancy — Inside Thomaston city
  • Living in an RV — Inside Thomaston city
16 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Thomaston publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Upson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Upson County: county rules, score and offices