Is Georgia tiny house friendly?

Georgia is a perfect state to move into an environmentally friendly tiny home. Some areas of Georgia are especially accommodating to the tiny living community. The greater Atlanta area in particular is home to several small pockets of sustainable living communities.

thetinylife.com - Georgia Tiny House Builders

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The building codes for the state of Georgia (Read the PDF here) that cover tiny homes are diverse amongst each of the 152 counties within the state. Georgia differentiates permanent tiny houses from tiny houses on wheels and each come with their own set of rules. There are also rules for additional dwelling units, or ADUs, that pertain to tiny houses on the same property as an existing traditional house. Each type of tiny house has specific regulations that you have to meet for legal and safety reasons. Here’s a general overview of the state laws for each type of tiny house:

Stationary Tiny House

The building laws for permanent tiny homes are part of an ordinance from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs called Appendix “S.” (Read the PDF here) This ordinance is applicable for tiny houses used as single dwelling units only, which means the house is a stationary property occupied by a single person or by people living together as a family. This unit cannot include more than six residents living together as a household. The department has recently approved a reduction in the minimum habitable room size for all dwellings under this classification. This means you can now classify your tiny house as a single dwelling unit if your building follows these postulates. For your home to be classified under Appendix “S,” your tiny house must be on a permanent foundation that is between 70 and 400 square feet. It also must NOT include any wheel-based structures, which are still considered recreational vehicles in Georgia. These have their own set of codes and laws spelled out below.

Mobile Tiny House

If the tiny house is designed to be movable, whether or not it has its own wheels or was built on an independent trailer, it is considered to be a recreational vehicle by the state, which have their own set of regulations. The laws regarding a recreational vehicle in the state of Georgia apply to motor homes, travel trailers, truck campers, or camping trailers designed for recreational or emergency human habitation. Before the tiny house movement grew, the vehicles falling under this jurisdiction were often primarily intended for recreational or seasonal use only. Tiny homes changed the definition of recreational vehicles within the confines of each state. Often referred to as Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOWs), these wheeled vehicles are typically built on a utility trailer yet are still intended for permanent residence. This differentiating factor is the cause of varying classifications of these houses across state lines. In Georgia, THOWS do not fall within the scope of the state’s building codes for permanent dwellings but are instead classified as recreational vehicles. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) regulates these vehicles for title and licensing purposes through the county’s vehicle licensing agency. To answer more questions about state regulations of RVs, see the licensing information from the RV Industry Association.

Tiny House Laws in Key Georgia Counties: Local Zoning Ordinances

In the state of Georgia, most jurisdictions — cities or counties — are divided into zones or districts that regulate the physical development of land and limit the uses to which a property may be put on the land. The Atlanta metropolitan area has more than 60 different jurisdictions, each with its own unique approach to land use. (Read the PDF here) These jurisdictions can independently regulate height, size, placement, and density specifications, as well as parking requirements for properties apart from the general building laws of the state. Some cities and counties tend to be more cooperative in allowing tiny properties, while others have created their own set of individual anti regulations. Let’s look at the conventions in place within a few individual counties.

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Fulton County, Georgia

Fulton County has been recognized as an exceptional area to live tiny in Georgia. In July of 2015, a council meeting was held in order to determine whether the current code of ordinances allowed for the construction of tiny houses and micro-unit apartments and, if not, how the code could be revised to make the county more friendly and inclusive to smaller housing alternatives. The council was asked to study current city, county, and state regulations that restrain the construction of tiny houses or micro-unit apartments. The commissioner of the Department of Planning and Community Development issued the recommendation within 180 days of adopting the legislation. Today, the regulations that prohibited tiny house inclusion have been amended in the legislative codes of Fulton County.

Murray County, Georgia

Murray County has specific restrictions in their building codes for small properties outside the regulations of the state. In order to build a tiny house on your own property in Murray County, the building has to meet the minimum square footage within the district in which the parcel is zoned. The home must also pass all minimum residential building codes. Here are the specific dimensions for each zone within the county:

584 square feet in an AG Zone District

864 square feet in an RR Zone District

1,200 square feet in an SR Zone District

Monroe County, Georgia

Monroe County has very recently become more inclusive of tiny properties. In January of 2021, a 4-0 vote amongst the Monroe County Commissioners allowed a local developer to put 12 tiny homes for rent on 11 acres of land. A request for zoning law alterations was necessary for the creator because Monroe County does not presently have a clause in its zoning ordinance that deals directly with tiny houses. Commissioners originally refused to take action regarding the developer’s request. The final vote was taken in January 2021 and the developer’s plea was seen through despite slight pushback from his neighborhood community. The request for modification in zoning ordinance was deliberated for just under an hour before his needs were granted by the commission. General building laws in Monroe County are currently being analyzed.

Lumpkin County, Georgia

Lumpkin County has created specific regulations apart from the State of Georgia in regards to tiny house properties. These specific amendments recognize that there are many types of tiny homes and that each type is built in a precisely different way. Thus, a homeowner must identify which types of tiny houses fall within the scope and application of building codes within the county. The Lumpkin County Land Use and Development Codes (Read the PDF here) recognize five types of tiny properties. The types of tiny homes that have been APPROVED for development in Lumpkin County are:

Residential (modular) Industrialized Buildings

Site-Built Dwellings

Shipping Container Homes

The types of tiny homes that have NOT BEEN APPROVED for development in Lumpkin County are:

Recreational Vehicles

Manufactured (Mobile Homes)

Brantley County, Georgia

There are currently no restrictions on container homes anywhere in the County of Brantley. There are also no requirements for placing them on a permanent foundation. However, they must meet electrical, plumbing, and other building permit requirements of the county.

Tiny House Regulations in Georgia Cities

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In order to address concerns about construction regulations over tiny properties, government leaders amended an appendix within the International Residential Code (Read the PDF here) to account for tiny house projects. Under this new legislation, the minimum habitable room size for a dwelling property changed from 120 square feet to 70 square feet in order to allow for tiny house construction. The issue is, however, that local cities and jurisdictions each have the freedom to adopt the amendment from the IRC on their own accord. City lawmakers have the privilege to alter regulations within their zone. Some cities are especially accommodating to tiny house construction while others have regulations opposing construction.

Here are examples of cities in Georgia and their specific laws:

Atlanta, GA

As of May 2017, the city of Atlanta now allows for ADUs or accessory dwelling units alongside traditional properties. Tiny houses on wheels, however, are still not allowed explicitly by the codes, but you might be able to apply for a variance. This is a zoning change to category R5 lots, which already allow for two-family residences also known as duplexes. The maximum square footage allowed per owner remains the same, but you can now divide your properties into a main house and a secondary house. The ordinance allows for the square footage to be broken up into two properties as long as the secondary house is smaller than 750 square feet. Previously guest houses could not contain a kitchen and could not be used as a permanent residence. This has all been amended.

Dahlonega, GA

There are specific tiny house restrictions in the city of Dahlonega.

Any vehicle that can be or has been licensed by the state for use on the highways such as a bus, camper, trailer, or motor home cannot be used in the city of Dahlonega as a permanent dwelling property and cannot be provided with an address. These mobile properties also may not be approved for a separate electric meter or permanent connection to a sewage disposal system. Occupancy of these buildings is considered temporary and is legally limited to 90 maximum days without any approval of a variance from the city.

East Point, GA

The city of East Point has created its own codes for the allowance of tiny properties. Here’s what you need to know about the types of tiny houses allowed in the area: Stationary, standalone dwelling units (not secondary properties) have a restrictive minimum of 900 square feet

Tiny house communities are prohibited in the city

Tiny houses on wheels are also prohibited

Statham, GA

Statham City Council Work Session weighed the pros and cons of allowing a tiny house community within city limits. Previously, the minimum house size within the city of Statham was 1600 square feet, but the proposal for the tiny house community was 800 square feet, half of the current allotted size. The motion to alter legislative building codes by the city council was approved.

thetinylife.com - Georgia Tiny House Builders

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