ADU Pass
Arlington
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Arlington, Calhoun County, Georgia navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: unclear
Arlington is a rural Southwest Georgia town. The path is small-town: confirm with the Code Enforcement Office in person. There is no online portal, no dedicated ADU ordinance, and no published checklist. Owners should bring a hand-drawn site plan and a draft building plan to City Hall for an initial conversation.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $1,500 | $32,250 | $33,750 |
| 600 | 600 | $1,500 | $129,000 | $130,500 |
| midpoint | 525 | $1,500 | $112,875 | $114,375 |
| maximum | 900 | $1,500 | $193,500 | $195,000 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- In-person inquiry at Arlington City Hall (~3d)
Walk in or call Arlington City Hall (229-725-4276) and ask for the Code Enforcement officer. Arlington has no published ADU pathway; the conversation establishes whether the parcel is in city limits, the city's expectations on setbacks/lot coverage, and whether a third-party plan reviewer (often hired by the city for residential plan check) will be involved. - Confirm county-side service responsibilities (~7d)
If the parcel is on a private well or septic, contact the Calhoun County Health Department (Southwest Health District) for environmental health approvals - those operate independently of city building permits. Confirm with Calhoun County Tax Assessor that the parcel sits in the city versus unincorporated jurisdiction. - Prepare site plan and basic construction drawings (~14d)
Hand-drawn site plan acceptable for sketch review. For permit submittal, Georgia state minimum code requires plans showing structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical layouts. For ADUs over 1,500 sqft a Georgia-licensed designer stamp is required by state code, but Arlington-typical ADUs (under 900 sqft) can use prescriptive IRC compliance. - Submit application at City Hall (~1d)
Arlington has no online portal. Submit a paper building permit application, plans, and any city-required signatures in person at 567 Pioneer Rd NE, Arlington, GA 39813. Typical small-Georgia-town permit application asks for owner info, contractor license number, project description, valuation, and site plan. - Plan review (city + state-required third-party reviewer) (~21d)
Arlington often contracts third-party plan review for residential code compliance because the city does not staff a full-time building inspector. Review checks 2024 IRC GA-amended compliance, electrical (NEC 2023 GA amendments), plumbing (IPC), mechanical (IMC). One to two correction cycles typical. - Pay permit fees and issue permit (~3d)
Arlington fee schedule is set by city ordinance and typically billed at a flat rate plus per-square-foot multiplier. No city ADU impact fee. Calhoun County does not impose unincorporated impact fees that would attach inside city limits. - Construction inspections
Inspections by the city Code Enforcement officer or by the contracted third-party inspector. Foundation, framing, rough MEP, insulation, final - scheduled by phone with City Hall. Travel-time scheduling can mean inspector visits batched once per week. - Certificate of Occupancy (~5d)
CO issued after final inspection clears. ADU then eligible for occupancy. Connect Calhoun County / Three Notch EMC for permanent power; Arlington Water/Sewer for utility activation.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU generally permitted; landlord-tenant law and any city rental-registration ordinance apply.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Arlington regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.
Contacts
Staff: Mayor Jerome Brackins (Mayor (council meetings second Tuesday at 7:00pm)), Council members (Lisa Aldridge, Leonard Davis, Tyron George), Arlington Code Enforcement Office (Building permits, code compliance (small-staff, contact City Hall)), Calhoun County (Morgan, GA) Tax Assessor / county-side reference (Parcel verification (city limits vs unincorporated)), Southwest Health District - Calhoun County Environmental Health (On-site septic and well approvals when applicable)
Utilities
- Water: Arlington Water Utility · 30d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Arlington Sewer / Wastewater · 30d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Arlington Electric Utility · 21d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Arlington Gas Utility · 30d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 10mo · worst 16mo
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
Georgia has no HOA-ADU preemption; HOA covenants restricting ADUs are enforceable.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: City of Arlington Municipal Ordinances (administered through Code Enforcement Office; not published on Municode)
- 1899-12-19 — Arlington, Georgia incorporated (city-ordinance)
Arlington was incorporated as a Georgia municipality in the late 19th century at the railroad junction in Calhoun County (with a sliver in Early County).
Effect: Established the municipal corporation that today administers limited zoning and code enforcement inside city limits, separate from Calhoun County's largely-unzoned unincorporated rules. - 2008-01-01 — Georgia adoption of IRC 2006 with Georgia amendments (residential sprinkler mandate removed) (state-law)
Georgia DCA's Construction Codes program codified the state's standing amendment removing IRC R313 residential sprinkler requirement.
Effect: Arlington (and every Georgia jurisdiction) is barred from enforcing IRC R313 sprinkler mandate by state amendment. Subsequent IRC adoption cycles (2012, 2015, 2018, 2024) carry the same amendment forward. - 2026-01-01 — Georgia adoption of 2024 ICC code cycle (effective 2026-01-01) (state-law)
Georgia state minimum building code transitioned to the 2024 ICC family with Georgia amendments, replacing the 2018 IRC baseline.
Effect: Arlington building permits filed in 2026 are reviewed against the 2024 IRC GA-amended cycle. Prior 2018-IRC permits cannot be extended.
Georgia state — ADU law and programs
State financing programs
Georgia does not operate an ADU-specific statewide loan, grant, or forgivable-loan program. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) administers the Georgia Dream homeownership program, which includes the Georgia Dream Standard, Georgia Dream Hardest Hit Fund DPA, and (effective 2025-07-01) the Georgia Dream Peach Advantage Loan Program for expanded down-payment assistance. None target ADU construction directly; an ADU-bearing primary residence can qualify for the underlying Georgia Dream first mortgage when other eligibility criteria are met.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Code
- 39813
Post Office
- 438 Pioneer Rd NW, 39813