ADU Pass
Augusta
Richmond County portion
Also in: Columbia County · No County
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 5 ZIP codes.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: with-restrictions
Augusta has no purpose-built ADU ordinance; ADUs proceed via accessory-building plus residential use determinations on a case-by-case basis. Historic-district overlays (Olde Town, Summerville, Pinch Gut, Bethlehem, Laney-Walker) and Savannah River floodplain are the chief gating reviews.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $1,500 | $34,500 | $36,000 |
| 600 | 600 | $1,500 | $138,000 | $139,500 |
| midpoint | 525 | $1,500 | $120,750 | $122,250 |
| maximum | 900 | $1,500 | $207,000 | $208,500 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Confirm zoning, overlay, and historic-district status (~5d)
Verify the parcel's zoning classification under the Augusta-Richmond County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (R-1/R-1A/R-1B/R-1C/R-1D, R-2, R-3 most common for ADU candidates). Check Olde Town, Pinch Gut, Summerville, Bethlehem, and Laney-Walker historic-district overlays via the Historic Preservation Commission map. Pull a Floodplain Determination from Augusta GIS for parcels near the Savannah River, Rae's Creek, Rocky Creek, or Butler Creek. - Plot plan and site survey preparation (~10d)
Augusta-Richmond County Planning & Development requires a residential plot plan with the permit application for any new construction, addition, or detached structure. Plot plan must show lot dimensions, principal dwelling, proposed ADU footprint, setbacks, driveway, and utility tie-ins. Surveyor stamp recommended on infill or near-setback projects. - Historic Preservation Commission review (if in historic district) (~35d)
If parcel falls within Olde Town, Summerville, Pinch Gut, Bethlehem, or Laney-Walker, file a Certificate of Appropriateness with the Augusta Historic Preservation Commission. HPC reviews materials, massing, fenestration; cycle typically 30-45 days with monthly meetings. - Submit building permit application via CityView Portal (~1d)
Register and file through the CityView Portal at cityview.augustaga.gov/cityviewportal. Residential building permit application PDF and the New Residential Packet are downloadable from augustaga.gov/2101/Building-Permits. Required: site/plot plan, foundation and floor plans, elevations, energy compliance per 2024 IECC GA amendments (for permits filed 2026-01-01 onward), structural engineer stamp where loads exceed prescriptive IRC. - Plan review (Building, Zoning, Engineering, Health) (~28d)
Concurrent review by Augusta-Richmond Construction Division (2024 IRC GA amendments), Planning & Zoning (zoning conformance and use determination), Engineering (storm drainage, driveway tie-in, right-of-way), and East Central Health District for any private septic. ePlan Review accepts digital submittals. Two to three correction cycles typical for a first-time ADU applicant. - Pay permit fees and issue permit (~3d)
Pay building permit, plan review, and any zoning compliance fees per the Augusta-Richmond Fee Schedule (DocumentCenter/View/19493). Augusta Utilities Department assesses water/sewer connection charges separately. No state ADU impact fee. - Construction inspections
Footing/foundation, framing, rough MEP, insulation, and final inspections scheduled through the CityView Portal. Inspector turnaround typically 1-2 business days. - Certificate of Occupancy (~5d)
Augusta-Richmond Construction Division issues the CO once final inspection clears. ADU is then eligible for occupancy and rental.
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. Augusta 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: Construction Division (Building Permits & Inspections) (Residential and commercial plan review, permit issuance, inspections), Planning & Zoning Division (Zoning compliance, comprehensive plan, ADU use determinations), Augusta Historic Preservation Commission (Certificate of Appropriateness for ADUs in Olde Town, Summerville, Pinch Gut, Bethlehem, Laney-Walker historic districts), Augusta Fire Marshal (Fire and life-safety review (sprinklers exempted by GA amendment to IRC R313)), Augusta Utilities Department (Water and sewer connection, tap fees)
Utilities
- Water: Augusta Water Utility · 30d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Augusta Sewer / Wastewater · 30d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Augusta Electric Utility · 21d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Augusta 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.
Regulatory overlays (1)
- historic-district
Augusta historic districts trigger Architectural Review Board / Historic Preservation Commission review for ADUs in historic boundaries.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia, adopted 1996-01-01, last amended 2019-11-01
- 1996-01-01 — Augusta-Richmond County Consolidation (city-ordinance)
Augusta and Richmond County consolidated into a unified Augusta-Richmond County government effective 1996, ending separate county and city zoning authorities.
Effect: All zoning, building, and development administration for Richmond County (including Augusta city limits, Hephzibah, and Blythe except where those municipalities retain their own local codes) is administered by Augusta-Richmond County Planning & Development Department. - 2019-11-01 — Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of Augusta, Georgia (consolidated update, November 2019) (city-ordinance)
Augusta-Richmond County's most recent consolidated re-issue of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, with definitions for accessory building / accessory use and apartment use classifications.
Effect: Restated prevailing zoning structure; the ordinance does not create a dedicated 'ADU' use type. Accessory dwelling-style uses are accommodated via accessory-building rules in residential zones (R-1, R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-1D, R-2, R-3) plus duplex/multifamily zones. - 2026-01-01 — Georgia adoption of 2024 ICC code cycle (effective 2026-01-01) (state-law)
Georgia state minimum building code moved to the 2024 ICC family with Georgia amendments, replacing the 2018 IRC baseline that controlled prior Augusta permits.
Effect: Permits issued before 2026-01-01 still ride the 2018 IRC GA-amended cycle but cannot be extended; new ADU permits filed in 2026 follow the 2024 IRC GA-amended cycle. Georgia removes the IRC R313 residential sprinkler mandate by state amendment, so new Augusta ADUs do not require fire sprinklers solely from that source.
Richmond County — county ADU rules and overlays
County ADU ordinance
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 Codes
- 30901
- 30904
- 30905
- 30906
- 30909
Post Office
- 3108 Peach Orchard Rd Ste 8, 30906
- 3301 Wrightsboro Rd, 30909
- 525 8th St, 30901