Planning & Development

COVID-19 Response

On January 6, 2021, Hall County Government moved to appointment-only operations in light of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. While telephone and email operations are still operating as normal, in-person meetings and business may be conducted by appointment only. To schedule an appointment at the Government Center, please call 770-535-8288 and press 1 for an appointment and then 3 to be connected with the Planning and Development departments. Please note that only one person may attend an in-person meeting.

  1. Building Permits
  2. Building Inspections
  3. Development Review
  4. Special Use, Variance and Rezoning Requests

Building Permits:

In order to process your request for a building permit we will need you to provide the following information: 

  • A completed copy of the online submission form, which can be found here.
  • If you are proposing a new structure we will need a detailed site plan.  The site plan is the most important component of your request.  The site plan needs to be drawn to an engineering scale that shows the dimensions of the proposed structure and how far this structure is away from all existing structures and property lines.
  • A copy of your recorded plat. If you do not have a copy please contact the Deeds and Records room (770-531-7058).
  • A completed copy the owner authorization form. Please have this filled out, have it notarized, and include a copy of your photo ID and business license, if necessary. This form is only necessary if you are not the property owner. A copy of the form can be found here.

Please submit the completed packet to planning@hallcounty.org for review and processing to ensure compliance with Hall County regulations. A representative from Hall County Planning will let you know when we have received the permit request and any additional information that may be needed.  If your request can be approved we will email either Hall County Environmental Health or Building Inspections letting them know of our approval. You will be copied on the email so that a representative from their department may contact you to proceed with your request. Please note, approval from Hall County Planning does not mean you have obtained a building permit. Your request must be reviewed and approved, if necessary, by Environmental Health before a building permit can be obtained.

Plat Review:

The plat review process has been modified to allow the continued submittal and review of plats through digital copies. Please email a digital copy of the plat to plats@hallcounty.org along with the completed forms (2020 Plat Review Packet). The PDF will be reviewed by Planning, Engineering, and Environmental Health. After the initial review, comments will be provided to the surveyor or provided contact person indicating what revisions will be necessary in order to approve the plat. Upon request of hard copies from the Planning Department, the surveyor or applicant may then drop off at least 3 full-size paper copies of the plat for final approval stamps. Please note that plats will not be stamped at the time of drop off. 

The plat review process typically takes between 3-4 weeks.

Plans_cropAbout the Department

The Planning and Development department is made up of seven divisions. Each division within the department serves the needs of local residents, businesses, and/or developers in obtaining necessary permits. Whether you are looking to rezone your property, build a house, apply for a land disturbance permit, acquire a business license, or request an alcohol permit we are able to assist you with any of these requests.

Building Inspections Division

The Building Inspections Division is responsible for scheduling inspections and enforcement of building codes.

Business License Division

The Business License Division is responsible for issuing and renewing business licenses and registrations. This division also issues alcohol licenses, alcohol server permits, and pawnshop licenses.

Development Review Division

The Development Review Division is responsible for land development review and permitting of large-scale residential and commercial projects.

Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization (GHMPO)

The GHMPOis responsible for conducting the federally mandated transportation planning process for the Gainesville Urbanized Area and portions of the Atlanta Urbanized Area.

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Division

The GIS Division is responsible for updating and maintaining a variety of data layers, develops and maintains the county’s spatial databases, and provides mapping and data services to local government departments and staff.

Long Range Planning Division

The Long Range Planning Division is responsible for managing the rezoning, plat, conditional use and home occupation permit processes. In addition, it oversees policy and code changes as reflected in the Hall County Comprehensive Plan.

Marshal’s Office

The Marshal’s Office is responsible for enforcement of county ordinances. The Office also is responsible for providing security at the Hall County Government Center and Hall County Parks.