Planning & Development

The Planning Department is serving customers through both walk-in and prescheduled appointments. While telephone and email communications are still operating as normal, in-person business will only be conducted between the hours of 8:30am and 4:00pm. To schedule an appointment at the Government Center, please call 770-531-6809. Please note that while we will do our best to accommodate walk-in customers, there may be a wait while we give priority to customers who have an appointment.

  1. Building Permits
  2. Building Inspections
  3. Plat 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: 

  • An application cover sheet, 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 authorization form. Please have this filled out  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.

Development Review:

Development Review is operating on schedule. Please contact Jorge Gomez, Assistant County Engineer, Interim Development Review Coordinator, at jorge.gomez@hallcounty.org to submit your plans digitally, schedule a virtual meeting, or if you have any questions about the review process.

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.

Current and Long Range Planning Division

The Current and Long Range Planning Division is responsible for managing the rezoning, plat, conditional use application processes as well as policy and code changes as reflected in the Hall County Comprehensive Plan. This division is also responsible for the zoning verification process for building permits and business 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 GHMPO is 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.