Buy a lot on Tybee Island, or an older house you plan to raise or replace, and you’re signing up for three sets of rules: the City’s zoning code, its flood ordinance and, near the beach or marsh, state coastal law. Know them before you write an offer.
Some code amendments, including changes to Articles 1 through 5 adopted March 12, 2026, are in effect but not yet in the online code (City of Tybee Island Planning & Zoning), so confirm lot-specific details with the City.
Key Takeaways
– Structures are capped at 35 feet above the average adjacent grade unless the mayor and council grant a variance.
– New and substantially improved homes in the 100-year floodplain need the lowest floor at least one foot above the base flood elevation.
– If work within one year costs 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value, the home must meet current flood rules.
– Beachfront lots carry a 10-foot dune setback and may need a state Shore Protection Act permit.
What is the height limit on Tybee Island?
The limit is 35 feet. The code says “No part of any structure shall project beyond 35-feet above the average adjacent grade of a property” (Tybee Island Land Development Code, Sec. 5-090).
Height is measured from the average adjacent grade to the building’s extreme high point, leaving out chimneys, air conditioning units and similar appurtenances (Sec. 2-010). Because the measurement starts at the ground, a taller foundation leaves less of the 35 feet for the floors and roof.
Rebuilds measure from a different point. If you keep an existing slab, the 35 feet runs from the lower of the slab’s top or the crown of the nearest improved street. If the slab or foundation comes out entirely, it runs from the lower of the average adjacent grade or that street crown (Sec. 3-090).
What are the setback and lot size rules on Tybee Island?
They depend on the zoning district, which you can check on the interactive zoning map linked from the City’s Planning & Zoning page. The residential schedule (Sec. 3-090):
| District | Minimum lot, single-family | Front | Rear | Side | Maximum height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-1 | 12,000 sq ft | 20 ft | 20 ft | 10 ft | 35 ft |
| R-1-B | 6,600 sq ft | 20 ft | 10 ft | 10 ft | 35 ft |
| R-2 | 4,500 sq ft | 20 ft | 10 ft | 10 ft | 35 ft |
| RT | 7,000 sq ft | 20 ft | 20 ft | 10 ft | 35 ft |
The front setback can shrink to the average of existing buildings within 200 feet on either side, on the same side of the street and block, but never below 10 feet. At least 65 percent of the required setback area has to stay vegetated (Sec. 3-165).
A 25-foot buffer runs along coastal marshlands, and land disturbance inside it is prohibited without a variance or buffer encroachment permit (Sec. 3-090.1). On the ocean side, there’s a 10-foot setback from the landward toe of the landward-most dune as delineated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (Sec. 3-100).
An older house that doesn’t meet today’s setbacks can be torn down and rebuilt only inside its same footprint, keeping the original’s historic character, with no more than 50 percent more square footage (Sec. 3-020).
How high do you have to build above flood level on Tybee Island?
The lowest floor goes at least one foot above the base flood elevation. The City “currently has a one (1) foot freeboard requirements above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) for new and substantially improved structures within the 100 year floodplain” (City of Tybee Island, Flood Information for Homeowners). The ordinance applies that one foot in AE and other A zones with a base flood elevation (Sec. 8-190). A lot’s base flood elevation is shown on FEMA’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (Sec. 8-060).
V zones, the coastal high hazard areas, carry extra requirements. Homes there sit on piles, columns or shear walls, with the bottom of the lowest horizontal structural member at least one foot above the base flood elevation. The space below has to stay free of obstruction apart from open lattice or screening, and fill can’t be used as structural support (Sec. 8-230).
Mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment needs the same one foot of freeboard (Sec. 8-180). Once the lowest floor is in, a registered land surveyor or professional engineer certifies its elevation, and a missing certification is cause for a stop-work order (Sec. 8-160).
Before you buy, check the City’s list of addresses with an elevation certificate on file, or request a flood evaluation report from Community Development (City of Tybee Island).
When does renovating a Tybee home trigger the flood rules?
The trigger is a substantial improvement. Tybee’s ordinance defines that as work “taking place during a one-year period, in which the cumulative cost equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure” before it starts, based on the structure’s appraised value (Sec. 8-060).
Past that point, in the City’s words, the work “will subject the home to all flood safety and FEMA building requirements.” The City also requires an affidavit for any project that could meet or exceed the 50 percent cumulative threshold (City of Tybee Island).
Eyeing an older house below today’s flood elevation? Price the whole renovation against the structure’s value before you offer. If it lands near half, plan on an elevation or a rebuild.
What permits do you need to build or raise a home on Tybee Island?
A City building permit is required for all new construction and for interior and exterior alterations and repairs, though cosmetic work like painting and carpet is exempt. Applications include two sets of plans, a new building or addition needs a licensed surveyor’s lot survey, and construction must begin within 180 days of issuance (Sec. 9-030).
Building, moving, enlarging or reconstructing a structure by 250 square feet or more also triggers a foundation survey by a Georgia registered land surveyor (Sec. 5-156). The work follows the technical codes adopted by Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs (City of Tybee Island, Building Permits), which include the International Residential Code (Sec. 9-050).
What extra rules apply to beachfront and marsh lots?
Georgia adds its own permits on top of the City’s. The Coastal Resources Division lists “any structure in the jurisdictional area” among projects that need a Shore Protection Act permit, and anyone planning work in or near the shore, beach or dunes must contact it for a jurisdictional determination. The Coastal Marshlands Protection Act works the same way near salt marsh (Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division).
Locally, altering the beach, dunes or dune vegetation without the proper federal, state and local permits is unlawful, and dune crossovers need special review (Sec. 3-100). Marsh-side buyers can also read our guide to waterfront and deep-water homes on the Georgia coast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you build higher than 35 feet on Tybee Island?
Not without a variance from the mayor and council, which the code ties to physical conditions peculiar to the property, such as an irregular or shallow lot. A building over 35 feet also needs sprinklers and smoke detectors. Chimneys and the working part of an elevator shaft don’t count toward the limit.
Can you finish the ground floor under an elevated house on Tybee?
No. An enclosed area below the lowest floor may be used only for parking, limited storage or entry to the elevated area, and it can’t be partitioned or finished into separate rooms. In V zones, space enclosed with lattice or screening is limited to parking, building access or limited storage.
What is the 50 percent rule on Tybee Island?
It’s the substantial improvement threshold. When repairs and improvements within one year cost 50 percent or more of the structure’s market value before the work, the home has to meet current flood requirements, including elevation. The City asks for an affidavit on any project that could reach that threshold.
Do you need a state permit to build on a beachfront lot on Tybee?
Yes, if the work reaches into the state’s jurisdictional area. Georgia’s Coastal Resources Division requires a Shore Protection Act permit for any structure there, and anyone planning work near the shore, beach or dunes must request a jurisdictional determination. The City’s dune setback still applies.
Planning a build or an elevation on Tybee?
These answers turn on the exact lot: its zoning district, its flood zone and base flood elevation, and how close it sits to the dune or marsh. Pin those down before you commit, and take legal questions to a real estate attorney.
Our Tybee Island buying guide covers flood insurance, and the short-term rental rules apply if you’ll rent the home. When you’re ready to look at lots or older homes on Tybee Island, get in touch with Johnson & Affiliates Real Estate Group, eXp Realty.