Skidaway Island is the most self-contained place to buy in Chatham County. It is unincorporated, most of it sits inside a private community with its own architectural rules, and it holds a 588-acre state park and a university oceanographic institute at the same time. If you are considering it, the rules about what you may do to a house matter as much as the house.
Key Takeaways
– The median owner-occupied home value is $803,700 and the typical home dates from 1990.
– The Landings Association reviews exterior work in three tiers, and even repairs require notification.
– New construction carries compliance deposits of $2,500 from the owner, $7,500 from the contractor and $2,000 from the landscape contractor.
– Mean commute is 27.3 minutes, and the island holds a 588-acre state park with 6 miles of trails.
What is on the island?
Three things share it. The Landings, a private community; Skidaway Island State Park; and a University of Georgia research campus.
The island covers 16.491 square miles of land and 1.369 square miles of water, with a population of 9,315 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer and American Community Survey 2020-2024). Like Wilmington Island, it is a census-designated place rather than a city, so Chatham County is the local government and the county’s land-use ordinances “apply to all lands within the unincorporated area of Chatham County” (Chatham County Code, Chapter 3).
What does the housing look like?
Newer than the city and priced well above it. The median year built is 1990 (American Community Survey), and there are 4,747 housing units with a median owner-occupied value of $803,700 (American Community Survey).
The tenure split is unusually lopsided: 4,037 owner-occupied against 342 renter-occupied. Two practical consequences follow. Very little rental stock exists, so trying the island before buying is difficult. And with 4,747 units against 4,379 occupied, a few hundred sit unoccupied at any time, which is what you would expect where some homes are not year-round residences.
What does The Landings require before you change anything?
This is the part buyers underestimate, and it is documented in detail. The Landings Association is the “Property Owners Association for The Landings on Skidaway Island in Savannah, Georgia” (The Landings Association), and it publishes both architectural guidelines and a fee schedule.
Work falls into three tiers. Repairs and maintenance need a heads-up: “A large portion of work performed on homes falls under the repair and maintenance category. Since this type of work often involves contractors and other workers on-site, notification to The Landings Association is required” (The Landings Association, 2026 Architectural Fee Schedule). The association “will issue a work permit and inspect.”
Alterations and minor improvements, meaning changes to “colors, materials, configuration,” need “Application and material samples,” sometimes scaled plans, though the “Bulk of reviews (>80%) can be reviewed by staff.” The third tier, “NEW CONSTRUCTION, ADDITIONS, & MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS,” covers “Changes to square footage” and “All variance requests,” and those go to the Architectural Review Committee rather than staff.
So repainting your house is a notification and a fee. Adding square footage is a committee decision. Plan renovation timelines around which tier you are in.
What does that cost?
Less than people fear at the small end, more at the large end. The published fees include “$25” for “Maintenance Notifications, Re-painting, Re-roofing,” “$50” for a “Dumpster/POD/POJ” permit, and “$200” for a “Variance,” which the schedule notes “may require Chatham County MPC variance.” A resubmission of plans that do not substantially differ from a denied submission is “$200.”
The deposits are the bigger number. “The deposit required for new construction is $2,500 from the owner, $7,500 from the contractor, and $2,000 from the landscape contractor or responsible party.” A major improvement runs “$750 from the owner and $2,250 from the contractor.” A fence is “$250 from the owner and $750 from the contractor.” A pool takes three deposits: “$500 from the owner, $1,500 from the pool contractor, and $1,000 from the party responsible for the fence installation.”
One detail worth flagging for anyone planning a clear-out: an unpermitted dumpster, POD or portable toilet “will incur a fine of $250,” against a $50 permit.
The guidelines themselves are not static. The association notes that “The last review and revision of the Guidelines occurred in 2024 and involved comprehensive updates to the standards,” so read the current version rather than a copy from a previous sale.
What about the state park and the research campus?
Skidaway Island State Park covers “588 Acres” with “6 miles of trails” at “52 Diamond Causeway, Savannah, GA 31411” (Georgia State Parks). It also runs “87 Tent, Trailer & RV Campsites,” “3 Camper Cabins,” “3 Yurts” and “3 Pioneer Campgrounds.” Parking carries a “Fee required,” with “Annual passes available.”
The University of Georgia’s Skidaway Institute of Oceanography is on the same island. It is “located on Skidaway Island near Savannah,” was “founded in 1968,” and exists to “conduct research in all fields of oceanography” and “educate tomorrow’s scientists” (UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography).
If outdoor time is part of why you are looking here, our Savannah with kids guide covers more of the area’s parks, and for dock and marsh questions see waterfront and deep-water homes in coastal Georgia.
How far is Savannah?
Mean travel time to work is 27.3 minutes (American Community Survey). That is a little shorter than Wilmington Island’s average and a good deal longer than the west-side suburbs.
The structural point is the same as on any Chatham island: one causeway. Diamond Causeway is the connection, and an incident on it is not something an average commute time captures. Drive it at your hour before you commit. The Savannah and Hunter Army Airfield community page has the mainland links if your work sits on that side.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need approval to renovate a home at The Landings?
Yes, and even repairs require notification. The association sorts work into repair and maintenance, alterations and minor improvements, and new construction, additions and major improvements. The first two are mostly handled by staff, with over 80 percent of alteration reviews done at staff level. Anything changing square footage, and every variance request, goes to the Architectural Review Committee.
What are the construction deposits at The Landings?
New construction requires $2,500 from the owner, $7,500 from the contractor and $2,000 from the landscape contractor. A major improvement or addition takes $750 from the owner and $2,250 from the contractor. A fence is $250 and $750. A pool takes $500 from the owner, $1,500 from the pool contractor and $1,000 from whoever installs the fence.
How much are homes on Skidaway Island?
The Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 estimates put the median value of an owner-occupied home at $803,700 across 4,747 housing units, with a median year built of 1990. That is a five-year survey estimate for the whole island rather than a current sale price, so price any offer from recent comparable sales.
Is Skidaway Island part of the City of Savannah?
No. It is a census-designated place, the Census Bureau’s unit for an unincorporated community, so Chatham County is the local government and the county’s land-use ordinances apply. Separately, most of the island sits within a private community whose association has its own architectural rules on top of county requirements.
Before you write an offer
Two documents are worth reading before you commit: the association’s current architectural guidelines, and the fee and deposit schedule for the year you plan to renovate. If your plans involve square footage, a pool or a fence, the review path and the deposits are knowable up front rather than discovered later.
To walk through a specific Skidaway address and what its review path would look like, get in touch.