Septic permits & records
Jones County Planning and Zoning
- Address
- 166 Industrial Blvd., Gray, GA 31032
- Phone
- (478) 986-5117
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Excavation Services · Gray, GA
Excavation services for homes, utilities and site work in Gray and Jones County, Georgia.
Gray, Jones County. ZIP code 31032.
- Lake Oconee & Lake Sinclair
- Residential & commercial
- 10% off: military & first responders
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Who handles excavation and its permits in Gray, GA?
In Gray and unincorporated Jones County, one Planning and Zoning office on Industrial Boulevard issues building and land disturbing permits for both the county and the city. A Class Septic Services digs house pads, basements and utility trenches after a Georgia 811 locate, working to whatever erosion plan the job's permit carries.↗↗
Reviewed by A Class Septic Services · Last updated
Who to call at the county
One permit desk for Gray and the county
The Gray story
Digging in Jones County: clay on top, rock underneath
Jones County runs its public water from deep wells drilled into crystalline rock, and that same bedrock is what an excavator meets on a lot of sites around Gray. Most of the county is deep red Piedmont clay that digs cleanly, but there are pockets where weathered rock comes up fast.↗
Wilkes soils are the usual culprit. NRCS describes them as shallow to weathered rock, so a basement or a deep sewer run that looks routine on paper can turn into ripping and hammering. We like to put a test hole in before we price a deep dig on unfamiliar ground.↗
The county also sits across a river divide, with its western half draining to the Upper Ocmulgee and the northeast toward the Oconee. Which way a lot falls decides where the spoil pile goes and where the silt fence earns its keep when the first storm comes through.↗
On the record
- Jones County's water system pulls all of its water from crystalline-rock aquifers through four groundwater plants and eight deep wells.↗
Permits · Jones County Planning and Zoning (county and City of Gray) and Georgia 811
Before the bucket touches dirt in Gray
- 01
Pull the permits through Jones County Planning and Zoning, which handles building permits, land disturbing permits and stormwater management for the county and the City of Gray.↗
- 02
Apply before work starts. The county's fee schedule doubles permit fees when a permit is applied for after construction has begun.↗
- 03
Call Georgia 811 at least three business days ahead; requests count Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.↗
- 04
Hand dig inside 18 inches of either side of a marked line. A normal locate ticket stays valid for 30 calendar days.↗
- 05
Expect site inspections. Jones County's stormwater program commits to inspecting construction sites under the state Green Book and GSWCC procedures.↗
More about Gray
What we dig around Gray
House pads and footings for new homes on county tracts; basements where the grade allows a walkout; trenches for water, power and sewer; septic tank holes and field trenches; ponds and drainage swales; and the backfill and compaction that close it all up. On anything 5 feet deep or more, OSHA requires sloping, shoring or a trench box unless the cut is entirely in stable rock, and trenches 4 feet or deeper need a ladder or ramp within 25 feet of anyone working in them.↗↗
Anyone doing land-disturbing work in Georgia has to hold GSWCC erosion and sediment control certification, and the BMPs on the plan get installed before the big cut, not after. On a Gray job that usually means silt fence on the downhill side, a stone construction entrance off the road, and spoil kept back from the nearest ditch or creek.↗
- Jones County's permit fee schedule, which also covers the City of Gray, lists a soil erosion control permit at $40 per acre and doubles fees for work started before the permit.↗
- Jones County is a small MS4 under Georgia's general stormwater permit GAG610000, with its Zoning Director as the designated stormwater contact.↗
House pads and footings for new homes on county tracts; basements where the grade allows a walkout; trenches for water, power and sewer; septic tank holes and field trenches; ponds and drainage swales; and the backfill and compaction that close it all up.
What it costs
Excavation costs, as published nationally
HomeAdvisor's 2026 ranges; every site is priced on its own ground. Not our prices.
Typical excavation project
$1,659 to $6,713 (average $3,976)
Typical market range — HomeAdvisor: Excavation Cost (updated Jun 20, 2026), 2026
Basement dig and waterproofing
$5,000 to $15,000
Typical market range — HomeAdvisor: Excavation Cost (updated Jun 20, 2026), 2026
Dirt removal
$8 to $25 per cubic yard
Typical market range — HomeAdvisor: Excavation Cost (updated Jun 20, 2026), 2026
What moves the price
These are third-party typical market ranges, not our prices. Every job is quoted after we see it — estimates are free.
Free estimate: (678) 863-5620- 01Rock depth, especially on Wilkes ground
- 02Whether spoil stays on site or gets trucked off
- 03Trench depth and the protective system it needs
- 04Wet-season clay that will not compact
FAQ
Excavation questions in Gray
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Does the City of Gray have its own permit office for site work?
No. Jones County Planning and Zoning, at 166 Industrial Boulevard, serves both the county and the City of Gray for building and land disturbing permits.
How far ahead do I need to call 811 before digging in Jones County?
At least three business days. Requests made after 4:30 p.m. count as the next business day, and a ticket is valid for 30 days.
Source: Georgia 811 Excavator Manual (2024 Excavator Guide, rev. 2/2025)
Will I hit rock digging a basement near Gray?
Possibly. Jones County sits on crystalline rock, and Wilkes soils are shallow to weathered rock. A test hole before pricing is the honest way to know.
Source: USDA NRCS Official Series Description: Wilkes series
What does a Jones County erosion control permit cost?
The county's posted schedule, current as of December 2017, lists $40 per acre. Confirm the current fee with Planning and Zoning.
Source: Jones County GA (including City of Gray) Permit Fee Schedule, current as of 12-1-17
When does a trench need shoring?
At 5 feet deep, OSHA requires a protective system unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock.
Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1926.652, Requirements for protective systems
What happens if a line gets nicked?
Stop digging and report it to Georgia 811 and the utility. Even dents, scratches and gouges count as damage.
Source: Georgia 811 Excavator Manual (2024 Excavator Guide, rev. 2/2025)
Sources
Where these facts come from
Rules, costs and local facts on this page link to the agency, code or publisher that states them. Cost figures are third-party market ranges, not our prices — estimates are free.
Reviewed by A Class Septic Services · Last updated
- 1Jones County, GA: Planning and Zoning
- 2Georgia 811: Contact Georgia 811 Before You Dig - How it Works (2025)
- 3Jones County Water System 2025 Consumer Confidence Report
- 4USDA NRCS Official Series Description: Wilkes series
- 5Wikipedia: Jones County, Georgia
- 6Jones County GA (including City of Gray) Permit Fee Schedule, current as of 12-1-17
- 7Georgia 811 Excavator Manual (2024 Excavator Guide, rev. 2/2025)
- 8Jones County Stormwater Management Program (NPDES GAG610000 small MS4), 2023
- 9OSHA 29 CFR 1926.652, Requirements for protective systems
- 10OSHA 29 CFR 1926.651, Specific excavation requirements
- 11Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission: Urban Erosion & Sediment Control
- 12HomeAdvisor: Excavation Cost (updated Jun 20, 2026)
Ready when you are
Breaking ground in Jones County? Get the dig planned right.
Tell us what you are building and where. We will look at the ground, the rock risk and the permits, and line up the excavation with the septic, utilities and driveway. Military and first responders save 10%.
(678) 863-5620- Lake Oconee & Lake Sinclair
- Residential & commercial
- 10% off for military & first responders
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620