Forsyth County Zoning Codes Explained: Residential Districts
If you own land in Forsyth County, your property has a zoning code attached to it. That code decides what can be built, what you are allowed to do on the land, how many homes fit on the ground, and how much the property is worth to a builder. Most landowners have never looked it up.
This guide covers the residential codes only. Commercial, industrial and agricultural districts will get their own post.
First, where to find your zoning
The fastest way is the county's parcel viewer. Search by address or parcel number and look for the "Zoning" field.
Forsyth County GIS Maps and Applications: https://geo-forsythcoga.opendata.arcgis.com/pages/maps-and-applications-gallery
Forsyth County qPublic parcel search (tax assessor data with zoning): https://qpublic.schneidercorp.com (select Forsyth County, GA)
It will show something like Res2, A1 or R1. That is the code we are talking about here.
The big idea: density and sewer
Almost everything in residential zoning comes down to two questions.
How many homes per acre are allowed? This is called density. A code that allows one home per acre is worth less to a builder than a code that allows two or three, because the builder can sell more lots off the same dirt.
Is public sewer available? Forsyth County ties density to sewer. If a property has to run on septic tanks, lots have to be big enough for a drain field, so density stays low. If the property can tie into county sewer or an existing private treatment plant, the county allows smaller lots and higher density.
Keep those two things in mind and the codes below start to make sense.
The current residential codes
Forsyth County rewrote its zoning code in 2003 and has amended it many times since. These are the districts the county will actually rezone property into today.
Res1: Large lot single family
The lowest density residential code. One home per acre, minimum lot size of 37,000 square feet (about 0.85 acres), and a 100 foot minimum lot width. Homes have to be at least 1,500 square feet. Sewer is usually not available and the county waives the sewer connection requirement for subdivisions with one acre lots or larger. Manufactured homes are allowed. Backyard chickens, roadside produce stands and small scale crops are permitted. Horse stables and livestock need a conditional use permit.
Think of Res1 as the "country lot" district. If you want to subdivide a family farm into a handful of one acre homesites without running sewer, this is the code.
Res2: Standard single family
The most common code for traditional subdivisions in areas without sewer. On septic, lots must be at least 30,000 square feet and density tops out at 1.3 homes per acre. If sewer is available, lots can shrink to 22,000 square feet (about half an acre) and density rises to 1.5 homes per acre. Homes must be at least 2,000 square feet. Chickens are allowed, horses need a permit, and lots are capped at 35 percent building coverage.
Most of the established neighborhoods you see off Highway 20, Bethelview Road and the north end of the county are Res2 or its older cousin R2.
CR2: Community residential (larger sewered subdivisions)
CR2 is a newer district built for big master planned subdivisions with varied lot sizes. You need at least 30 acres to even apply, and public sewer is required. Density maxes out at 2.0 homes per acre. Individual lots can be as small as 10,000 square feet as long as the average across the subdivision is 16,000 square feet or more. Homes must be at least 2,000 square feet in a major subdivision. Because lots are tighter, the county requires an 8 percent common area and holds the exterior of the subdivision to higher design standards.
Res3: Higher density single family
Res3 was the workhorse code for sewered subdivisions in south Forsyth for the last decade. Sewer is required. Density is 1.8 homes per acre, lots must be at least 14,750 square feet with an average of 18,500, and 15 percent of the site has to be open space. Homes must be at least 2,000 square feet in a major subdivision. Detached single family only, no townhomes.
Here is the reality as of September 2026: Res3 is almost impossible to get approved right now. The current Board of Commissioners has made slowing residential growth a priority, and applications for Res3 density have been denied, withdrawn or pushed down to Res2 in nearly every case we have watched over the past couple of years. If a builder tells you they plan to take your land to Res3, ask them to show you a recent approval. Most contracts today are being written around Res2 or CR2 numbers, and that changes what a builder can pay.
Res4: Age restricted (55 and older)
Res4 exists for one purpose: active adult communities. At least one person 55 or older must live in 90 percent of the occupied homes. In exchange for the age restriction, the county allows 2.5 homes per acre on 10,000 square foot lots with 60 foot widths, and lets the builder mix in duplexes and quadraplexes. Sewer is required and 25 percent of the site must be open space. Minimum home size drops to 1,500 square feet. Because age restricted communities do not add students to the school system, Res4 has historically been an easier ask than Res3.
Res6: Townhomes and attached housing
Res6 is the county's attached housing district. It allows townhomes, duplexes, quadraplexes and condominiums at 4 homes per acre on lots as small as 4,000 square feet. Sewer is required and 40 percent of the site must be open space. Apartments are not permitted in Res6. Apartments in Forsyth County generally come through a master planned district (MPD) or a mixed use zoning instead.
MHP: Manufactured home parks
MHP is for leased space manufactured home communities, where the operator owns the land and residents rent a pad. Density is 8 homes per acre, the site must be between 5 and 15 acres, and sewer is required. This is a very rare code in Forsyth County today.
What you can actually do on residentially zoned land
This is the part most people are searching for. The county publishes a use table for each district and the answers are more generous than most homeowners expect. Here are the common questions.
Can I have chickens in Forsyth County?
Yes, in most residential districts. Forsyth County adopted its backyard chicken ordinance in April 2021. The rules are simple:
Your lot must be at least half an acre. You can keep up to eight chickens. Hens only, no roosters or any crowing poultry. The coop has to sit at least 20 feet from side and rear property lines and at least 50 feet from any neighbor's house. No building permit is needed for the coop. Chickens must be for eggs, meat or pets, not for sale, and you cannot slaughter them on site. If you are in an HOA, the HOA covenants still apply and can prohibit chickens even where the county allows them.
Chickens are permitted in Res1, Res2, R1, R2, R2R and LR. They are not permitted in CR2, Res3, Res4, Res6, CR1, R3 or OSR. On A1 agricultural land there is no limit on flock size.
Can I keep bees?
Yes. Apiaries are permitted in every residential zoning district in Forsyth County.
Can I have horses?
In Res1 and Res2 (and the older R2 and R2R), a non commercial horse stable requires a conditional use permit from the county. In R1 and R1R it is permitted outright. Horses are not allowed in CR2, Res3, Res4, Res6 or the townhome districts. If horses are a priority, A1 land is the cleaner answer.
Can I raise cattle, goats or other livestock?
Only in Res1 with a conditional use permit, or in the older R1 and R1R districts where it is permitted. In Res1, livestock requires at least two acres, no more than one animal per acre, and structures at least 50 feet from property lines. Poultry houses and hogs are prohibited in every residential district.
Can I build a guest house or in law suite?
Guest houses are permitted in every residential district. An attached accessory apartment (a true separate unit inside or attached to the home) requires a conditional use permit in the Res districts. A detached accessory apartment also requires a conditional use permit. A full second principal dwelling on the same lot is only allowed in R1R on five acres or more.
Can I run a business from home?
Professional home offices are permitted in every residential district. Larger home businesses are governed by Chapter 16 of the county code and may need a permit depending on traffic, signage and employees.
Can I run an Airbnb or short term rental?
No. Short term rentals are listed as not permitted in every residential zoning district in Forsyth County.
Can I put a manufactured or mobile home on my lot?
Yes in Res1, R1, R2 and LR. Not in Res2, CR2, Res3, Res4 or Res6.
Can I sell produce from a roadside stand?
Permitted in R1 and R1R, and allowed with a conditional use permit in Res1. Not allowed in the other residential districts.
The older codes you will still see on the map
A lot of parcels still carry codes from before the 2003 rewrite. These districts are still valid and property in them can still be developed, but the county no longer accepts applications to rezone land into them. If you own a parcel with one of these codes, here is what it means.
R1 is the old large lot district. 40,000 square foot lots, about 1.09 homes per acre, 150 foot lot width. It is similar to Res1 today, but with broader allowed uses: livestock, crops, roadside stands and horses are all permitted outright.
R2 is the old standard subdivision code. 30,000 square foot lots and 1.45 homes per acre, on septic or sewer. Most older neighborhoods are R2.
R2R is a slightly denser version of R2. 25,500 square foot lots on septic (1.71 homes per acre) or 22,000 square feet on sewer (1.98 homes per acre).
R3 is the old multifamily district. It allowed townhomes, duplexes and condos at up to 6 homes per acre on 7,260 square foot lots. Detached homes in R3 are held to 6,000 square foot lots and 4 homes per acre.
R4 was the old mobile home park district, 8 homes per acre on 5 to 15 acre sites.
LR is Lake Residential, used for lots around Lake Lanier. 25,500 square foot lots at 1.71 homes per acre with a 1,200 square foot minimum home size.
CR1 and R1R are older community and restricted residential districts, and OSR is Open Space Residential at one home per acre with a two acre open space requirement. You will not see these often.
The older codes are being phased out, and that matters for your land value
Forsyth County is actively working to eliminate these legacy districts through county initiated rezoning. That means the county, not the landowner, files the application to move a parcel from an old code like R2 or R3 into one of the current districts.
Every time we have seen this happen, the property has been moved to a lower density code than it started with. An R3 parcel that could carry six homes per acre gets moved to Res6 at four, or to a single family district. An R2R parcel at nearly two homes per acre gets moved to Res2 at 1.5. The landowner does not get a vote beyond the public hearing, and the result is fewer buildable lots and a lower price per acre from any builder who looks at it.
If you own land with one of these older codes, that existing zoning is an asset. It may be worth more than the code the county would move you to. Pay attention to public hearing notices, and if you get one for a county initiated rezoning on your property, talk to someone before the hearing date, not after.
Quick reference
Res1: 1.0 homes per acre, 37,000 sq ft lots, sewer not required, chickens allowed, detached homes on large lots.
Res2: 1.5 homes per acre (1.3 on septic), 22,000 sq ft lots on sewer, chickens allowed, detached homes.
CR2: 2.0 homes per acre, 10,000 sq ft lots (16,000 average), sewer required, 30 acre minimum, no chickens, detached homes.
Res3: 1.8 homes per acre, 14,750 sq ft lots (18,500 average), sewer required, no chickens, detached homes.
Res4: 2.5 homes per acre, 10,000 sq ft lots, sewer required, no chickens, 55 and older, detached and attached.
Res6: 4.0 homes per acre, 4,000 sq ft lots, sewer required, no chickens, townhomes, duplexes and condos.
MHP: 8.0 homes per acre, 3,000 sq ft pads, sewer required, no chickens, manufactured home park.
Septic density is lower for Res1 (1.0) and Res2 (1.3). All numbers come from Chapter 11 of the Forsyth County Unified Development Code and can change. Always confirm with Planning and Community Development before making a decision.
What this means if you are a landowner
Your zoning is not permanent. A builder can apply to rezone your property to a higher density code. That application goes through a public hearing and the Board of Commissioners votes on it. Most land contracts with builders are contingent on getting that rezoning approved. And as covered above, the county can also initiate a rezoning to move you the other direction.
Sewer is the multiplier. The difference between a Res2 septic subdivision at 1.3 homes per acre and a Res2 sewered subdivision at 1.5 homes per acre is roughly 15 percent more lots. Getting to CR2 at 2.0 is more than 50 percent. That shows up directly in what a builder can pay per acre.
Most raw land is A1, not residential. If your family land shows A1 (Agricultural) on the map, it is not zoned for a subdivision yet. That is normal. Nearly every subdivision in the county started as A1 and was rezoned. We will cover A1 and the agricultural districts in the next post.
The county is currently limiting residential rezonings. Forsyth County has a residential rezoning moratorium in place through October 25, 2026. Until it lifts, new applications to rezone land into these districts are on hold. If you are thinking about selling land to a builder, the window after the moratorium ends is worth planning for now.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common residential zoning in Forsyth County?
Res2 and its predecessor R2 cover most established single family neighborhoods. Res3 was the most common code for new sewered subdivisions in south Forsyth, though new Res3 approvals have become rare.
Can I build a second house on my property?
Guest houses are permitted in every residential district. A detached accessory apartment usually requires a conditional use permit. A full second principal dwelling is only allowed in R1R on lots of five acres or more.
Are short term rentals allowed?
No. Short term rentals are listed as not permitted in every residential zoning district in Forsyth County.
Can I have horses on residential land?
In Res1 and Res2 a non commercial stable requires a conditional use permit. In R1 and R1R it is permitted. Not allowed in the sewered subdivision districts.
How do I rezone my land?
You file a rezoning application with Forsyth County Planning and Community Development, hold a community meeting, go before the Planning Commission, then the Board of Commissioners. The process typically runs three to six months. Most landowners do not do this themselves. A builder under contract usually handles the application and the cost.
What does "conditional use" mean?
It means the use is allowed only if you apply for and receive a conditional use permit from the county. Things like day cares, small churches and horse stables often fall in this category.
What is county initiated rezoning?
It is when Forsyth County itself applies to change a property's zoning, usually to move parcels out of the pre 2003 legacy districts. In practice these have moved properties to lower density codes, which reduces the number of homes that can be built and can lower land value.
Crawford Lands, LLC is a licensed Georgia brokerage that exclusively lists land in Forsyth County. If you own acreage and want to know what your zoning means for its value, contact us.