The goal of the Planning Department is to protect the public’s safety, health, and general welfare, and to maintain a quality of life in the community while preserving its lifestyle and values. The department ensures consistency of the planning activities taking place in Bainbridge and Decatur County with policies included in the Comprehensive Plan pertinent to the growth and development of each. The department is divided into four divisions: Planning, Zoning, Building Permitting & Inspection.

Decatur County has not yet adopted a zoning ordinance but regulates usage of land through other ordinances, one of which is the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), which serves as a development guide to proper land divisions for residential or commercial and construction of permanent and temporary structures within Decatur County. This Ordinance also works as a framework for coordinating a review of the development proposals with other local and state government entities including, but not limited to, Decatur County Environmental Health Department, Georgia Department of Transportation, and Georgia Department of Natural Resources.