Georgia building permits

Where to get a building permit in Georgia

Apply to the building department of the city, town or county where the property is (the steps).

Our Georgia city guides, with each department's contacts, fees, inspections and project rules:

• Atlanta

Georgia state agencies

These offices set statewide codes or license the trades. They do not issue permits for most home projects.

Building code in Georgia

Every code family, edition and effective date is on Georgia building codes.

State rules on which work needs a permit

IRC Chapter 1 deleted by Georgia amendments

• IRC Chapter 1, including its permit-exemption list, is not adopted as state code. Delete Chapter 1 ‘Scope and Administration’ without substitution. Chapter 1 to remain in the Code as a reference and guide for local governments to use in the development of their own Administrative Procedures.⁵
• Local administrative provisions required. In order to properly administer and enforce the state minimum standard codes, local governments must adopt reasonable administrative provisions.¹

Homeowners doing their own work

O.C.G.A. §§ 43-41-17(h), 43-14-19(d)(1) · in effect July 1, 2026¹²

• Nothing in this chapter shall preclude any person from constructing a building or structure on real property owned by such person which is intended upon completion for use or occupancy solely by that person and his or her family, firm, or corporation and its employees, and not for use by the general public and not offered for sale or lease.¹⁰
• In so doing, such person may act as his or her own contractor personally providing direct supervision and management of all work not performed by licensed contractors.¹⁰
• 24 months. However, if, under this subsection, the person or his or her family, firm, or corporation has previously sold or transferred a building or structure which had been constructed by such person acting without a licensed residential or commercial general contractor within the prior 24 month period, starting from the date on which a certificate of occupancy was issued for such building or structure, then such person may not, under this subsection, construct another separate building or structure without having first obtained on his or her own behalf an appropriate residential or commercial general contractor license or having engaged such a duly licensed contractor to perform such work to the extent required under this chapter, or it shall be presumed that the person, firm, or corporation did not intend such building solely for occupancy by that person and his or her family, firm, or corporation.¹⁰
• Permits and inspections still apply. In any event, however, all such work must be done in conformity with all other applicable provisions of this title, the rules and regulations of the board and division involved, and any applicable county or municipal resolutions, ordinances, codes, permitting, or inspection requirements.¹⁰
• An individual from installing, altering, or repairing plumbing fixtures, air conditioning and heating, air conditioning and heating fixtures, utility systems, or electrical or low voltage wiring services in a residential dwelling owned or occupied by such individual; provided, however, that all such work must be done in conformity with all other provisions of this chapter, the rules and regulations of the board, and any applicable county or municipal resolutions, ordinances, codes, or inspection requirements…¹¹
• Effective July 1, 2026. Act 472; SB 553 This Act repeals and reenacts Chapter 14 of Title 43 concerning the licensing of electrical, low voltage, utility, plumbing, and conditioned air contractors. The Act amends O.C.G.A. Sections 43-1-34 and 48-7-38 and repeals and reenacts O.C.G.A. Chapter 43-14. Effective July 1, 2026.¹²

Contractor licensing

O.C.G.A. §§ 43-41-2, 43-41-17; O.C.G.A. Chapter 43-14 (reenacted by SB 553, 2026)

• Residential or commercial general contractor license required. No person, whether an individual or a business organization, shall have the right to engage in the business of residential contracting or commercial general contracting without a current, valid residential contractor license or commercial general contractor license, respectively, issued by the division under this chapter…¹⁰
• $2,500. …whichever is the higher, exceeds $2,500.00.¹⁰
• Unlicensed contractor cannot enforce the contract. …shall be unenforceable in law or in equity by the unlicensed contractor.¹⁰
• Electrical license required. No person shall engage in electrical contracting unless such person has a valid license issued by the division.¹¹
• Conditioned air license required. No person shall engage in conditioned air contracting unless such person has a valid…¹¹
• Plumbing license required. No person shall engage in plumbing contracting as a Master Plumber Class I…¹¹
• 2 years. All licenses and certificates issued under this chapter shall be valid for a period of two years and shall be subject to biennial renewal upon expiration.¹¹

Handyman limits

O.C.G.A. §§ 43-41-2, 43-41-17(g)

• $2,500. …whichever is the higher, exceeds $2,500.00.¹⁰
• Unlicensed repair work allowed with disclosure if not structural. Nothing in this chapter shall preclude a person from offering or contracting to perform or undertaking or performing for an owner repair work, provided that the person performing the repair work discloses to the owner that such person does not hold a license under this chapter and provided, further, that such work does not affect the structural integrity of the real property.¹⁰
• $10,000. …does not exceed the greater of $10,000.00 or 25 percent of the total value at the time of contracting of the work to be performed.¹⁰

Deadlines for permit decisions and inspections

O.C.G.A. § 8-2-26(g) (HB 493, 2019; SB 49, 2021; SB 447, 2026); O.C.G.A. § 36-60-34

• 5 business days. No later than five business days after receipt of any application related to regulatory requirements, a local building official of a county or municipality shall notify each applicant as to whether the submitted documents meet the requirements of a complete application.¹³
• 30 days. …will be able to provide regulatory action within 30 days for plan review or provide inspection services within two business days of receiving a valid written request for inspection.¹³
• 2 business days. …provide inspection services within two business days of receiving a valid written request for inspection.¹³
• Effective January 1, 2028. Beginning January 1, 2028, each local government shall maintain a publicly accessible website or application that provides real-time status information for all building permits for which an application has been submitted.¹⁴
• 'Local government' means a county, municipality, or consolidated government that issued more than 250 building permits in the preceding calendar year.¹⁴

Private plan review and inspections

O.C.G.A. § 8-2-26(g) (HB 493, 2019; SB 49, 2021; SB 447, 2026)

• Professional engineer, professional architect or qualified inspector, independent of the project. (iii) Qualified inspector as such term is defined in Code Section 8-2-26.1 who is not an employee of or otherwise affiliated with or financially interested in the person, firm, or corporation engaged in the construction project to be reviewed or inspected.¹³
• 50%. If the applicant elects to utilize the services of a private professional provider, the regulatory fees associated with such regulatory action shall be reduced by 50 percent and such reduced amount shall be paid to the county or municipality in accordance with such jurisdiction's policies.¹³
• Where local staff can meet the time frames, a convenience fee up to the full regulatory fee is paid. …a convenience fee not to exceed the full amount of the regulatory fees associated with such regulatory action shall be paid to the county or municipality in accordance with such jurisdiction's policies.¹³
• 2 business days. …shall have two business days after the submission of the inspection report…¹⁴
• Effective July 1, 2026. Act 513; SB 447 This Act revises certain procedural matters relating to inspection reports by private professional providers that are submitted to local governing authorities. The Act revises procedures and related matters regarding the issuance of building permits and certain applications by local issuing authorities. The Act further requires local governments to provide real-time status information regarding applications for building permits. The Act amends O.C.G.A. Sections 8-2-26, 12-7-3, 12-7-9, and 12-7-11 and enacts O.C.G.A. Section 36-60-34. Effective July 1, 2026.¹²

Limits on permit fees

O.C.G.A. § 8-2-26(g)(2) (restated by SB 49, 2021)

• Fees must approximate the reasonable cost of the regulatory activity. The amount of any regulatory fee shall approximate the reasonable cost of the actual regulatory activity performed by the local government and shall be subject to the provisions of paragraph (6) of Code Section 48-13-5.¹³
• Local fee schedule must be available. …shall establish and make available a schedule of such regulatory fees and regulatory requirements…¹³

Selling a home with unpermitted work

O.C.G.A. Chapter 10-6A (Brokerage Relationships in Real Estate Transactions Act); no unpermitted-work statute located

• Broker must disclose known adverse physical-condition facts. All adverse material facts pertaining to the physical condition of the property and improvements located thereon including but not limited to material defects in the property, environmental contamination, and facts required by statute or regulation to be disclosed which are actually known by the broker which could not be discovered by a reasonably diligent inspection of the property by the buyer…¹⁵
• Title 10 Chapter 6A. Title 10 Chapter 6A Brokerage Relationships in Real Estate Transactions Act…¹⁶

What local governments may change

O.C.G.A. §§ 8-2-25(c), 8-2-4, 43-41-17(c)

• The Uniform Codes Act provides that local governments may, under certain conditions, adopt local amendments to the state minimum standard codes.¹
• Not less stringent. The requirements in the proposed local amendment cannot be less stringent than the requirements in the state minimum standard code.¹
• 60 days. The local government must submit the proposed amendment to DCA 60 days prior to the proposed adoption of such an amendment.¹
• No mandatory sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings. The intent of the Georgia amendments is that fire sprinklers shall not be mandatory in one- and two-family dwellings.⁵
• No additional local licensing of state licensees, subject to exceptions. …no municipality or county may require any such person licensed under this chapter to comply with any additional licensing requirements imposed by such municipality or county relative to the performance of construction work subject to the licensing requirements under this chapter.¹⁰

Can local rules be stricter?

Yes¹

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)

• HB 1166 (2026), 400 sq ft dwellings, bill only. HB 1166 Local government; zoning decisions shall not affect or be required for certain residential dwellings of 400 square feet or fewer; provide…¹⁷
• HB 1166 session-final status row. 1166 County and municipal corporations; zoning procedures; provisions GAff H 2/4 2/26 S 2/5 3/6 3/6 CS SLGO(G) S 3/9 3/27 S 3/27…¹⁸