Permits are the part of a renovation nobody enjoys thinking about, and the part that causes the most trouble when it is skipped. Unpermitted work can surface when you sell, complicate an insurance claim, or have to be opened back up for inspection. Here is a plain-English overview of how permits work around metro Atlanta.
What usually needs a permit
Rules vary by city, but across the metro the pattern is similar. Work that changes the structure or the building’s systems generally needs a permit. Purely cosmetic work generally does not.
- Usually needs a permit: removing or moving walls, especially load-bearing ones; additions and decks; new or changed electrical circuits; plumbing changes such as moving a sink or adding a bathroom; HVAC changes; finishing a basement; commercial interior buildouts.
- Usually does not: paint, flooring, replacing cabinets and countertops in the same layout, trim, and like-for-like fixture swaps.
When in doubt, ask before you start. A good contractor will tell you what your specific project needs as part of the quote.
Who issues permits in each part of metro Atlanta
The first question is not what you are building, it is where. Your mailing address does not always tell you. Plenty of homes with a Decatur or Marietta address are actually in unincorporated DeKalb or Cobb County, and the county issues those permits.
- City of Atlanta, including Buckhead and Midtown: the Department of City Planning’s Office of Buildings. The city offers an Express Lane review for some residential interior alterations.
- Decatur: the City of Decatur’s Planning, Zoning and Inspections department.
- Sandy Springs: Community Development, through the Build Sandy Springs online portal.
- Brookhaven: Community Development, through the city’s online project portal.
- Dunwoody: Community Development.
- Alpharetta: Community Development.
- Roswell: Community Development’s building division.
- Marietta: Development Services, building inspections, for addresses inside city limits.
- Smyrna: the Building Division, which takes applications through its online portal only.
Historic districts add a step
If your home or building is in a local historic district, exterior changes usually need design approval before a building permit is issued. In Atlanta that approval is a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Urban Design Commission. Decatur, Roswell and Marietta have their own Historic Preservation Commissions, and Decatur will not issue a building permit in its historic districts without proof of a Certificate of Appropriateness. Roswell requires a pre-application conference first. In Marietta, interior work and minor repairs are exempt.
None of this makes a renovation impossible. It simply adds time, so it belongs in the schedule from the start rather than as a surprise halfway through.
Licensing matters too
Georgia generally requires a state contractor license for residential or general contracting work above a modest dollar threshold, and specialty trades such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC and low voltage are licensed separately. Before you hire anyone, ask which licenses they hold and who will pull the permits. It is one of the six questions we recommend asking any contractor.
How we handle it
On every quote we confirm who has jurisdiction over your address, what your project needs, and whether any historic or HOA review applies. Then we build that time into the schedule. Rules change, so treat this guide as a starting point and confirm the current requirements for your address.