Stonecrest, GA Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Sec. 7-118(a) states plainly that a permit shall be obtained before beginning construction, erection, alteration or repair to a building or structure, mechanical system, gas system, plumbing system, electrical system, and energy conservation system, other than ordinary repairs, and requires the permit at least eight hours before work starts, or within 24 hours for emergency work. Sec. 7-118(b) exempts only ordinary repairs to a single-family residential building whose wholesale cost is $1,000 or less. The application itself, described in Sec. 7-118(e), must identify the work, describe the property by street address or legal description, state the intended use, include construction plans and the proposed valuation, and carry the signatures of both the applicant/contractor and the property owner.

The Building Official must examine a complete application within 60 calendar days under Sec. 7-118(f), and may issue a special foundation-only permit while the rest of the application is pending. An application is deemed abandoned 180 days after filing unless a permit issues, though the Building Official may grant up to three 90-day written extensions for justifiable cause under Sec. 7-118(g). Once issued, a permit becomes invalid if work does not begin within 180 days, if no city inspection occurs within a year, or if work is suspended for 180 days, per Sec.

7-118(i). Sec. 7-118(c) penalizes anyone who starts work before the permit issues: 100 percent of the usual permit fee on top of the fee itself, plus a Stop Work Order. Permit fees themselves are set by the city council and kept on file with the city clerk under Sec. 7-120(b).