Roswell, GA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted electrical code
- National Electrical Code, as amended (§ 5.3.2(c))
- Permit required before
- Any electrical install, alteration, or repair
- Working without a permit penalty
- 100% of usual permit fee, added on
- Required electrical inspections
- Temp pole, underground, rough-in, final
- Contractor requirement
- Current Georgia state electrical license
- Permit expires if unstarted
- 6 months after issuance
- Appeal of denial
- 30 days, $50 fee, to Construction Board
Summary
Roswell adopts the National Electrical Code, as amended, for every electrical installation in the city (Code of Ordinances § 5.3.2(c)) and requires a permit from the chief building inspector before any electrical work begins, backed by staged inspections, licensing checks, and a 100% fee penalty for starting without one.
(c)Electrical. The provisions of the National Electrical Code, as amended, shall apply to the installation of electrical systems, including alterations, repairs, replacement, equipment, appliances, fixtures, fittings and appurtenances thereto.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 17 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
Section 5.3.2(c) of the Roswell Code of Ordinances states: "Electrical. The provisions of the National Electrical Code, as amended, shall apply to the installation of electrical systems, including alterations, repairs, replacement, equipment, appliances, fixtures, fittings and appurtenances thereto." That code is one of fourteen Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes the city adopts by reference under § 5.3.1, and where any of those codes conflicts with a Roswell ordinance, the state code prevails to the extent of the conflict. Section 5.4.1 requires anyone who wants to "erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical...system" to first apply to the chief building inspector and obtain a permit; a business license to perform electrical work in the city is not issued unless the applicant holds a current Georgia state electrical license, and if the state revokes that license, the city permit is automatically revoked (§ 5.4.23).
Permits carry fees set by the governing body and maintained by the community development department (§ 5.4.30), and an application not acted on within six months is deemed abandoned unless the chief building inspector grants a written 90-day extension (§ 5.4.5). Once issued, electrical work goes through four required inspections under § 5.4.39(b): a temporary pole inspection after the power pole is grounded and ready to energize, an underground inspection after conduit or cable is laid and before backfill, a rough-in inspection after framing is up but before wall or ceiling coverings go on, and a final inspection after all fixtures are installed and connected, before the structure is occupied.
Inspection fees under § 5.4.40 must be paid in full before a certificate of occupancy issues. An owner or contractor may appeal a chief building inspector decision, including a permit refusal, to the Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals by filing written notice within 30 calendar days and paying a $50.00 appeal fee (§§ 5.5.4, 5.5.6).
Violations & Fines
Starting electrical work before a permit issues draws a penalty equal to 100 percent of the usual permit fee, on top of the required fee itself (§ 5.4.28). The chief building inspector may revoke a permit for misrepresentation in the application or for work found in violation of the adopted codes (§§ 5.4.33, 5.4.34). Because Chapter 5 sets no separate criminal penalty for electrical permit violations, offenses fall under the Code's general penalty, § 1.1.3: a fine up to $2,000.00, imprisonment up to 180 days, and/or community service up to 180 days, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Roswell, Georgia require an electrical permit for wiring work?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Roswell
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