Newton County, GA Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Newton County Code § 10-8 puts inspection duties on both the building official and the permit holder. Under § 10-8(a), from time to time the building official, upon notification from the permit holder or their agent, must make or cause to be made any necessary inspections and either approve that portion of the construction as completed or notify the permit holder where it fails to comply with the code. The section names three inspection categories: general inspections required by the governing authority, a floodplain inspection for construction in flood-prone areas that requires a registered engineer's or land surveyor's elevation certification once the lowest floor is placed and before further vertical construction, and a final inspection, made after the permitted work is complete and required before a certificate of occupancy can be issued under § 10-9.

Section 10-8(b) lets the building official accept inspection reports from licensed engineers or ICC-certified inspectors instead of doing every inspection personally. It is the responsibility of the person doing the permitted work to notify the building official when work is ready for the next inspection and to provide access for it, under § 10-8(c). Section 10-8(d) is the enforcement hinge: work may not proceed past the point covered by a successive inspection without the building official's approval, and any portion that fails to comply must be corrected and shall not be covered or concealed until authorized by the building official.