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

After work is completed, the Director of the Department of Building Safety and Regulatory Services, or an authorized representative, inspects it against the codes adopted at § 20-201 (International Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Codes). If the work does not conform, the Director notifies the contractor of the needed corrections and re-inspects once at no charge. A $30 re-inspection fee applies under § 20-306 for three specific triggers: corrections ordered at an earlier visit were not made, the work was not actually ready when the inspection was called, or the building permit was not posted on-site as department policy requires; all outstanding re-inspection fees must be paid before the county schedules any further inspection.

Separately, § 20-307 ties the inspection timeline to the life of the permit itself: a permit becomes invalid if work does not begin within 180 days of issuance, or if work starts and is then suspended or abandoned for 180 days, forcing a new application before inspections can resume. The Director may grant a time extension consistent with the International Building Code once the $30 reinspection fee is paid. Anyone who disputes a Director's inspection-related decision can appeal in writing within five days to the nine-member Board of Adjustments and Appeals for a $100 fee; if the Board does not rule within 30 days, the Director's decision stands (§ 20-201(12)-(13)).