Bartow County, GA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- International Plumbing Code (ICC), § 18-31
- Permit required by
- § 18-117, before work begins
- Sewer/septic approval required first
- § 18-118
- First-violation fine
- $200.00
- Third+-violation fine
- $600.00
Summary
Unincorporated Bartow County enforces the International Plumbing Code as one of the state minimum standard codes, and anyone who wants to install, alter, repair, convert, or replace a plumbing system regulated by that code must first get a permit from the county building official before starting work.
The following standard building codes are in force in each county of this state as a matter of law, pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 8-2-25, and are therefore in force in Bartow County: ... (5)International Plumbing Code (ICC); ... Any owner, authorized agent, or contractor who desires to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, or change the occupancy of a building or a structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system, the installation of which is regulated by the standard building codes, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit for the work, except as exempted below.
Full Breakdown
§ 8-2-25, alongside the International Building, Electrical (NFPA), Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Residential, Energy Conservation, and Fire Codes. § 18-119 blocks a new permit for anyone currently in violation of the chapter or subject to an active stop-work order. Plumbing permits, like electrical ones, can only be issued for a lawful lot of record under § 18-114, and the Community Development Department's building official administers and enforces the requirement under §§ 18-116 and 18-381.
Violations & Fines
Working without the required plumbing permit is a violation of § 18-117 that can be cited criminally in magistrate court under § 18-385 or pursued civilly in superior court under § 18-386, with stop-work authority under § 18-387. Fines follow the mandatory schedule in § 18-421: $200.00 for a first violation, $400.00 for a second, and $600.00 for a third or subsequent violation by the same person, up to the chapter's $1,000.00 per-offense cap, plus possible jail, community service, or probation under § 18-388.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plumbing code does Bartow County enforce?
Do I need a permit for a septic or water line change?
What happens if I do plumbing work without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartow County
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