Brookhaven, GA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Under Brookhaven Code § 7-118(a), a permit must be obtained before beginning construction, erection, alteration or repair to a plumbing system, along with buildings, mechanical, gas, electrical and energy conservation systems, other than ordinary repairs. Permits for emergency work must be obtained within 24 hours after work is commenced. The exemption list in § 7-118(d)(5) is narrow. It covers stopping leaks in drains, water, soil, waste, or vent pipe; clearing stoppages or repairing leaks in pipe, valves, or fixtures, including removing and reinstalling water closets, without replacing or rearranging valves, pipes or fixtures; and removing and replacing sinks, lavatories, faucets, and water closets without relocations of fixtures or piping. If a concealed trap or pipe is defective and must be removed and replaced with new material, the code treats that as new work that needs a permit and an inspection.

The application is filed on a form furnished by the Community Development Department. It must describe the work, give the street address and tax parcel ID, state the cost of labor and materials, and list the contractor's company name, state license-holder's name and license number. The building official acts no later than 60 calendar days after a complete application is filed. An application is deemed abandoned 180 days after filing unless a permit has been issued, with up to three written extensions of 90 days each. An issued permit becomes invalid if work has not commenced and passed a city inspection within 180 days. Under § 7-120, a permit is not valid until the fees prescribed by the city council are paid, and under § 7-118(l) the permit or a copy is posted 36 to 48 inches above grade facing the street.

The technical standard is the International Plumbing Code, adopted through § 7-23 as one of the state minimum standards codes. Section 7-25 deletes Chapter 1 of that code and adds a local requirement that all exterior sewer drain clean outs be cut back to finished grade level on all residences. Plumbing inspections under § 7-170(f)(3) are underground and slab, rough-in, final, and testing as required in section 312 of the International Plumbing Code, with tests made by the permit holder and observed by the building official.