Walton County, GA Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Walton County Code § 14-61 amends the Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code (which incorporates the International Plumbing Code) by deleting its Chapter 1 and substituting the county's own administrative provisions from Amendment A-1 of the state building code, which govern whenever the plumbing code's text conflicts. The county also swaps in the International Plumbing Code's full Section 311, Toilet Facilities for Workers, in place of the state amendment's shortened version. Under § 14-44, any owner, agent or contractor who wants to install, alter, repair or replace a plumbing system covered by the technical codes must first apply to the department of planning and development and obtain a permit before starting work; unlawful excavation or plumbing work without a permit is barred outright.

Fees under § 14-50 must be paid before the permit issues, and starting plumbing work before the permit is obtained draws a penalty of 100 percent of the usual permit fee on top of the fee itself. A plumbing permit lapses 12 months from issuance if the holder never requests and passes a required inspection, and lapses again if six months pass between inspections; the building official can grant up to two three-month extensions on written request showing justifiable cause. Rough-in and final plumbing inspections follow the sequence set in § 14-51.