Building Safety in Georgia (2026)

Augusta-Richmond County's building maintenance code prohibits lead-based paint on any exterior wall or surface of a…

Atlanta requires passenger elevators be inspected every six months and freight elevators annually under the City of…

Carroll County's property maintenance code requires elevators, dumbwaiters and escalators in the unincorporated county…

Atlanta requires automatic fire sprinklers in every new multi-family building and hotel three stories or taller, and in…

South Fulton requires automatic fire sprinkler protection on private property subdivided for more than one…

In unincorporated Rockdale County, hotels, multifamily buildings, day cares, health care facilities and any residential…

A personal care home in Augusta-Richmond County with at least 7 beds for nonfamily adults, built or converted on or…

Bartow County requires a minimum NFPA 13R automatic fire sprinkler system in community living arrangements, personal…

Clayton County's fire code requires an approved automatic sprinkler system throughout all new construction and every…

New apartment buildings two stories or taller in unincorporated Cobb County must install a supervised fire protection…

DeKalb County Code § 12-24 requires every new multifamily dwelling property in the unincorporated county to be fully…

Fayette County's Multifamily Residential Sprinkler Code requires automatic fire sprinkler systems in apartment…

Attached multi-family buildings with three or more dwelling units in Forsyth County must have an automatic fire…

Hall County does not mandate residential sprinklers countywide, but a short-term rental with more than six bedrooms…

Code § 2-6-140 requires automatic fire sprinklers in every new multifamily residential structure and in new one- and…

Newton County adopts NFPA 13 and Appendix B of the International Fire Code by reference, mandating sprinklers in…

Unincorporated Carroll County, Georgia treats day care differently by zoning district: private day nurseries are a…

Chatham County requires anyone operating a child day care agency in the unincorporated county, defined as care for four…

Hall County licenses a "day care center" under Sec. 7.5.2.C as any state-licensed facility caring for 19 or more…

Augusta-Richmond County treats group day-care homes serving 7 to 12 children, and group day-care centers serving more…

In unincorporated Bartow County, an in-home child day care for six or fewer children is a permitted use in the A-1…

A day care center operating out of a commercial building or commercial zoning district in unincorporated Clayton County…

Unincorporated Fulton County limits family day care homes to weekday-Saturday daytime hours, requires 1,000 feet of…

Macon-Bibb County requires child day care centers to sit on at least a full acre with a 150-foot-wide lot before the…

Roswell's UDC sets minimum outdoor play area, indoor space per child, and play-area fencing requirements for day care…

South Fulton's Zoning Ordinance Sec. 302.12 governs any day care facility serving seven or more children: a six-foot…

A day care center in unincorporated Walton County needs more than a state license: Land Development Ordinance Section…

Whitfield County's Unified Zoning Ordinance permits child care learning centers, which serve 19 or more children under…

Carroll County requires every dwelling, rooming or housekeeping unit that is rented, leased or let in the…

In unincorporated Cobb County, every exterior door must carry proper hardware kept in working condition, fit its frame…

Hotels, motels, and extended-stay hotels permitted for construction after March 16, 2018 in unincorporated DeKalb…

Fulton County requires vacant dwellings and structures found unfit to have a deadbolt installed above the existing lock…

Chatham County has no standalone "green building" ordinance, but every construction project in the unincorporated…

Cobb County adopts the International Energy Conservation Code as the county's energy code for the unincorporated area…

Forsyth County has no separate green building program: it enforces the Georgia State Energy Code as one of the Georgia…

Atlanta requires LEED Silver certification for city-owned and city-funded buildings over 5,000 square feet, not for…

DeKalb doesn't mandate green construction, but in the RSM zoning district, developers who certify buildings for LEED or…

Macon-Bibb County has no mandatory green building code. Code of Ordinances § 6-2(c) adopts the National Green Building…

South Fulton's Green Building Community Incentives chapter (Title 14, Ch. 13) sets no green building mandate. Instead…

Bartow County's fire code requires carbon monoxide detectors in community living arrangements, personal care homes…

Cherokee County requires an operational carbon monoxide detector outside each bedroom rented in a licensed short-term…

Every licensed Forsyth County short-term rental must have a working carbon monoxide detector on each habitable floor…

Every short-term rental in unincorporated Houston County must have working carbon monoxide detectors in each bedroom…

Whitfield County requires any camper, recreational vehicle, or travel trailer used as temporary living quarters during…

Acworth enforces Georgia's state minimum construction codes rather than writing its own, and Section 18-56 requires a…

Replacing a roof in Atlanta requires a building permit with a $360 minimum fee; only non-structural repairs to existing…

Augusta-Richmond County requires a building permit before any construction, alteration, repair, or occupancy change to…

Unincorporated Bartow County requires a permit before anyone builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, or changes the…

Any construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, move, demolition or occupancy change to a building or structure in…

Chatham County adopts the International Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Codes under Code § 20-201, making…

Cherokee County enforces building permits by adopting the International Building Code's administrative chapter…

Clayton County requires a permit before anyone builds, alters, moves, demolishes or changes the occupancy of a…

Cobb County requires a permit before any building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, or gas work begins on…

Columbia County enforces the state-mandated International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Plumbing…

Renovating a building in Columbus, Georgia takes a permit from the Department of Inspections and Code, and City Code §…

Coweta County requires a building permit before anyone builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves, or demolishes a…

Any Decatur, Georgia owner, agent or contractor who wants to build, alter, move or demolish a building, or install its…

In unincorporated DeKalb County, interior finish work -- painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and…

Dunwoody requires a permit from the building official before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, or…

Anyone who wants to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or…

Unincorporated Floyd County requires a building permit from the Chief Building Official before any structure or…

Forsyth County requires a building permit before any building or structure is erected, moved, extended, enlarged…

Unincorporated Fulton County requires a building permit for construction, alteration and repair work, with only narrow…

Anyone who wants to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, or demolish a structure in unincorporated Gwinnett County must…

Before building, altering or demolishing any structure in unincorporated Hall County, an owner must obtain a building…

Houston County requires a permit before almost any construction or system work on a building: Sec. 14-91(a) of the…

Johns Creek requires a permit from the Building Official before any construction, alteration, repair, demolition, or…

Macon-Bibb County issues building permits through the Department of Business Development Services and its Chief…

Marietta enforces the Georgia-adopted International Building Code and requires anyone who wants to construct, enlarge…

Unincorporated Newton County requires a building permit before anyone builds, alters, moves, demolishes or changes the…

Any owner, agent, or contractor who wants to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of…

In unincorporated Rockdale County, Code § 302-49 makes it unlawful to excavate, fill, build, demolish, move or alter…

Building a deck, pool, addition, or freestanding retaining wall over 8 feet in Roswell, Georgia requires at least a…

In Sandy Springs, anyone who wants to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a…

South Fulton requires a permit from the building official before constructing, enlarging, altering, moving…

In unincorporated Walton County, anyone who wants to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the…

Warner Robins requires a permit for any building, structure or alteration covered by its adopted 2012 International…

Whitfield County Code § 5-11 makes it unlawful to do any work on a building or structure that needs a permit without…

Acworth enforces the Georgia State Minimum Standard Electrical Code on every electrical installation, addition…

Atlanta requires a written application and formal permit from the Bureau of Buildings before any electrical work…

Augusta-Richmond County requires a permit from the Building Official before any electrical system is installed…

Unincorporated Bartow County enforces the National Electrical Code as one of the state minimum standard codes, and…

Electrical work in unincorporated Carroll County, Georgia is regulated under the National Electrical Code, adopted by…

Chatham County enforces the National Electric Code on all electrical work in the unincorporated area under section…

Cherokee County adopts the National Electrical Code for all electrical work in the unincorporated county, administering…

Clayton County enforces the National Electrical Code, as adopted and amended by the state, for every electrical…

Cobb County has adopted the National Electrical Code as its electrical code, and Sec. 18-27 requires a permit before…

Columbia County enforces the National Electrical Code on all wiring work under § 18-31(a)(5), and requires every…

Columbus, Georgia requires a permit before any electrical installation, alteration, or repair, plus a state-issued…

Coweta County requires a building permit before anyone erects, alters, repairs, or replaces an electrical system…

Decatur, Georgia enforces the National Electrical Code, as adopted and amended by the Georgia Department of Community…

Electrical work in unincorporated DeKalb County must conform to the National Electrical Code, adopted through County…

Dunwoody enforces the National Electrical Code as a mandatory state minimum standard code for every electrical…

Electrical work in unincorporated Fayette County requires a permit from the code official under Fayette County Code…

Unincorporated Floyd County has adopted the National Electrical Code, as amended by the State of Georgia, to govern all…

Forsyth County requires a trade permit before any electrical work on a building or structure in unincorporated areas…

Unincorporated Fulton County enforces the National Electrical Code (NFPA) and will issue an electrical permit only to a…

Gwinnett County requires a permit before any electrical system work covered by the state electrical code, under…

Electrical work in unincorporated Hall County is permitted under the 2005 National Electrical Code adopted at §…

Any electrical installation, alteration, repair or replacement in unincorporated Houston County falls under the…

Johns Creek requires a building-official permit before installing, altering or replacing electrical systems under the…

Macon-Bibb County enforces Georgia's state minimum standard codes, including the National Electrical Code, through the…

Marietta enforces the Georgia-adopted National Electrical Code and requires a permit from the building official before…

Unincorporated Newton County enforces the National Electrical Code with eleven local amendments under Newton County…

Rockdale County Code § 102-8(a)(10) adopts the latest National Electrical Code as a Georgia State Minimum Standard…

Roswell adopts the National Electrical Code, as amended, for every electrical installation in the city (Code of…

Sandy Springs enforces the latest state-amended National Electrical Code and requires a building-official permit before…

South Fulton adopts the National Electrical Code, as amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, for every…

Electrical work in unincorporated Walton County is governed by the Georgia State Minimum Electrical Code as locally…

Warner Robins bars anyone from starting electrical installation, alteration or repair work until the city's electrical…

Whitfield County Code § 5-9 adopts the National Electrical Code, along with the other Georgia State Minimum Standard…

Acworth enforces the Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code on every plumbing installation, alteration, repair or…

Atlanta requires a formal permit from the Bureau of Buildings before any plumbing installation, alteration, or repair…

Augusta-Richmond County requires a permit from the Building Official before anyone installs, alters, repairs, or…

Unincorporated Bartow County enforces the International Plumbing Code as one of the state minimum standard codes, and…

Plumbing work in unincorporated Carroll County, Georgia is regulated under the International Plumbing Code, adopted by…

Chatham County requires all plumbing work in the unincorporated area to comply with the International Plumbing Code…

Cherokee County enforces the International Plumbing Code, with local water-efficiency amendments, for all plumbing work…

Clayton County adopts the International Plumbing Code with local amendments under Section 18-71, adding requirements…

Cobb County has adopted the International Plumbing Code as its plumbing code, and Sec. 18-27 requires a permit before…

Columbia County enforces the International Plumbing Code on every plumbing installation under § 18-31(a)(4), and bars…

Any installation, repair or alteration to a plumbing system in Columbus, Georgia needs a permit from the Department of…

Coweta County requires a permit before any plumbing system is installed, altered, or replaced, issued by the building…

Decatur, Georgia adopts the International Plumbing Code, as amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, as…

Before starting plumbing work on any building in unincorporated DeKalb County, the installer must pull a permit and…

Dunwoody adopts the Georgia-amended International Plumbing Code by ordinance and requires anyone doing plumbing work to…

Anyone constructing, altering or replacing a plumbing system in unincorporated Fayette County must apply to the code…

Unincorporated Floyd County has adopted the International Plumbing Code, as amended by the State of Georgia, to govern…

Forsyth County enforces the Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code, adopted by reference, with local…

Unincorporated Fulton County enforces the International Plumbing Code and hands plumbing permits only to contractors…

Unincorporated Gwinnett County plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs must follow the adopted Georgia State…

Plumbing work in unincorporated Hall County is permitted under the 2000 International Plumbing Code adopted at §…

Every plumbing installation in unincorporated Houston County, from new piping to a fixture replacement, is governed by…

Johns Creek locally adopts the International Plumbing Code for every plumbing installation, and any covered plumbing…

Macon-Bibb County enforces Georgia's state minimum standard plumbing code under Code of Ordinances § 6-2(a)…

Marietta enforces the Georgia-adopted International Plumbing Code and requires a permit from the building official…

Unincorporated Newton County adopts the state plumbing code by reference under Newton County Code § 10-54, filing a…

Paulding County enforces the International Plumbing Code as a mandatory technical code, with its own local amendments…

Rockdale County Code § 102-8(a)(4) adopts the latest International Plumbing Code as a Georgia State Minimum Standard…

Roswell, Georgia enforces the International Plumbing Code, as amended, for every plumbing installation connected to a…

Sandy Springs enforces the latest state-amended International Plumbing Code, including its Appendices C and I, and…

South Fulton applies the International Plumbing Code, as amended by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, to…

Unincorporated Walton County plumbing work runs on the Georgia State Minimum Standard Plumbing Code as locally amended…

Warner Robins enforces the 2012 International Plumbing Code as its local plumbing code under Section 6-211, with local…

Unincorporated Whitfield County enforces the International Plumbing Code as one of the Georgia State Minimum Standard…

Atlanta requires three staged inspections on permitted construction: foundation, framing and final, each signed off by…

Augusta-Richmond County requires foundation, slab, rough, and final inspections before work can proceed, with written…

Bartow County requires a building official to inspect construction at defined stages before releasing work to proceed…

Construction permitted in unincorporated Carroll County, Georgia goes through staged foundation, frame and final…

Chatham County Code § 20-306 puts re-inspections in the hands of the Director of the Department of Building Safety and…

Clayton County inspects every phase of construction under Section 18-48, requiring a foundation inspection after…

Columbus, Georgia requires scheduled inspections at foundation, plumbing, framing, interior-wall, and final stages…

DeKalb County requires staged inspections for permitted work, including foundation, framing and final inspections for…

Fayette County Code § 102-284 keeps every permitted job open to inspection by the building official until approved, and…

Unincorporated Floyd County's Unified Land Development Code requires builders to schedule inspections with the Chief…

Forsyth County requires a sequence of building inspections, from footing and foundation through framing to a final…

Fulton County's amended building code sets three required inspection stages for mechanical and plumbing work in…

Gwinnett County's building official runs a fixed sequence of inspections, footing, framing, and final among them, and…

Building permits and inspections in unincorporated Hall County run through the Hall County Building Inspections…

Macon-Bibb County Code Section 13-23 lays out the inspection process for manufactured, mobile, and pre-owned…

Marietta's building official runs required construction inspections in stages, foundation, frame, and final for…

Every permitted construction job in unincorporated Newton County must pass building official inspections at required…

In unincorporated Rockdale County, the Fire Marshal's Office inspects construction at intervals, requires an 80 percent…

Roswell requires staged inspections, footing, framing, and final, before any permitted building work can proceed to the…

South Fulton requires a building permit before construction and mandates five inspection stages, foundation, slab…

In unincorporated Walton County, every permitted building project moves through a fixed sequence of required…

Whitfield County Code § 5-37(8)(f) sets three required building inspections for permitted work: a foundation inspection…