DeKalb County building department

DeKalb County’s Permits, Plan Review and Inspections Division, part of the Department of Planning and Sustainability, reviews plans, issues permits, and inspects construction in unincorporated DeKalb County. If a property is inside one of DeKalb’s cities, that city’s permitting office handles primary permitting. When a city project needs a county service, the city provides a routing sheet. The county’s online “Check Your Jurisdiction” map shows which applies to an address.

The One-Stop permit center at 178 Sams Street, Decatur, is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 404-371-2155 and choose option 3 for permits, or email [email protected].

How to apply

DeKalb uses two online systems:

• ePermits portal (epermits.dekalbcountyga.gov): applications, fee payment, permit status, and inspection scheduling.
• ProjectDox (Avolve): electronic plan submittal. Plans are reviewed by each discipline that applies, you respond to comments, and approved plans lead to permit issuance. The county publishes a ProjectDox upload guide and ePlans file requirements.

Every project needs a Building Permit Application. If anyone other than the licensed contractor applies, an Authorized Permit Agent Form is required. The county also offers Knowledge Quest, an online pre-application guide.

Residential permits

For permitting purposes, “residential” means only single-family detached homes and duplexes. Everything else is reviewed as commercial. The Residential Additions permit covers accessory structures, porches, decks, room and second-story additions, garages, carports, and swimming pools. The county’s additions guide requires:

• The building permit application, environmental (erosion and tree protection) acknowledgment, energy checklist, and a tree ordinance exemption form if no trees will be removed
• A site plan by a Georgia-registered engineer or surveyor. It may be up to 10 years old if it reflects current conditions and flood map changes.
• For a second-story addition, a letter from a Georgia-licensed engineer confirming the existing structure and foundation can carry the load
• For a basement finish, a scaled sketch showing two means of egress
• For septic properties and pools, Board of Health approval (404-508-7900). Pools also need appropriate fencing and an electrical permit.
• For fire-damage repair, the fire incident report, a tax-assessed value letter, and a replacement-cost letter
• In a historic district, a Certificate of Appropriateness

Check zoning setbacks, maximum impervious surface, Residential Infill Overlay District (RIOD) height limits, and historic district status with the Planning Division before you apply. Additions within 75 feet of a stream must meet the Stream Buffer Ordinance. New homes not on septic need a Sewer Capacity Evaluation.

Commercial, specialty, and trade permits

• New commercial construction and any demolition start with a Land Development Permit (LDP). Demolition also needs three plan sets that follow the demolition checklist.
• Food service needs a Health Department checklist and a Watershed Management fats, oils, and grease (FOG) review. Restaurants, lounges, and nightclubs need a Letter of Entertainment. Warehouses need a commodity form.
• Retaining walls 4 feet or higher that aren’t part of the building foundation need a specialty permit.
• Tents on commercial property or for commercial use, commercial trailers, signs, cell towers, and solar installations each have their own permit. Residential signs aren’t permitted, except for neighborhood entrance signs.
• Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits must be pulled by a licensed contractor in that trade, and gas pressure tests must be requested by the licensed contractor.

Contractors and homeowners

State-licensed contractors must register with DeKalb County using their Georgia license, a government-issued ID, and a valid business license, and the names on all three must match. Specialty contractors need a valid business license.

Homeowners doing their own work must personally submit the Owner-Occupant Affidavit. The affidavit states that the building will be used only by the owner and family, isn’t intended for sale or lease, and that the owner hasn’t sold a structure they built as contractor in the prior 24 months. The county’s form notes that a homeowner may pull a permit to build their own home once every two years. It covers only building and demolition permits. Mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and gas permits must still be pulled by Georgia-licensed trade contractors.

Fees (schedule updated June 8, 2026)

Item	Fee
Minimum building permit	$175, plus a $20 technology fee
New construction	ICC valuation x 0.0065
Minimum plumbing, HVAC, or electrical permit	$100, plus $20 technology fee
Certificate of Occupancy	$50
Re-inspection	$25, then $50, then $100
Resubmittal after the 2nd	25% of permit fee
Work without a valid permit	Double the permit fee
Permit extension (6 months)	$50

Fees are due when you apply. The county accepts Visa, MasterCard, checks, money orders, and cashier’s checks. It doesn’t take cash, American Express, or Discover.

Codes: 2024 transition

DeKalb’s public notice says the county began applying the 2024 Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes on January 1, 2026. Building permits without an LDP that were submitted on or before February 28, 2026 could use the 2018 editions. Applications submitted on or after March 1, 2026 must comply with the 2024 codes. LDPs submitted before January 1, 2026 stay under the prior codes. The state’s own DCA announcement lists January 1, 2027 as the 2024 codes’ effective date.

Certificates of occupancy

After all required inspections pass, email a copy of the front and back of the permit to [email protected] to obtain the Certificate of Occupancy. For new homes and large additions, the county also publishes a Residential CO Checklist.