Local building department guide · Updated 2026-07-30

Gwinnett County Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Use this guide to find the official Gwinnett County Building Services, start a permit application, search permit records, schedule an inspection, and locate the correct zoning or plan review contact.

Start here

Quick actions

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Apply for a building permit

Review the typical application path and prepare your project details.

See permit steps

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Track or search permits

Find Gwinnett County permit search resources and application status links.

Search permits

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Schedule a building inspection

Learn what to have ready before requesting your next inspection.

Schedule inspection

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Accela portal login

Open the department's official online services and permit portal.

Open portal

Gwinnett County Planning and Development reviews plans, issues permits, and performs inspections for construction and land development projects handled by the county. The department’s building-services page links to the ZIP Portal, the county’s Accela-based online permitting and inspection system. Confirm the property’s jurisdiction before applying: county code enforcement expressly states that it works in unincorporated Gwinnett and does not address violations inside city limits.

Gwinnett County building permits and ZIP Portal

Use the ZIP Portal to submit construction permit applications, provide contractor information, pay applicable fees, upload documents, and follow plan-review status. Gwinnett lists house construction, additions, decks, accessory structures, commercial construction, retaining walls, tenant certificates of occupancy, fire suppression, tents, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits among its building services. The county’s Unified Development Ordinance and construction code are available through its official code library.

Inspections, code compliance, and occupancy

Inspections are required during construction and can be scheduled online through the ZIP Portal using the permit case number. County building services include tenant certificates of occupancy, while code enforcement handles property-maintenance, signage, zoning, land-use, and related violations in unincorporated areas. If the address is inside a Gwinnett municipality, contact that city’s building and code-enforcement office instead of assuming the county is the authority.

Official contact information

Gwinnett County lists the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center at 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046, with a general county phone of (770) 822-8000. Building-services questions are routed through the department’s published customer-support and inspection emails; the ZIP Portal is the official place to submit applications and schedule inspections.

Permit process

How to Apply for a Gwinnett County Building Permit

Confirm the project scope

Identify the work, property address, project valuation, and whether plans are required.

Prepare your documents

Gather plans, owner and contractor details, site information, and any zoning approvals.

Submit and monitor

Submit through the department’s stated process, pay fees, and watch for review comments.

Field work & closeout

Building Inspections & Code Compliance in Gwinnett County

Most permitted work must remain accessible for inspection at defined stages. Before scheduling, check your permit record for the required inspection sequence and make sure the site is safe and ready. Final inspections can be especially important for code compliance and a certificate of occupancy.

Helpful preparation

Keep the permit card or approval number available, confirm the property address, and ask the official office about lead times or reinspection fees.

Planning & review

Zoning and Plan Review Requirements

A building permit is not always the only approval your project needs. Zoning guidelines may affect use, setbacks, height, parking, signage, or lot coverage. Residential and commercial building permits can also follow different plan review tracks, so confirm the correct path before investing in a full plan set.

For a project in Gwinnett County, start with the official department below and ask which zoning, planning, conservation, or fire review approvals apply to your address.

Keep this handy

Official Contact Information

Department	Gwinnett County Building Services
Phone	(770) 822-8000
Address	75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, GA 30046
Official website	https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/government/departments/planning-development/services/building-services
Last verified	2026-07-30

Official source pages used for this guide

These links were checked on 2026-07-30. Requirements, fees, office hours, and portal addresses can change; use the official source as the final authority.