Braselton, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Inside the Town of Braselton, building and trade permits are issued by the Town’s Planning and Development Department at 4986 Hwy 53, whichever of Jackson, Barrow, Gwinnett or Hall County the lot is in. Applications are emailed or filed at the office, a new single-family home costs $0.15 per heated square foot with a $650 minimum, and inspection requests must be emailed before 3 p.m. the day before.

What requires a permit in Braselton?

The Town’s general building permit application covers new structures, alterations and interior finishes, additions, house moving, demolition, fences, storage buildings, garages, greenhouses, shop buildings, open sheds and manufactured houses. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas work each need a trade permit, and pools have their own application. Work that requires a permit must not begin until the permit is issued.

Retaining wall permits are approved by the Public Works Director rather than the building office.

Braselton building department: who handles permitting

The Planning and Development Department issues building and trade permits and runs building inspections inside the town limits. Kevin Keller is the Planning and Development Director, and fence applications go to him directly. The Public Works Inspector checks sidewalks, driveway connections, sewer laterals and meter boxes, and the Town’s Environmental Specialist inspects erosion and sediment control on building lots.

Braselton is its own permitting jurisdiction. Hall County’s official jurisdiction page lists Braselton as a municipality with its own inspection department. Note that the Town’s permit application lists the address as 4982 Highway 53.

Braselton permit applications and forms

Applications and supporting documents are emailed to the Planning and Development Department (kdkeller@braselton.net or gmcdonald@braselton.net on the residential checklist) or filed at the office. The forms are:

• General Building Permit Application: asks for the county, the type of improvement, the use, heated and unheated square footage, stories, bedrooms and bathrooms, and, for new Chateau Elan homes on sewer lots, the linear road frontage.
• Trade Permit Application: one form for all trades on a combination job. Single-trade jobs use the separate electrical, mechanical or plumbing application.
• Subcontractor Certification Form: signed by the licence holder for each trade; copied or faxed signatures are accepted, but trade permits are not processed without it.
• Swimming Pool Permit Application, which lists the pool inspections.
• Erosion Control Compliance Certification.
• Authorized Agent Form: needed when anyone other than the general contractor or owner signs.
• Owner Exemption Form: a notarised owner-builder affidavit for owners who live in the home and act as their own general contractor. The owner must supervise the work on site, and selling or leasing within 24 months of completion breaks the exemption.

A permit expires if work does not start within 6 months of issue, or if work stops for 6 months or more.

Permit costs and fees in Braselton

Fees come from the Town’s Review and Permit Fees schedule, posted in April 2026. They must be paid before the permit is issued, and water meters are paid for when the permit is picked up.

New homes that file as tertiary NPDES permittees pay a $50 plan processing fee, and Chateau Elan sewer lots pay a re-use line fee of $7 per linear foot of street frontage.

Starting work before the required permit is issued carries a penalty of 100% of the usual permit fee, on top of the permit fees.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work

For a new building the trade permit application must be filed with the building permit application, and no electrical, plumbing, mechanical or fuel gas work may start without its trade permit. Each trade needs a Subcontractor Certification Form signed by that trade’s licence holder.

Commercial electrical permits run from $50 to $95 for single-phase services up to 600 A and from $50 to $230 for three-phase services up to 2,000 A, with $10 per additional 100 A and $20 per panel over 4 panels. Commercial roof and floor drains are $1 each.

Alliance handles electrical permits for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

Application documents and plan review

A permit is not issued until every required document is in. Every property must have a 911 address before a permit is applied for.

Interior alterations such as basement finishes skip the location plan, NOI, square footage, PUD approval and water and sewer items. Single-family homes do not get a building plan review unless zoning conditions require one; commercial, industrial and multi-family projects are plan-reviewed.

How to apply: 6-step Braselton process

Braselton inspections

Building inspections can be scheduled only by email to inspections@braselton.gov, giving the permit number, inspection type, site address and a contact number. Requests received before 3 p.m. are inspected the next day; later requests go on the list for the day after next, and each day’s list closes at 3 p.m. Inspections include footings, slab, framing, insulation, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, rough-ins, finals and pools.

Builders must also book the Public Works Inspector (706-654-3915 ext. 1025) when sidewalk and driveway forms are set, before concrete is poured, and for sewer laterals and meter boxes. The Environmental Specialist (ext. 1012) inspects erosion control on lots. No Certificate of Occupancy is released until the Public Works Inspector and the Environmental Specialist have also passed their final inspections.

Keep the permit card posted on site until the Certificate of Occupancy or completion is issued, and do not cover work before it has been inspected.

Local Braselton details that matter

Planned unit developments: new homes and additions in Chateau Elan, Mulberry Park, Vineyard Gate, Riverbend @ Mulberry Park, Riverstone Park, Reflections and the Falls of Braselton need architectural approval from the developer or HOA. Setbacks in PUDs come from the approved final plat.

Fences: under the amended Development Code Sec. 6.13, residential fences may be up to 4 feet in front yards and 8 feet in side and back yards, front-yard fences must not be opaque, the finished side faces the neighbour, and fences must sit at least 1 foot back from the public right-of-way and off utility and drainage easements.

Site development: land development review is priced separately, for example $500 for a concept or preliminary plan, and erosion control monitoring is $150 or $40 per disturbed acre, whichever is greater. Rezoning or annexation costs $600 and a variance $400.

Georgia building code

Georgia's State Minimum Standard Codes apply statewide: the 2024 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, with Georgia Amendments, in force since 1 January 2026; the energy code is still the 2015 IECC with Georgia supplements. The Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes

Braselton permit search and official resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Braselton building permit applications and information
• Georgia DCA current State Minimum Codes
• Braselton residential permit requirements
• Hall County: city inspection departments
• Braselton Development Code
• Braselton Review and Permit Fees (2026)
• Braselton commercial permit requirements
• Braselton inspection process (October 2025)
• Braselton fence and wall regulations (Sec. 6.13)

Braselton permit FAQs

Does Braselton issue its own building permits?

Yes. The Town’s Planning and Development Department issues building and trade permits inside town limits, whichever county the lot is in.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Braselton?

$0.15 per heated square foot and $0.05 per unheated square foot, with a $650 minimum for a single-family home, plus trade permits.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Braselton?

Yes. Use the general building permit application, check “Fences” and email it to the Planning and Development Director; the fee is $100.

Is there plan review for a new house?

No, unless zoning conditions call for it. Commercial, industrial and multi-family plans are reviewed, starting at $250.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Braselton?

Yes, if the owner lives in the home, by filing the notarised Owner Exemption affidavit and supervising the work on site.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Email inspections@braselton.gov before 3 p.m. for the next day. Public Works and erosion control inspections are booked directly with those inspectors.

How long is a Braselton permit valid?

6 months: it expires if work has not started within 6 months of issue or stops for 6 months.

Simplify Braselton permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Georgia. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Braselton permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.