Brookhaven building permits come from the Community Development Department, whose building division handles permit issuance, site plan review, and building inspections. The city's own position is broad: any construction or redevelopment project requires a permit.
The department performs five essential services — planning and zoning, building inspections, land development, code enforcement, and the fire marshal. Keeping fire in-house means fire review does not run on another authority's clock.
Applies inside the Brookhaven city limits (incorporated December 2012). Unincorporated DeKalb County, Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody, and Atlanta each permit their own work.
Construction hours are enforced by the police. Grading or construction before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m. on weekdays, before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. on Saturdays, or at any time on Sunday is a reportable violation. An early start to beat traffic is citable here.
What requires a permit in Brookhaven?
Brookhaven incorporated in December 2012, taking permitting authority off DeKalb County. New cities have been doing the same across metro Atlanta for 20 years. Sandy Springs incorporated in 2005 and was followed by Johns Creek and Milton in 2006, Dunwoody in 2008, Peachtree Corners and Brookhaven in 2012, Tucker and Stonecrest in 2016 and 2017, South Fulton in 2017, and Mableton, approved by voters in 2022. Each incorporation moved permitting authority off the county and onto the new city on a specific date. A contractor who filed a job with the county five years ago may be filing the same job with a city today, and the county will not forward it.
Any construction or redevelopment project requires a permit from the City of Brookhaven. That is the city's own phrasing and it is deliberately broad. Building permitting is housed under the Community Development Department, whose building department is responsible for permit issuance, site plan review, and building inspections.
The department performs five essential services: planning and zoning, building inspections, land development, code enforcement, and the fire marshal. Keeping the fire marshal in the same department means fire plan review does not run on a separate authority’s clock. The Planning Commission and the Board of Appeals both operate under the department’s purview.
Georgia moved to the 2024 editions of its State Minimum Standard Codes, with Georgia Amendments, on January 1, 2026. Accessibility is reviewed against the Georgia Accessibility Code, which references the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
Permit required
- Any construction or redevelopment project inside the city
- Residential and commercial new construction, additions, and renovations
- Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work
- Land disturbance permits and minor site permits
- Fire and life safety systems, reviewed by the city's own fire marshal
- Grading, which is subject to the city's construction hours ordinance
- Site plan changes after sign-off, which trigger re-review
Typically exempt
- Painting, flooring, and other cosmetic work
- Ordinary repairs that do not touch structure or a regulated system
- Work outside the city limits — unincorporated DeKalb, Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody, and Atlanta all differ
- Like-for-like replacements that do not alter a regulated system
Brookhaven building department: who handles permitting
Community Development is at 2665 Buford Highway (PEP Building), Brookhaven, GA 30324. The permit counter is reached on (404) 637-0500, and the department keeps hours of Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm. Brookhaven routes enquiries by subject rather than to a general queue: permit status, issuance, and fee questions go to the Permitting Team; building code questions to the Building Official; and plan review questions to the Building Plan Reviewer. Using the right one saves a transfer.
Everything runs through the city's Project Portal — electronic applications and plan submittals, payments, inspection scheduling, and project status tracking, with email notifications about review comments, permit approvals, code enforcement case updates, and inspection results. The city publishes a Project Portal user guide alongside it.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →One utility boundary matters: water and sewer improvements are handled by DeKalb County, not by the city. Stormwater drainage questions go to the Brookhaven Stormwater Manager. For after-hours emergencies involving building code violations, erosion control failure, or unlawful discharge into streams, the city publishes a dedicated line.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | City of Brookhaven Community Development Department |
| Scope | Inside the Brookhaven city limits — incorporated December 2012 |
| Address | 2665 Buford Highway, PEP Building, Brookhaven, GA 30324 |
| Permit counter | (404) 637-0500 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm |
| Portal | Project Portal — applications, plans, payments, inspections, status |
| Five services | Planning and zoning, building, land development, code enforcement, fire marshal |
| Water and sewer | Handled by DeKalb County, not the city |
| Construction hours | 7:00am to 7:00pm weekdays; 8:00am to 5:00pm Saturdays; none Sunday |
A change late in the process sends the plan back around. Brookhaven is explicit that if changes are made throughout the process, those who have signed off previously are required to re-review and sign off on the site plan again. Before issuance the City Engineer verifies that all plans and documents have been executed and approved. A small revision at the end can therefore cost several sign-offs, not one.
Brookhaven sits inside DeKalb County but is not permitted by it, and it borders Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody, and Atlanta — five separate permitting authorities within a short drive. Check the city limits for the exact address before you file.
In 2025, building permits issued in Brookhaven authorized 143 new privately owned housing units, all of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Brookhaven permits: record types and what each covers
Brookhaven runs building, land, and fire records from one department, with the land side split by disturbance size. These are the records you will file:
Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures above the local size threshold | Full plan review against the 2024 IRC with Georgia Amendments, plus zoning | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural changes, layout changes, or added plumbing, mechanical, or electrical | Plan review scaled to scope; existing-building provisions apply only where locally adopted | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement, recover, and structural deck repair | Dry-in and deck inspection; plan review rarely required | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount arrays, with or without battery storage | Electrical review led, with structural review of the attachment | Flat or system-size based |
| Battery energy storage | Wall or floor-mounted storage added to a dwelling | Electrical review plus fire separation and location check | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, EV chargers, and rewiring | Trade review; filed as its own record under a Class I or Class II licence | Per-permit minimum or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and water heater replacement | Trade review; filed under a Master Plumber Class I or Class II licence | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts, new ductwork, and refrigeration | Trade review; conditioned air licence class keyed to system capacity | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Deck and porch | New decks, screened porches, and structural rebuilds | Footing and framing review against the residential code | Flat or valuation-based |
| Pool and spa | In-ground and above-ground pools, spas, barriers, and bonding | Structural, barrier, and electrical bonding review under the 2024 ISPSC | Valuation-based |
| Accessory structure | Sheds, detached garages, and carports above the local size threshold | Zoning first, then structural review where applicable | Flat or valuation-based |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a structure | Utility disconnect verification and asbestos notification | Flat |
| Land disturbance | Clearing, grading, and any disturbance above the local threshold | Erosion and sedimentation review on its own statutory clock | Per-acre or valuation-based |
| Minor site permit | Land disturbance under 5,000 square feet of new impervious area | Applied for through the Project Portal alongside building records | Set by the city |
| Contractor registration | Any contractor permitting in the city | Registration forms published with the permit checklists | Set by the city |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and multifamily buildings | Full multi-discipline review; sealed plans required | Valuation-based |
| Tenant build-out | Interior fit-ups and suite build-outs in an existing shell | Concurrent building, trade, and fire review | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural, envelope, or system changes to an existing building | Plan review scaled to scope; accessibility triggers attach | Valuation-based |
| Change of occupancy | Converting a building from one occupancy classification to another | Life-safety, accessibility, and zoning review | Valuation or flat |
| Shell building | A building permitted without a known tenant or use | Shell review only; no certificate of occupancy until a build-out closes | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Commercial roof covering replacement or recover | Structural check on added dead load; fire review where applicable | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Commercial rooftop, carport, and ground-mount arrays | Structural, electrical, and fire access review | Valuation or system-size based |
| Electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | Trade review; separate record from the building permit | Valuation or per-device |
| Plumbing | Supply, waste, vent, grease, and gas systems | Trade review; backflow and grease interceptor sign-offs attach | Valuation or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Rooftop units, ductwork, exhaust, and refrigeration | Trade review; energy compliance documented against the 2015 IECC | Valuation or per-unit |
| Fire protection | Sprinkler, standpipe, alarm, hood, and suppression systems | Fire review under the state Safety Fire Commissioner's adopted codes | Valuation or per-device |
| Sign | Wall, monument, and illuminated signage | Zoning review plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Land disturbance | Site clearing, grading, and stormwater installation | Erosion and sedimentation review as a Local Issuing Authority | Per-acre or valuation-based |
| City Engineer verification | Any land development permit | Verifies all plans and documents are executed and approved before issuance | Included in review |
| Re-review after changes | Any change made after sign-offs have begun | Everyone who previously signed off must review and sign again | Time cost, not a fee |
Residential
- Single-discipline review in most cases
- Trade records filed separately under Chapter 14 licences regardless of job value
- State licence required for residential work once its total value exceeds $2,500; commercial work at any value
- A private professional provider may be engaged to shorten the review path
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, trades, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans across every affected discipline
- Land-disturbance review runs on its own statutory clock under Title 12
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to any change of occupancy
Records you will actually see in Brookhaven
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Any construction or redevelopment project inside the city |
| Trade permits (E/P/M) | Filed as their own records under Chapter 14 licences |
| Land disturbance permit | Site work above the minor site permit threshold |
| Minor site permit | Land disturbance under 5,000 square feet of new impervious area |
| Fire marshal review | Handled in-house as one of the department's five services |
| Contractor registration | Registration with the city before permitting |
| Authorized Permit Agent form | Where the applicant is not the licensed contractor |
| Certificate of occupancy or completion | Issued after final sign-off, usually within a couple of days |
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Solar permits in Brookhaven
Solar in Brookhaven is filed through the Project Portal like any other record, and because the fire marshal sits inside the same department, roof access and fire setback questions are answered by a colleague of the plan reviewer rather than by a separate agency.
Roofing permits in Brookhaven
Reroofs inside Brookhaven are city permits. Watch the construction hours ordinance on any roofing crew that likes an early start — the city directs residents to report work before 7 a.m. on weekdays and before 8 a.m. on Saturdays.
Solar and roofing work are built to the statewide codes, permit rules are set locally, and utilities run interconnection on their own timeline. Georgia rules
Brookhaven permit cost
Brookhaven prices from a published fee schedule, with payments made through the Project Portal alongside applications and inspection requests. Fee questions go to the Permitting Team rather than to the Building Official or the plan reviewer.
Two costs are structural rather than scheduled. The first is the re-review rule: because a mid-process change requires everyone who previously signed off to sign off again, late revisions are disproportionately expensive in time. The second is working without a permit, which the city’s fee schedule charges at double the permit fee.
Re-inspections escalate as well: the first non-compliance re-inspection is $50 and each later one is $100, both paid in advance. Arriving genuinely ready for the first inspection is worth more than the fee it saves.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Published city fee schedule, paid in the Project Portal |
| Trade permits | Filed and charged as their own records |
| Land disturbance | Full permit above the minor site threshold |
| Minor site permit | Land disturbance under 5,000 sq ft of new impervious area |
| Re-inspection | $50 for the first non-compliance visit, $100 for each later one, paid in advance |
| Working without a permit | Double the permit fee |
Want a precise number for a specific Brookhaven project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Brookhaven trade permits
Brookhaven registers contractors, routes questions by role, and keeps fire review inside the same department — which makes it one of the more self-contained cities in the metro once you are set up.
Register before you permit
The city publishes contractor registration forms alongside its permit checklists. Registration comes before permitting rather than alongside it.
Use the Authorized Permit Agent form
Where the person applying is not the licensed contractor, the city publishes an agent form for exactly that situation.
Fire is in-house
The fire marshal is one of the department's five services, so fire review and building review sit under the same roof rather than on separate authorities' clocks.
State licence still governs
Chapter 14 trade licences authorise the work regardless of job value, and the residential contractor threshold is $2,500 of total job value.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Georgia licenses residential contractors through a state board once a job passes $2,500, licenses commercial general contractors at any job value, and licenses electrical, plumbing and conditioned air contractors separately at any job value. Georgia rules
Brookhaven permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Brookhaven, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
Brookhaven has permitted its own work since incorporating in December 2012. Unincorporated DeKalb, Chamblee, Doraville, Dunwoody, and Atlanta all border it and all permit separately.
Electronic applications, plan submittals, payments, inspection scheduling, and status tracking all run through the Project Portal, and the city publishes a user guide. Contractor registration forms are published alongside the permit checklists.
Land disturbance under 5,000 square feet of new impervious area is a minor site permit; larger disturbance is a full land disturbance permit. Both are applied for through the Project Portal.
Permit status, issuance, and fees go to the Permitting Team; building code questions to the Building Official; plan review questions to the Building Plan Reviewer. The permit counter is on (404) 637-0500.
If changes are made throughout the process, everyone who signed off previously has to re-review and sign off again. Before issuance the City Engineer verifies that all plans and documents have been executed and approved.
Grading and construction are limited to 7:00am–7:00pm on weekdays and 8:00am–5:00pm on Saturdays, with none on Sunday. Once all comments are addressed the permit issues, and documents typically follow within a couple of days of final sign-off.
Inspections in Brookhaven
Inspections are scheduled through the Project Portal, which also delivers results by email alongside review comments, permit approvals, and code enforcement updates. Because the fire marshal sits inside the same department, fire and building sign-offs are co-ordinated rather than chased across agencies.
The land development side has its own sequencing. Staff are available for appointments and phone discussions, but meetings should be scheduled in advance, and the City Engineer's verification is the last gate before a land permit issues. Documents typically become available within a couple of days after final sign-off.
Keep the permit and approved plans on site throughout, and keep the crew inside the city's permitted construction hours — the police department enforces them. a Georgia building permit generally becomes invalid if work does not begin within 180 days of issuance, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after commencing, under the administrative provisions of the adopted International Building and Residential Codes — local ordinance may set a different period, and extensions are usually available in writing on request.
Georgia law lets an applicant use a private professional provider for plan review, with set deadlines for the building official. Georgia rules
Brookhaven permit search and official resources
Brookhaven publishes its permit information, fee schedule, portal guide, and land development guidance through Community Development.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Brookhaven building permits
- Brookhaven Community Development
- Land development — LDP and minor site permits
- Plan submittals and review process
- DCA — current Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes
- Georgia Secretary of State — verify a contractor licence
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Brookhaven, GA?
The City of Brookhaven Community Development Department, at 2665 Buford Highway (404-637-0500). Building permitting is housed under that department, whose building division handles permit issuance, site plan review, and building inspections. Brookhaven incorporated in December 2012 and permits independently of DeKalb County.
What requires a permit in Brookhaven?
The city's position is broad: any construction or redevelopment project requires a permit from the City of Brookhaven. If you are unsure whether your scope qualifies, the permit counter is the place to ask before starting.
What is the Project Portal?
Brookhaven's online system for submitting electronic applications and plans, making payments, scheduling inspections, and tracking project status. It also sends email notifications about review comments, permit approvals, code enforcement case updates, and inspection results.
What are Brookhaven's construction hours?
Grading and construction are not permitted before 7:00am or after 7:00pm Monday through Friday, before 8:00am or after 5:00pm on Saturdays, or at any time on Sunday. Violations are reported to the police department, or to 911 where construction makes streets impassable.
What is a minor site permit?
The record used for land disturbance under 5,000 square feet in the form of new impervious area. Larger disturbance needs a full land disturbance permit. Both are submitted through the Project Portal.
What happens if I change my site plan mid-process?
Everyone who signed off previously is required to re-review and sign off on the site plan again. Before the permit issues, the City Engineer verifies that all plans and documents have been executed and approved.
Who handles water and sewer in Brookhaven?
DeKalb County handles water and sewer improvements. Stormwater drainage questions go to the Brookhaven Stormwater Manager rather than to the county.
Who should I contact about my permit?
It depends on the question. Permit status, issuance, and fees go to the Permitting Team; building code questions to the Building Official; and building plan review questions to the Building Plan Reviewer.
Does Brookhaven have its own fire marshal?
Yes. The fire marshal is one of the five essential services the Community Development Department performs, alongside planning and zoning, building inspections, land development, and code enforcement.
What are the department's hours?
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm, with the permit counter reachable on (404) 637-0500 for further information.
What accessibility standard applies?
The Georgia Accessibility Code, which references the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, is among the codes Brookhaven commonly references alongside the building and fire codes.
When is a Georgia contractor licence required?
For residential work, once the total value of the work, or the contractor's compensation if higher, exceeds $2,500; commercial general contractors need a licence at any value. Trade licences under Title 43, Chapter 14 are required regardless of job value.
Simplify Brookhaven permitting with Alliance Permitting
Brookhaven runs five services out of one department — and it enforces the parts people treat as soft, from construction hours to re-review on changed plans. The failure modes are a late revision that costs several sign-offs, a crew starting at half past six, or a question sent to the wrong contact. A permit expediter for Brookhaven avoids all three.
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Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Brookhaven because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- Right authority — Brookhaven since December 2012, not DeKalb County, and not one of the cities bordering it.
- Changes front-loaded — revisions settled before sign-offs start landing, so the re-review rule never bites.
- Complete oversight — every Brookhaven permit, land record, and inspection tracked across your jobs in one place.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and expediting service. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, and we are not the permitting authority.
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More Georgia permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Brookhaven permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.