Brunswick, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Inside Brunswick city limits, building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits are issued by the City’s Building Permits & Inspections office under the Building Official, and applications are filed online. The City Code prices a building permit at $6 per $1,000 of project value (minimum $35), plus a $50 residential plan review fee, and every trade contractor pulls a separate permit.

What requires a permit in Brunswick?

The City has separate permit applications for building work, electrical, plumbing and mechanical (MEP) work, roofing, demolition, signs and work in the right-of-way. The City Code’s fee schedule shows what is permitted:

In the Old Town Brunswick Historic Preservation District, any change to a building’s exterior appearance, and any new construction, also needs a certificate of appropriateness, and the City will not issue a building permit without it. Work started without a permit is charged an extra fee equal to the permit fee, on top of any fine.

Brunswick building department: who handles permitting

Under Sec. 5-2 of the City Code, the Building Official, designated by the City Manager, enforces the state minimum codes, checks plans for zoning and code compliance, issues building, electrical, plumbing and gas permits and inspects construction. The office sits within the City’s Planning, Development & Codes department.

Brunswick permit types and filing path

Applications are available online for building, MEP, roofing, demolition, sign and right-of-way permits. After you submit, staff email the fees, payment options and any extra material needed.

The City Code makes each contractor responsible for their own permit, so a new house needs separate building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits, each pulled by the contractor doing that work. Moving a building needs the Building Official’s approval: file the application and fee at least 2 weeks before the move and post a sign on the new site at least 10 days ahead. The City can require a bond where the building needs extensive rehabilitation.

Permit fees in Brunswick

Fees are set in Sec. 5-3 of the City Code. The building permit is based on project value, which must include all materials, labour, overhead and profit. The City works out the value from the square footage of each part of the project (house, carport, deck) multiplied by the rate for its occupancy and construction type in the Code’s building valuation table.

For example, a house valued at $200,000 has a building permit fee of $1,200, plus the $50 residential plan review fee and the $35 Certificate of Occupancy inspection, before trade permits. In the historic district, a certificate of appropriateness application costs $10.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical (MEP) work is filed on its own online application, separate from the building permit, by the contractor doing that work. Trade fees under Sec. 5-3:

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

Application documents and plan review

A typical package is the online application, a description of the scope, a site plan, construction drawings and contractor information. Because the fee is based on value, the drawings need square footage for each part of the project and its construction type, so the City can apply the valuation table.

Extra items depend on the site:

• Historic district: a certificate of appropriateness application with the drawings, photographs and plans the Historic Preservation Board asks for, filed at least 15 days before a board meeting.
• Flood zones: elevation information showing the lowest floor and mechanical equipment at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation, and in coastal high hazard (V) zones a design certification and V zone certificate from a registered professional.
• Building moves: the moving application filed 2 weeks ahead and proof of the posted notice sign.

How to apply: 6-step Brunswick process

Brunswick inspections

The City inspects structural, accessibility, electrical, plumbing, gas and HVAC work as applicable to the permit. Do not cover work before the required inspection has passed. A failed inspection costs $25 to repeat the first time and $40 each time after that, and inspections outside normal hours are charged at $40 per hour. A Certificate of Occupancy inspection ($35 residential, $75 commercial) closes out the job, and a building moved into the city must meet current building regulations before it gets a Certificate of Occupancy.

Local Brunswick details that matter

Old Town Brunswick Historic District: new construction and any material change to the outside of a building need a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Board before a building permit can be issued. The board does not review interior layouts or paint colours, and staff can approve listed minor works that clearly meet the design guidelines.

Flood zones: the City’s Flood Damage Prevention ordinance requires the lowest floor of new or substantially improved buildings to be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation, with heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing equipment at the same height. Wood framing may not be used as the foundation below that level. Where no base flood elevation is mapped, the lowest floor must be at least 3 feet above the highest adjacent grade.

Change of use: Article VII of the Buildings chapter sets the rules for additions, alterations and changes in use of existing buildings, including compliance alternatives for historic buildings.

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

Brunswick 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.

• Georgia state codes
• Planning, Development & Codes
• Building permits & inspections
• Brunswick City Code, Chapter 5: Buildings (fees in Sec. 5-3)
• Brunswick City Code, Chapter 11: Flood Damage Prevention

Brunswick permit FAQs

Who handles building permits in Brunswick?

The City of Brunswick Building Permits & Inspections office, led by the Building Official, handles permits and inspections inside the city limits.

How much is a building permit in Brunswick?

$35 for work valued up to $5,000, $6 per $1,000 of value up to $250,000, and $1,500 plus $2 per $1,000 above that. Residential plan review adds $50.

Are trade permits separate?

Yes. Each contractor pulls its own permit; plumbing is $35 plus $2 per fixture and residential mechanical $35 plus $2 per supply outlet.

Do I need approval to change a house in the historic district?

Yes. Exterior changes and new construction in Old Town Brunswick need a $10 certificate of appropriateness before a building permit is issued.

What does a failed inspection cost?

$25 for the first re-inspection and $40 for each one after that.

How high must a new house be built in a flood zone?

The lowest floor and the mechanical equipment must be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation.

Simplify Brunswick 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 Brunswick permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.