Carrollton, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Inside Carrollton city limits, building, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, gas and pool permits are issued by the City of Carrollton, with the Building Permit Coordinator as the contact (770-830-2000). Each trade has its own City application, the State Card Holder picks up the permit in person, and under the City’s development ordinance work costing under $500 needs no building permit.

What requires a permit in Carrollton?

Under section 10.00.02 of Carrollton’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), no building or structure may be erected, moved, added to, demolished or structurally altered without a building permit. Work whose total labour and materials cost is under $500 does not need one.

Single-family homes in an approved subdivision, accessory structures and repairs within an approved development do not need a development plan, but they still need their building and trade permits.

Carrollton building department: who handles permitting

Inside Carrollton city limits, the City issues building and trade permits; Carroll County runs its own Community Development permitting program at 423 College Street for unincorporated areas. Under the UDO, building permits and Certificates of Occupancy are issued by the City Manager, who is responsible for administering the construction codes, and the City’s Building Permit Coordinator handles applications.

Carrollton permit types and filing

Carrollton issues separate building, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, gas and pool permits, and publishes separate plan-review, development and land-disturbance applications for site work. The UDO sets the filing rules that apply to every application:

• The City application form and proof of ownership.
• A notarised statement if a representative applies for the owner.
• A property survey no more than 2 years old, sealed by a Georgia surveyor, showing boundaries, land area, regulated environmental areas and existing improvements.
• A vicinity map and proof that the fees are paid; an application is not complete until fees are paid.

The City decides within 5 days whether an application is complete. If it is not, you have 30 days to fix the gaps or the application is treated as withdrawn and the fees are returned. A building permit is void if work has not begun within 6 months of issue, and lapses 6 months after work stops; the City Manager can grant a written extension of up to 6 months.

Permit fees in Carrollton

The City’s permits page does not publish a building fee table. Under UDO section 10.00.04, the Mayor and City Council set the fees for building permits, Certificates of Occupancy and appeals, and the schedule is posted in the City Clerk’s office. Land-disturbance permits carry an additional state-mandated fee on top of the local permit fee. Ask the Building Permit Coordinator for the fee for your permit.

Payment can be made by card, check or cash when the permit is picked up. Pre-application conferences with City staff are free.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work

Electrical, HVAC, plumbing and gas work each need their own City permit, filed on its own application, and the permit is collected in person by the State Card Holder for that trade. Under the UDO, any installation of mechanical equipment needs a building permit, and outdoor units may not sit between the house and a street, with every effort made to keep them out of view from public streets.

Carrollton has opted out of the state rule that lets plumbers and utility contractors self-inspect sewer lines, so the City inspects that work.

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

Application documents and plan review

Use the City application for each permit type. A contract must be included with every commercial permit and every pool permit. Building permit applications go with plans in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the lot dimensions, existing buildings, the shape, size, height, use and location of the new building, and the setback lines and buffers. Under UDO section 10.01.04, plans submitted for a building permit must include:

• Project name, owner, date, scale and north arrow, and adjoining owners and uses
• Property lines, total acreage and required setbacks
• Existing and proposed buildings with the square footage of each
• Adjacent rights-of-way, street names and pavement widths
• Topography at 5-foot contours over 1 acre or 2-foot contours under 1 acre
• Driveway, parking and loading layout
• Landscape buffers with plant names, spacing and counts
• Dumpster location and the 100-year floodplain

Development standards in force when a development plan is approved stay in effect for 24 months.

How to apply: 6-step Carrollton process

Carrollton inspections

Do not cover regulated work before the required inspection is complete. Sewer lines are inspected by the City because Carrollton does not allow plumber or utility contractor self-inspection. A Certificate of Occupancy is issued only when the lot, building and use comply with the UDO.

Buildings must show their street number at least 4 inches high, or 2 inches on a mailbox, readable from the street; buildings set more than 50 feet back display it on a sign or mailbox near the street.

Local Carrollton details that matter

Pickup and contracts: all permits must be picked up in person by the State Card Holder, and a contract is required with every commercial or pool permit.

Accessory structures: residential lots may have no more than three accessory structures (pools not counted), none larger than 40% of the house’s square footage, and none in the front yard unless more than 100 feet from the street. Buildings over 400 sq ft must match the house in siding and roof and have windows and doors on street-facing walls.

Fences: in single-family districts, front-yard fences may be up to 48 inches high and side or rear fences up to 8 feet.

Flood zones: new or substantially improved buildings in a special flood hazard area need the lowest floor at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation.

Historic districts: material changes, demolition or grading in a designated historic district need a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission.

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

Carrollton 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 DCA current codes
• City licenses & permits
• Georgia DCA enforcement
• Carrollton UDO Article 10: administrative procedures and building permits
• Carrollton UDO Article 5: accessory structures and fences
• Carrollton UDO Article 3: flood, environmental and historic resources

Carrollton permit FAQs

Does Carroll County issue Carrollton building permits?

No. The City of Carrollton publishes and issues its own building and trade permits for work inside city limits.

Is there a minimum project size for a building permit?

Yes. Under the UDO, work whose labour and materials cost less than $500 does not need a building permit.

Can someone other than the State Card Holder pick up the permit?

The City states that all permits must be picked up in person by the State Card Holder.

How long is a Carrollton building permit valid?

It is void if work has not begun within 6 months of issue, and expires 6 months after work stops; the City Manager can extend it by up to 6 months.

Does a pool permit need a contract?

Yes. A contract must be submitted with every commercial permit or pool permit.

How much are Carrollton permit fees?

The fee schedule is set by the Mayor and City Council and kept at the City Clerk’s office; ask the Building Permit Coordinator for your permit’s fee.

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