Cobb County building permits come from the Community Development Agency, which permits the unincorporated areas of the county. Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Austell, Powder Springs, and Mableton each permit their own work — and Mableton, now the county’s largest city, has only issued its own building permits since March 1, 2025.
The agency is several divisions rather than one desk: Development and Inspections reviews and inspects, Planning and Zoning handle land use, Business License issues contractor licences, and Erosion Control enforces the sediment rules. Knowing which one owns your question saves a transfer.
Applies to unincorporated Cobb County. Work inside Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Austell, Powder Springs, or Mableton is permitted by that city. The county publishes an Am I Located in a City? map for exactly this question.
Send CONFIRM or nothing is booked. Cobb schedules inspections by text — SCHEDULE to 877-376-1455, then the prompts for permit number and inspection code. If you do not finalise by sending CONFIRM, the session times out and the inspection will not be scheduled.
What requires a permit in Cobb County?
A Cobb County building permit is required before most construction, alteration, repair, demolition, or change of occupancy in the unincorporated areas of the county. The Inspections office administers and enforces the applicable building codes for residential and commercial construction in the permitting jurisdiction of unincorporated Cobb, and the county publishes a map application for exactly this question — Am I Located in a City?
That tool exists because Cobb’s boundaries are genuinely confusing. Marietta is the county seat and runs its own department. Mableton, the county’s largest city, incorporated in 2022 and took over building permits from the county on March 1, 2025. Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Powder Springs, and Austell all permit their own work. A Marietta mailing address covers a great deal of unincorporated county, so check the parcel, not the postal address.
Two things did not move with the rest. The energy code is still the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code with Georgia supplements and amendments, so an envelope or mechanical package built to a newer IECC is being checked against an older one. And the International Existing Building Code (2018) is permissive, not mandatory — it governs your renovation only if that particular city or county adopted it. Two jurisdictions an hour apart can treat the same existing-building alteration under different rulebooks, and neither is doing anything wrong.
Permit required
- New residential construction, additions, and structural alterations
- Commercial construction, tenant build-outs, and change of occupancy
- Teardown and build-back, in-fill lots, lot splits within subdivisions, and major additions or renovations
- Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work, filed as trade records
- New and remodelled residential and commercial pools and spas
- Land disturbance and residential erosion and sediment control
- Demolition within the unincorporated county
Typically exempt
- Painting, wallpapering, flooring, and similar finish work
- Ordinary repairs that do not touch structure or a regulated system
- Work inside Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Austell, Powder Springs, or Mableton — permitted by that city
- Like-for-like replacements that do not alter a system
Georgia’s State Minimum Standard Codes apply statewide; the Department of Community Affairs adopts them, with Georgia Amendments, and city and county building departments enforce them under their own permit rules. Georgia rules
Cobb County building department: who handles permitting
Permitting sits in the Community Development Agency, an umbrella carrying several divisions that each own part of the process. Development and Inspections reviews plans and performs inspections. Planning handles land use. Zoning handles zoning permits and variances. Business License issues contractor licences. Erosion Control enforces the sediment rules on residential property. The agency is directed by Jessica Guinn and works from 1150 Powder Springs Street, Suite 400, in Marietta.
Commercial and residential permitting are presented as separate workstreams with separate guidance, and there is a dedicated email intake for sub-permits. The county accepts a defined set of documents at subpermits@cobbcounty.gov, with a warning worth taking literally: documents missing signatures or required contact information will be rejected, emails are processed in the order received, and you should allow two business days before chasing status.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Counter and phone service run Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm, and the main line is (770) 528-2060. Commercial applications go through the Citizen Access portal. Residential application packets go by email to residentialpermitreview@cobbcounty.gov (about 10–14 business days) or are walked in at 1150 Powder Springs Street (0–3 business days, most permits ready the same day).
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Cobb County Community Development Agency |
| Scope | Unincorporated Cobb County only — seven cities permit their own work |
| Director | Jessica Guinn |
| Address | 1150 Powder Springs Street, Suite 400, Marietta, GA 30064 |
| Main line | (770) 528-2060 |
| comdev@cobbcounty.gov — sub-permit documents to subpermits@cobbcounty.gov | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm |
| Inspection scheduling | Online through Citizen Access or by text to 877-376-1455; (770) 528-2060 for help |
Cobb schedules inspections by text message. Send SCHEDULE to 877-376-1455, follow the prompts for your permit number and inspection code — and then send CONFIRM. If you do not finalise by sending CONFIRM, the session times out and the inspection will not be scheduled. Crews have lost days to a half-finished text thread that looked complete.
Marietta is the seat of Cobb County but is not permitted by Cobb County, and Mableton — now the county’s largest city — has issued its own building permits since March 1, 2025; Cobb took its last Mableton applications on February 28, 2025. Older guidance and older contractor habits both predate that change. Run the county’s Am I Located in a City? map before filing.
In 2025, building permits issued in unincorporated Cobb County authorized 935 new privately owned housing units, 387 of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Cobb County permits: record types and what each covers
Cobb organises its records around the commercial and residential split, with erosion control and pools carrying their own requirements. Several categories are called out by name in the county's own standards because they attract extra scrutiny. 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 |
| Teardown and build-back | Replacing an existing house on its lot | Reviewed against the county's residential development standards | Square footage basis |
| In-fill lot or lot split | Lots created or divided within an existing subdivision | Called out for separate review under the development standards | Square footage basis |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →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 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | A new or existing business occupying a commercial building | Separate step-by-step process — not the Occupation Tax Certificate | Set by the county |
| Third-party inspection designation | Election to use a third-party provider for inspections | Must be designated when applying for the permit | Paid to the provider |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →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 Cobb County
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential building permit | New homes, additions, and alterations in unincorporated Cobb |
| Commercial building permit | New commercial construction, tenant build-outs, and change of use |
| Teardown and build-back | Replacement of an existing house, reviewed against the residential development standards |
| In-fill lot and lot split | Lots created or split within an existing subdivision, called out for separate review |
| Trade permits (E/P/M) | Sub-permit records, accepted by email to the dedicated sub-permit address |
| Pool and spa permit | New and remodelled residential and commercial pools, with annual public health inspection |
| Erosion and sediment control | Residential erosion control enforced by its own division |
| Certificate of Occupancy | Separate from the Occupation Tax Certificate, on its own step-by-step process |
Solar permits in Cobb County
Solar in unincorporated Cobb is a county permit, inspected like any other electrical-led record — including by text scheduling, so the installer needs the permit number and inspection code to hand. If the array is in Marietta, Smyrna, or Mableton, none of that applies; that city runs its own review.
Rather not deal with the Cobb County building department?
Get a free quote →Roofing permits in Cobb County
Reroofs in unincorporated Cobb are county permits, and the inspection is scheduled the same way as any other — which means the crew needs to have sent CONFIRM. A roofing schedule built around a text that was never confirmed is a roofing schedule with a hole in it.
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
Cobb County permit cost
Since July 1, 2024, following House Bill 461, Cobb no longer calculates fees solely on job cost: the fee schedule is based on square footage and flat fees. Renovation applications still ask for a contract or estimate for job cost billing. The county publishes residential and commercial fee calculator spreadsheets for an approximate figure.
Use the county’s fee calculator for the project type before you quote, rather than a rule of thumb carried over from an older job-cost schedule. Required inspections are covered by the permit fee; a failed inspection adds a re-inspection fee of $50 the first time, $75 the second and $100 each time after that.
Erosion control and land disturbance sit outside the building permit fee entirely. Under the 2026 amendments the land-disturbance track now carries its own statutory consequences for missed review deadlines, including a refund of application fees, so it is worth tracking as a separate financial and schedule item rather than folding it into the building permit.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permits | Square footage and flat fees since July 1, 2024; county fee calculators |
| Renovations and remodels | Contract or estimate required for job cost billing |
| Re-inspections | $50, then $75, then $100 each time |
| Pools and spas | Permitted and inspected on their own track |
| Erosion and sediment control | Enforced and charged separately |
| City projects | Priced by that city — seven separate schedules in Cobb |
Want a precise number for a specific Cobb County project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Cobb County trade permits
Cobb runs an email intake for sub-permit documents alongside the portal, and the rules on that intake are strict enough to be worth treating as part of the trade workflow rather than as an administrative afterthought.
Email intake for sub-permits
The permitting and inspections office accepts defined documents at the dedicated sub-permit address. Attach fully completed forms — anything missing a signature or required contact information is rejected outright.
Allow two business days
Emails are processed in the order received and the county asks that you wait two business days before checking status. Chasing earlier does not move the queue.
Declare third-party inspectors at application
Anyone wishing to use third-party providers must designate that choice when applying for the permit. It is not a decision you can make later in the job when the schedule tightens.
State licence still governs
Cobb's Business License Division issues contractor licences locally, but the Chapter 14 trade licence is what authorises the work and is required regardless of job value.
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
Cobb County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Cobb County, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Cobb publishes a map application specifically to answer whether an address is inside a city. Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Austell, Powder Springs, and Mableton all permit their own construction, and Mableton has only done so since March 1, 2025. A Marietta postal address frequently covers unincorporated land.
Commercial and residential permitting run as separate workstreams with separate guidance. If you intend to use a third-party inspection provider, you must designate that choice when you apply — not later. Teardown and build-back, in-fill lots, lot splits, and major additions are called out for review against the county's development standards.
Draw to the 2024 Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes with the Georgia Amendments. If you are emailing sub-permit documents, attach them fully completed: anything missing a signature or required contact information will be rejected rather than queried.
Commercial permitting requests are submitted online through the Citizen Access portal. Residential packets go by email to residentialpermitreview@cobbcounty.gov or are walked in at 1150 Powder Springs Street. Land disturbance and erosion control run on their own track rather than through the building permit.
Fees follow the county’s square-footage and flat-fee schedule; the county’s fee calculators give an approximate figure. Once the application is approved and the fee is paid, work can begin — and if the project is a business occupancy, remember that the Occupation Tax Certificate is a different document from the Certificate of Occupancy.
Inspections are booked online through Citizen Access or by texting SCHEDULE to 877-376-1455 and following the prompts for permit number and inspection code; call (770) 528-2060 for help. The text route requires a final CONFIRM; without it the session times out and no inspection is booked.
Inspections in Cobb County
The Inspections office administers and enforces the applicable building codes for residential and commercial construction in the permitting jurisdiction of unincorporated Cobb County, and states its role as helping customers understand and meet the code requirements for their project rather than simply passing or failing them.
Cobb runs a documented policy for third-party provider inspections, and the operative requirement is timing: anyone wishing to use third-party providers must designate that choice when applying for the permit. That makes the inspection strategy a design-stage decision in Cobb, not a recovery option once a schedule slips.
For private-provider inspections, also from July 1, 2026, the local governing authority keeps two business days to identify deficiencies in an approved inspection report, and any deficiency notice must describe the problem and name the regulatory requirement that has not been met. If no timely written notice arrives, the inspection is deemed approved as a matter of law. Correcting a deficient report afterwards cannot undo or delay work the private professional provider already approved (O.C.G.A. § 8-2-26(g)(14)).
Keep the permit and approved plans on site throughout, and keep the inspection codes to hand — the text scheduling route asks for them directly. 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.
Cobb County permit search and official resources
Cobb publishes its forms, development standards, inspection codes, and zoning calendars through Community Development, and the citizen access portal carries both filing and permit search.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →- Cobb County Building and Development
- Commercial permitting
- Residential permitting and the Am I Located in a City? map
- Community Development forms and inspection codes
- Development and Inspections division
- DCA — current Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Cobb County, GA?
The Cobb County Community Development Agency, through its Development and Inspections division, for construction in the unincorporated areas of the county. Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Austell, Powder Springs, and Mableton permit work inside their own limits.
How do I know if my Cobb County address is in a city?
The county publishes a map application for this exact question, titled Am I Located in a City? Check the parcel rather than the mailing address — a Marietta postal address covers a large amount of unincorporated county.
Does Cobb County permit work in Mableton?
No. Mableton incorporated in 2022 and has issued its own building permits since March 1, 2025; Cobb County took its last Mableton applications on February 28, 2025. Mableton is now the largest city in Cobb County, and because the change is recent, older habits and older guidance both point the wrong way.
How do I schedule a Cobb County inspection?
Online through Citizen Access, or by text: send SCHEDULE to 877-376-1455 and follow the prompts for your permit number and inspection code. For help, call (770) 528-2060.
Why did my Cobb County text inspection not get scheduled?
Almost certainly because the session was never confirmed. After following the prompts you must send CONFIRM. If you do not finalise the inspection that way, the session times out and the inspection is not scheduled, even though the thread looks complete.
Can I email documents to Cobb County permitting?
Yes, for a defined set of sub-permit documents, to the dedicated sub-permit address. Attach fully completed forms — documents missing signatures or required contact information are rejected. Allow two business days before checking status, as emails are processed in order received.
Can I use a third-party inspector in Cobb County?
Yes, but you have to designate that choice when you apply for the permit. Cobb adheres to a documented policy for third-party provider inspections, and the declaration is made at application rather than later in the project.
How are Cobb County permit fees calculated?
Since July 1, 2024 the county’s fee schedule is based on square footage and flat fees rather than solely on job cost. The county publishes residential and commercial fee calculator spreadsheets that give an approximate figure.
Is my business licence the same as a Certificate of Occupancy?
No. Cobb states this explicitly: an Occupation Tax Certificate is not a Certificate of Occupancy. A new or existing business in a commercial building in unincorporated Cobb obtains the Certificate of Occupancy through its own separate process.
Does Cobb County permit pools?
Yes. The county permits and inspects all new and remodelled residential and commercial pools and spas, with annual inspections by public health for the applicable categories.
What code does Cobb County enforce?
The Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes — the 2024 International Building and Residential Codes with Georgia Amendments and the 2023 National Electrical Code with the 2026 Georgia Amendments, effective January 1, 2026. The energy code remains the 2015 IECC with Georgia supplements.
When is a Georgia contractor licence required in Cobb County?
Once the value of the work, or the contractor's compensation, exceeds $2,500, tested per project. Cobb's Business License Division also issues local contractor licences, but the state Chapter 14 trade licences are required regardless of job value.
Simplify Cobb County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Cobb is a well-organised agency with several genuinely local mechanics: a city boundary that a postal address will not resolve, a text-scheduling system that silently fails without a confirmation, an email intake that rejects rather than queries incomplete documents, and a third-party inspection choice that has to be made at application. A permit expediter for Cobb County is making sure none of those costs you a week.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 21+ years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Cobb County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- Right authority — unincorporated Cobb or one of the seven cities, resolved from the parcel, with Mableton’s 2025 takeover of permitting accounted for.
- Decisions made at the right time — third-party inspection designated at application, not discovered as unavailable later.
- Complete oversight — every Cobb permit, erosion control 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 Cobb County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.