Dallas, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Inside Dallas city limits, building and trade permits are issued by the City’s Community Development Department at City Hall, 129 E. Memorial Dr., through the online Customer Service Portal or by email, and Bureau Veritas reviews plans and inspects for the City. The 2026 fee schedule charges $5 per $1,000 of construction value up to $500,000, plus plan review at 25% of that fee for homes (minimum $200).

What requires a permit in Dallas?

Community Development issues building, electrical, heating and air-conditioning, plumbing and pool permits for residential and commercial work inside Dallas city limits. The City’s fee schedule lists the work it permits:

Check that the address is inside the city by looking up its tax district on the Paulding County Tax Assessor’s website before you apply. Building without a permit doubles the permit fees.

Dallas building department: who handles permitting

Community Development issues permits and takes inspection requests; Bureau Veritas carries out plan review and inspections inside the city on the City’s behalf, and the plan review fee is set to offset its costs.

Apply online through the City’s Customer Service Portal (Apply, then Permits), or email the application. Include a valid copy of the business licence, state contractor licence and photo ID.

Dallas permit types and filing path

Building, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and pool permits are separate. A new single-family home uses a master building permit: the building fee from the valuation table plus all trade permit fees and any miscellaneous fees. A commercial tenant finish uses a master tenant finish permit on the same basis. Residential and commercial electrical and HVAC permits each have their own application with a fee schedule attached.

Manufactured homes and doublewides must also meet section 44-139(3) of the City’s Zoning Ordinance, and a moved-in house needs a $10,000 surety bond or proof of insurance. Expired permits can be renewed for $150 (residential) or $250 (commercial).

Permit fees in Dallas

Fees come from the City’s Schedule of Fees (2026). Construction value is estimated from the latest International Code Council square-foot construction costs, and the building fee does not include trade permits or fireplaces.

For example, a house valued at $250,000 has a building fee of $1,250, plus $312.50 for plan review and the $30 admin fee, before trade permits. A shell building’s fee is cut by 20% when the shell is later finished out.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work

Electrical, heating and air-conditioning, and plumbing work each need their own permit, with a $50 minimum fee. The trade work is inspected together with framing at the rough inspection.

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

Application documents and plan review

Submit the application with a valid copy of the business licence, state contractor licence and photo ID. Plans are reviewed by Bureau Veritas for the City; a denied set can be resubmitted for $120 each time. Projects that move a house in need the surety bond or insurance proof, demolitions need proof of insurance, and food businesses apply for the F.O.G. permit ($400, renewed yearly).

If you are applying online for the first time, call 770-443-8110 ext. 1203 for help.

Before you file in Dallas

• Check the tax district to confirm the property is inside Dallas city limits.
• Have copies of the business licence, state contractor licence and photo ID ready.
• Estimate the construction value from the ICC square-foot costs to budget the building and plan review fees.
• In a subdivision, put the lot number on the lot before inspections start.

How to apply: 6-step Dallas process

Dallas inspections

The general contractor or builder calls 770-443-8110 ext. 1203 for the footing inspection, plumbing in slab where applicable, a rough inspection (framing, plumbing, electrical and HVAC together), insulation and final. Give the name on the permit, phone number, permit number, address, inspection type and the date wanted.

Bureau Veritas carries out inspections inside the city, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon. Call before 2 p.m. for the next inspection day. The building permit must be posted on the lot before you call; if the house is not visible from the road, post it at the start of the driveway. Subdivision lots must show their lot numbers.

Under the 2026 fee schedule, re-inspections cost $25 the first time, $50 the second, $75 the third and $100 after that; the City’s inspections page still lists $100 for the third. Occupying a building before the final inspection carries a $500 penalty.

Local Dallas details that matter

• Inspector — Inspections are carried out by Bureau Veritas on the City’s behalf, weekday mornings only.
• Re-inspection fees — $25, $50, $75 and then $100 if work is not ready when the inspector arrives.
• Early occupancy — moving in before the final inspection costs a $500 penalty; a temporary Certificate of Occupancy ($100) is the option for opening before minor site work is done.
• Food businesses — restaurants need a F.O.G. permit for grease control, $400 a year.

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

Dallas 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
• Dallas Customer Service Portal
• Dallas building inspections
• Dallas fee schedule
• City Building page
• Dallas Schedule of Fees (2026)

Dallas permit FAQs

Who handles building permits in Dallas?

The City of Dallas Community Development Department issues permits inside the city limits; Bureau Veritas reviews plans and inspects for the City.

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

$5 per $1,000 of construction value up to $500,000, plus plan review at 25% of that fee (minimum $200), a $30 admin fee and the trade permits.

Where should I submit a Dallas permit?

Online through the City’s Customer Service Portal, or by emailing the application to the City.

Are trade permits separate?

Yes. Electrical, HVAC and plumbing each need their own permit, with a $50 minimum fee; on a new home they are bundled into the master permit.

When are inspections done?

Weekday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon; call before 2 p.m. for the next inspection day.

Do I need a permit for a deck or pool?

Yes. Decks and porches are $15 per 1,000 sq ft ($50 minimum) and pool permits are $150.

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