Doraville, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Doraville’s Community Development department issues building and trade permits for property inside city limits, with applications, fees and inspection requests handled in Cloudpermit. Under the fee schedule adopted on September 16, 2026, new construction and additions cost $2 per square foot plus a $75 application fee, and each plan review round takes up to 10 business days.

What requires a permit in Doraville?

The City’s residential checklist, “Does this residential work require a permit?”, sorts common jobs into two columns:

Licensed contractors must do all plumbing, electrical, HVAC and mechanical work, retaining walls over 48 inches and any structural alteration or repair. Retaining walls 48 inches or taller also need stamped engineered plans. Signs, tree work, land disturbance, right-of-way work and accessory dwelling units have their own City applications.

Doraville building department: who handles permitting

All projects get City plan review. Some also need review by DeKalb County or other agencies; the City gives you a routing sheet when they do, and you return the stamped approvals to the City.

Permit fees in Doraville

Fees come from the Community Development fee schedule adopted on September 16, 2026. They are assessed once every plan reviewer has approved the plans, and can be paid online in Cloudpermit or in person, but not by phone.

For example, a 400 sq ft addition costs $800 for the permit plus the $75 application fee, before trade permits.

The first and second plan reviews are included in the permit fee. A third review costs 50% of the permit fee, and each later review costs 50% of the previous review fee. The first inspection of each type is included; a failed first reinspection costs $100, the second reinspection $150, the third $200 and each one after that $50 more than the last, payable before the reinspection is scheduled. Changing contractors costs $50, a permit extension is 50% of the permit fee, and work started without a permit is charged double the permit fee.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other trade permits

Heating and air, electrical, plumbing, gas, fire alarm or sprinkler, hood suppression and grease trap work each need a separate permit, filed on the City’s Trade Permit Application. Trade work must be done by a licensed contractor.

If you subcontract a trade under an issued building permit, email the Subcontractor Affidavit, the subcontractor’s photo ID, state trade licence and business licence to permits@doravillega.us so it is added to the active permit.

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

Application documents and plan review

The 2026 Building Permit Application lists what each type of applicant must include. Incomplete submittals are not processed.

The Homeowner Affidavit is only for owners who live in the property full-time. An agent filing for a contractor adds the Georgia Authorized Permit Agent Form and the agent’s photo ID. Affidavits have had to be notarized since May 16, 2025, and older versions of the forms are rejected; the City notarizes its own documents free when every signer is present with a current photo ID.

Each submittal, first or resubmittal, takes up to 10 business days to review if the application is complete. The City publishes sample supporting material for additions, carports, driveways, fences, garages, sheds and emergency repairs on its permits page.

How to apply: 6-step Doraville process

Doraville inspections

Schedule inspections in Cloudpermit; you need an issued permit first. Requests must be in by 2 p.m. for a next-day inspection. Same-day requests are not accepted, and specific times cannot be requested unless arranged with the inspector.

Some residential permits, including water heater and HVAC replacements, can be inspected remotely by video call. The installing technician, not the owner, schedules it and must be on site.

For video inspections, start outside with the address in view, then show the permit. A dark or unclear video, or a poor connection, counts as a failed inspection.

A new home or addition is typically inspected at temporary power, footings or slab, plumbing slab, sheathing, combined framing and rough-ins, gas pressure, and energy and insulation, where a third-party duct blast and blower door test approval is needed. Final inspections cover the site, the building and zoning. Once finals pass, the Permit Coordinator asks for any remaining fees and close-out documents by email, and the City then issues the Certificate of Occupancy or Completion.

Georgia allows third-party plan reviewers and inspectors, but in Doraville they must first be approved through the City’s application.

Local Doraville details that matter

Land disturbance: new construction, building expansions, grading, driveways, parking areas, drainage work and demolition can need a land disturbance permit. A minor LDP generally covers less than 1 acre of disturbance and under 5,000 sq ft of new or replaced impervious surface with no right-of-way work; larger projects are major LDPs. A pre-application meeting with City staff is required first, and a minor land disturbing activity permit costs $200.

Trees: removing a tree with a trunk of 3 inches or more at breast height that normally grows 15 ft or taller needs a tree permit, as does pruning trees of 8 inches or more. Only the owner or a tree contractor can apply, the fee is $50 per tree, and review takes up to 10 business days. Trees that pose an imminent danger can be removed first if you email photos to permits@doravillega.us and codecompliance@doravillega.us.

Solar: since November 17, 2021, rooftop solar has been allowed by right in every zoning district. Panels must sit at least 3 ft from the roof edge, and the application needs a site plan, a one-line diagram, a structural engineer’s letter and the PV Tree Affidavit.

Rental apartments: multifamily rental buildings with 4 or more units must be inspected under the City’s multifamily inspection program, using an inspector from the City’s approved list.

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

Doraville 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 Minimum Codes
• Cloudpermit (City permit portal)
• City land disturbance permit packet (March 2025)
• City permits page
• Doraville Community Development fee schedule (September 2026)
• Does this residential work require a permit? (checklist)
• Doraville Building Permit Application (2026)
• Doraville inspections and required inspections
• Doraville land disturbance and demolition
• Doraville tree permits
• Doraville solar permits

Doraville permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Doraville?

New construction and additions are $2 per square foot and remodels $1.50 per square foot, plus a $75 application fee. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits are $100 each.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Doraville?

Yes for a new or replacement fence under 7 ft; repairs that do not include posts are exempt. Fences cost $1 per linear foot for one- and two-family homes.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Not for a repair or replacement with no structural changes. New roofs and structural roof changes need a permit, which costs $150 for a one- or two-family home.

How long does plan review take?

Up to 10 business days for a complete first submittal and another 10 for each resubmittal. Third and later reviews carry an extra fee.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Doraville?

Yes, if you own the home, live there full-time and have a photo ID showing the property address. You file a notarized Homeowner Affidavit, but trade and structural work still needs a licensed contractor.

How are Doraville inspections requested?

Through Cloudpermit, by 2 p.m. for a next-day inspection. Same-day requests are not accepted.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree?

Yes, for any tree 3 inches or more in diameter at breast height that normally grows at least 15 ft tall. The permit is $50 per tree.

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