Duluth, Georgia Building Permit Guide

The City of Duluth’s Community Development & Engineering department issues building and trade permits for property inside city limits, and every new application is filed in the GovWell portal. The City’s fee schedule prices new construction at $1.10 per square foot and stand-alone mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits at $100, and inspections requested before 2:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day.

What requires a building permit in Duluth?

Duluth requires a building permit to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure. A permit is also needed to install, alter, repair, remove or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system.

The City’s fee schedule and submittal guides show the permits it issues:

For questions about whether work needs a permit, the City directs applicants to the Building Official at 770-476-1790. Land disturbance, clearing and grading, and tree removal need their own permits, and work in a public right-of-way starts with the City’s ROW registration.

Duluth building department: who handles permitting

The City of Duluth issues permits for property inside city limits. Construction, land development, trade and special use applications are all filed with Community Development & Engineering.

Permit costs and fees in Duluth

Fees come from the City of Duluth Fee Schedule adopted by the Mayor and Council and posted on the Fee Schedule page. Additions are charged as new construction.

Table A of the same schedule lists a building review fee of 5% of the total permit fee, with a $100 minimum and a $5,000 maximum, collected when the permit is issued. Duluth charges $100 per reinspection, and all reinspection fees must be paid before the City releases a wiring approval to the power company. Renewing an expired permit costs 25% of the original fee.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

Trade permits are filed through GovWell and cost $100 each for mechanical, electrical or plumbing work; an electrical reconnection is $50 and each sub-contractor affidavit is $25. On a building project, the subcontractor trade permits are issued at the same time as the building permit. A stand-alone trade permit, such as a water heater, AC compressor or electrical service replacement, can be issued without a building permit; for night and weekend emergency repairs the installer gets the permit on the next business day.

Each subcontractor needs a Georgia licence for the trade, photo ID, a business registration (occupational tax certificate) and a signed City subcontractor permit application. The City does not issue trade permits to unlicensed people, except a homeowner doing work on a primary residence who files the notarized Homeowner Affidavit. Sub-contractor affidavits must be on file before the City releases the wiring approval to the utility.

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

Application documents and plan review

Contractors with a state licence or a licensed business must register in GovWell before submitting a permit. Registration asks for the state contractor’s licence and, if applicable, the business licence. Permits issued under the City’s earlier iWorQ portal stay there for inspection requests, file uploads and permit review.

The City also publishes submittal guides for accessory structures, decks, demolition, house moving, interior remodels, irrigation systems, swimming pools, site walls, short-term rentals and plan revisions or field changes. Sheds and other accessory structures over 120 sq ft need a site plan showing distances to the property lines and the house, plus a drawing of the anchoring, walls and roof.

How to apply: 6-step Duluth process

Duluth inspections

Request inspections before 2:00 p.m. for a next-business-day inspection; requests after 2:00 p.m. on Friday count as received the next business day. Give the permit number, street address, lot/block and project name. Only the general contractor may request inspections, not sub-contractors.

Erosion controls must be in place at every inspection, and a placard with the approved plans must stay posted on site. The final inspection for a certificate of occupancy needs landscaping, meters, sidewalks, Fire Marshal approval and water and sewer releases complete.

The Development Inspector checks footings and foundations, slab plumbing and slab preparation, and counts the required overstory and understory trees with the final building inspection. The Building Inspector handles the rough electrical, framing and HVAC inspections, temporary power poles, water heaters, wall and ceiling cover-up, final electrical, and final gas, which needs 10 pounds of pressure on the line.

Power and gas approvals are sent to the utilities the same day they pass, but you still have to apply to Georgia Power or the gas company before meters are set. Call 770-476-1790 to check your file status.

Local Duluth details that matter

Land disturbance: no clearing, grubbing or grading may start without a land disturbance permit unless the Unified Development Code exempts it. Review costs $400 for a clearing, grubbing or grading permit and $600 for a 1–4.9 acre land development permit, and the permit itself is $150 or $250 per disturbed acre.

Trees: a tree removal permit costs $250, and before a Certificate of Occupancy the Development Inspector confirms the required number of trees has been planted on the site.

Homeowners associations: the City advises getting written HOA approval before applying for an addition or renovation, but HOA approval does not replace the permit.

Right-of-way and small cells: work in the public right-of-way starts with ROW registration, and small cell wireless facilities need a permit under Unified Development Code Section 343.14.

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

Duluth 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 state minimum codes
• Duluth permits and applications (GovWell)
• Duluth inspections
• City of Duluth fee schedule
• Duluth: do I need a permit?
• Duluth permit submittal requirements
• Duluth residential building permit instructions
• Duluth non-residential and multi-family building permit instructions
• Duluth permit forms and affidavits
• Duluth ordinances and regulations (incl. Unified Development Code)

Duluth permit FAQs

Who handles building permitting in Duluth?

The City Community Development & Engineering Department administers and reviews all building, development and planning projects.

How much is a building permit in Duluth?

New construction and additions are $1.10 per square foot, residential renovations and interior finishes $0.65 per square foot, and commercial renovations $1.00 per square foot. The fee schedule also lists a 5% building review fee with a $100 minimum.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Duluth?

Accessory structures over 120 sq ft need a permit, which costs $50. You need a site plan and a construction drawing.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Duluth?

Yes, for a home you own and live in. Submit the notarized Homeowner Affidavit, with ID matching the job address.

How do I apply for a Duluth building permit?

Submit it online through GovWell. Licensed contractors must register in GovWell first.

Who can request an inspection?

Only the general contractor. Requests made before 2:00 p.m. are considered for the next business day.

What does a reinspection cost?

$100 per reinspection.

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