The City of Perry Community Development Department reviews plans, issues building permits and inspects construction inside city limits, and every application and inspection request goes through its Citizens Self Service portal. Residential plan review is a flat $145, new homes are charged per required inspection ($58 each under 2,199 sq ft), and the City estimates 10 business days to review residential plans.
What requires a permit in Perry?
Perry requires building permits for residential, commercial and industrial structures, including additions, swimming pools, renovations and remodels. Detached residential accessory structures such as garages, sheds, pergolas and decks need a permit when they are over 199 square feet, and commercial accessory structures over 120 square feet.
On existing buildings, separate trade permits are needed for:
- Electrical: new or altered permanent wiring, outlets and light fixtures, garage-door opener receptacles, fuse box to breaker conversions and low-voltage systems such as alarms.
- Mechanical: vented heating and cooling equipment, wood stoves and fireplace inserts, gas piping from the meter to an appliance, and bath, dryer and range exhausts.
- Plumbing: any work on the water supply, sewer, grease traps, gas lines or water heaters.
Demolition, signs, manufactured homes, tree removal and soil erosion also have their own permits.
Perry building department: who handles permitting
Community Development issues building permits and inspects construction; commercial plans are also reviewed by Perry Fire & Emergency Services. Permit questions go to the department’s permit technician, and a state-licensed contractor applying in Perry for the first time should call 478-988-2720 before filing online.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | City of Perry Community Development |
| Phone | 478-988-2726 |
| Office / intake | 741 Main Street, Perry, GA 31069 |
| comm.development@perry-ga.gov | |
| New contractor setup | 478-988-2720 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Perry lies mainly in Houston County, with a small part in Peach County. Check the parcel is inside city limits before filing with the City.
Perry permit types and filing
Perry’s Building Permits page has separate requirement sheets for residential permits, commercial permits, small tenant-space interiors, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, plus permit licensing requirements and Citizen Self Service filing instructions for residential and commercial applicants.
All online attachments must be PDF files. A state-licensed contractor who has not previously been issued a Perry permit is instructed to contact 478-988-2720 before using the online filing process.
The City publishes estimated review times of 30 business days for commercial plans and 10 business days for residential plans. If plans must be resubmitted, Perry states that the review time restarts.
Permit costs and fees in Perry
Fees come from the City of Perry Fee Schedule, amended by Resolution 2025.72 and adopted December 16, 2025. New structures are charged per required inspection, plus a flat plan review fee.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New single-family or duplex, under 2,199 sq ft | $58 per inspection |
| New single-family or duplex, 2,200–3,599 sq ft | $86 per inspection |
| New single-family or duplex, 3,600 sq ft and up | $103 per inspection |
| Multifamily or commercial | $103 per inspection under 5,000 sq ft, rising to $420 over 100,000 sq ft |
| Residential plan review | $145 flat |
| Commercial plan review | $345 under 5,000 sq ft, $580 up to 10,000 sq ft, $1,455 above |
| Garage, shed or accessory structure | $235 flat |
| Trade permit for a single equipment replacement | $98 flat |
| Alteration review | $195 |
| Building permit water consumption charge | $175 |
| Swimming pool | $105 above-ground, $146 below-ground, $263 public |
| Demolition | $157 minimum |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Commercial fire reviews are separate: life safety review is $840 up to 5,000 sq ft, $1,040 up to 10,000 sq ft and $1,800 above, plus $590 for a fire alarm, $910 for sprinklers and $751 for a hood system. For commercial projects, all reviews must be complete and the fees paid before the permit is issued. A third visit for the same inspection costs $145, and each visit after that $78 more than the last.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work
On new residential or commercial construction, separate trade permits are not issued; the trade contractors are listed on the building permit instead, and each must have a portal account so inspections can be requested. On existing buildings, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work needs its own permit, and replacing a single piece of equipment is a $98 flat permit.
Permits are issued only to a state-licensed contractor, a specialty contractor or a homeowner. A homeowner must live in the home, sign a notarized Homeowners Affidavit and may not hire an unlicensed person for work that needs a licence. Residential contractors can permit one- and two-family homes and townhouses up to three storeys; larger work needs a residential-light commercial or general contractor.
Do not cover regulated trade work until the required inspection for that stage has passed.
Alliance handles electrical permit expediting for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.
Application documents and plan review
Perry publishes separate residential and commercial filing instructions and project-specific requirement sheets. Start with the correct City checklist rather than assembling a generic package.
Commercial applicants must complete the City’s required pre-application step before submitting plans. All commercial plans are reviewed by Perry Fire & Emergency Services and Community Development, and all required reviews must be complete before issuance.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Keep plans, responses and revisions on the same permit record so the review history stays together.
For a new home, addition or accessory building, the residential requirement sheet asks for a scaled site plan (lot dimensions, setbacks, utilities, easements, trees, driveway and any grading for stormwater) and building plans with the foundation, elevations showing hazard glazing and guards over 30 inches, a wall section with insulation R-values and air barriers, a roof or truss plan and a floor plan. Engineered beams, trusses and joists need load calculations or shop drawings. Residential plans need an architect’s or engineer’s stamp only for buildings over three storeys, mixed uses or unusual designs or sites. Accessory structure permits take about 10 business days to review.
How to apply: 6-step Perry process
Check the site is inside Perry city limits.
Separate the building, trade, site, fire, zoning and specialty approvals that apply to the actual scope.
Use Perry forms and checklists and attach the contractor, plan and project documents the City requires.
File through Citizen Self Service with PDF attachments and pay the fees when requested.
Respond to comments on the active City record and keep revisions tied to the correct permit.
Request each required inspection at the proper stage and complete the applicable final or occupancy closeout.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Perry inspections
All inspection requests go through the Citizens Self Service portal; telephone requests are not taken. Inspections have no set time, there are no same-day inspections, and nothing is inspected on the day the permit is issued, except electrical and sewer permits on existing buildings damaged or blocked. Every trade contractor and the job supervisor must be listed on the permit with their own portal account, or they cannot request inspections.
The City’s field inspection list for new homes:
- Sub-slab plumbing with a 10-foot head test
- Footing or monoslab, with forms, vapor barrier, rebar, termite treatment proof, construction exit, sediment barriers and a toilet for workers
- Building sewer, with a cleanout at the building and at the City connection, and more if cleanouts are over 100 feet apart
- Rough electrical, then rough framing with beam calculations and truss sheets uploaded to the portal
- Insulation before any sheathing or drywall
- Permanent power, with no exposed exterior wiring and exterior door locks in place
- Utility and right-of-way inspection by the Engineering Department, then the final and certificate of occupancy
Inspections are not done if the silt fence and construction driveway are missing or the street is dirty, and repeat problems can bring a stop work order. A building may not be occupied without a Certificate of Occupancy. For questions about inspections, call Community Development at 478-988-2726.
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
Perry 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.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →- Georgia DCA current state minimum codes
- Perry inspections
- Perry building permits
- Perry fee schedule
- Perry residential permit requirements
- Perry field inspection procedures
- Perry electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits
- Perry permit licensing requirements
- Perry accessory structure permits
Perry permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a new house in Perry?
Plan review is $145, and the permit is charged per required inspection: $58 each for a home under 2,199 sq ft, $86 up to 3,599 sq ft and $103 above that.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Perry?
Yes, if a detached residential accessory structure is over 199 sq ft. The permit is $235 flat and review takes about 10 business days.
Can a homeowner pull a permit?
Yes, if you live in the home and file a notarized Homeowners Affidavit.
Who issues building permits in Perry?
The City of Perry Community Development Department issues building permits and inspects work inside city limits.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How are Perry permit applications submitted?
The City uses Citizen Self Service for permit filing and inspections and requires uploaded attachments to be PDF files.
How long does Perry say plan review takes?
The City publishes estimated review times of 30 business days for commercial plans and 10 business days for residential plans; resubmittal restarts the review time.
Does Perry require a commercial pre-application?
Yes. The City states that a pre-application must be held before commercial plans are submitted.
When can a Perry building be occupied?
After required inspections are successfully completed and the City issues the applicable Certificate of Occupancy.
Simplify Perry 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.
Ready to break ground in Perry sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Perry permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Georgia permitting guides
Auburn
Read guide →Braselton
Read guide →Buford
Read guide →Pickens County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Pierce County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Pike County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Perry permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.