Riverdale, Georgia Building Permit Guide

Inside Riverdale city limits, the City’s Building and Permitting Division in Community Development issues building and trade permits, reviews plans and inspects the work, and applications are filed online through Citizenserve. Building permits are priced on construction value, starting at $14 per $1,000, plus a $25 application fee and a $150 residential plan review fee.

What requires a permit in Riverdale?

The Building and Permitting Division lists these permits, and its November 2023 fee schedule prices each of the smaller jobs separately:

Special events, yard sales and land disturbance or grading also need City permits; special events may need fire and police approval as well. Permit requirements are set out in Chapter 18, Section 18-13 of the City’s Code of Ordinances.

Riverdale building department: who handles permitting

The Building and Permitting Division of the Department of Community Development coordinates permit issuance, plan review and inspections for residential and commercial work. Its Permit Coordinator sits in Planning & Zoning at the Community Development office on Wilson Road, not at City Hall on Church Street.

Property in unincorporated Clayton County is permitted by Clayton County, not the City.

Riverdale permit types and filing workflow

Applications go in online through Citizenserve, reached from the Online Services link on the City website. The City asks for complete applications so they can be processed quickly, with the current property survey, dimensioned site plan drawings, contractor credentials and the property owner’s affidavit uploaded; staff may ask for more.

The Applications and Forms page has separate applications for:

• Building permits (commercial new construction, additions, alterations, repairs, exterior work, driveways and demolition; residential new construction, additions and renovations).
• Trade permits for plumbing, electrical and mechanical work.
• Land disturbance permits.
• Sign permits.
• Special event and yard sale permits.

Building and trade applications must be notarised. Only the property owner, architect, engineer or general contractor should sign, or an authorized agent named on an Authorized Permit Agent Form for a Georgia licensed contractor.

Permit fees in Riverdale

The Community Development Fee Schedule updated in November 2023 sets a $25 application fee on each building permit, and the permit price includes three inspections. New buildings and additions are valued from the International Code Council’s latest construction cost data; interior completions use the applicant’s verifiable cost.

Plan review is $150 for residential work and 50% of the permit fee for commercial and industrial work. The minimum permit fee is $150 residential and $200 commercial. For example, a $40,000 home addition carries a $500 permit fee, the $150 plan review fee and the $25 application fee: $675 before trade permits.

All fees must be paid before the permit is issued. The building permit application form still shows a $60 re-inspection fee; the 2023 schedule sets $75.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other trade permits

Plumbing, electrical and mechanical (HVAC) work are permitted on the City’s Trade Permit Application, which asks for the occupancy classification, zoning and where the equipment sits (attic, crawl space or basement, garage or interior). Like the building application, it must be notarised and signed by the owner, design professional, general contractor or an authorized agent.

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

Application documents and plan review

The City does not publish a plan review timeline. Each full plan re-submittal costs $100, and changes to plans after approval are charged as minor plan revisions.

How to apply: 6-step Riverdale process

Riverdale inspections

Inspections are carried out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and must be called in at least 24 hours in advance. A building permit includes three inspections and each trade permit includes one; extra inspections and re-inspections cost $75 under the 2023 schedule. Inspections outside normal business hours can be arranged at $125 an hour with a three-hour minimum, and preliminary or safety inspections are $100.

New buildings and tenant spaces finish with a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion: $50 for a new house, condo, townhome or commercial tenant space and $100 for a new commercial building.

Local Riverdale details that matter

Permit changes: transferring a permit or changing contractor costs $100, an extension is $100 for residential and $200 for commercial work, and replacing a lost permit or CO is $25.

Site work: a land disturbance or grading permit is priced by volume, from $240 for 50–100 cubic yards to $1,000 above 1,000 cubic yards, plus the $25 application fee. Residential site plan review is $375 plus $50 per disturbed acre.

Trees and temporary uses: removing a tree on a single-family lot needs a $50 permit, a temporary construction trailer is $100, and a yard sale permit is $25.

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

Riverdale 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
• Building permit application
• Applications and forms
• Building & Permitting Services
• Riverdale Citizenserve online services
• Riverdale Community Development Fee Schedule (November 2023)
• Riverdale Trade Permit Application

Riverdale permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Riverdale?

It depends on the construction value: $14 per $1,000 up to $25,000, then lower rates per $1,000 above that, with a $150 residential minimum. Add the $25 application fee and plan review ($150 residential, 50% of the permit fee commercial).

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Riverdale?

Yes. A residential re-roof permit is $150 and includes two inspections; siding replacement is priced the same way.

Do I need a permit for a shed or deck in Riverdale?

Yes. Residential sheds, decks and porches are $90, and a storage building or carport is $75.

How do I apply for a permit in Riverdale?

Online through Citizenserve, with the survey, dimensioned site plan, contractor credentials and owner’s affidavit uploaded.

What days does Riverdale inspect?

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Call in each inspection at least 24 hours ahead.

What does a re-inspection cost?

$75 under the November 2023 fee schedule.

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