Codes Enforcement & Engineering Department

207 S. Duke Street

LaFayette, Georgia 30728

Phone:   (706) 639-1511

Fax:   (706) 638-1872

Superintendent Rod Robertson

Requirements to obtain a building permit for new residential or commercial buildings

1.  Deed and plot plan (to a known scale.  The department prefers having the approximate footprint of the building located on the plat.  The plot plan (plat) should have property lines with distance and bearing, adjacent streets by name and any unopened streets, associated easements, north arrow (in proper orientation) and drawing scale, and name of person who made the drawing with attached supervisors stamp.

2. Set of drawings.  Architectural stamp is not required on drawings for one and two family dwellings.  Drawings for multifamily or commercial must have architectural stamp.

Foundation design plan (showing reinforcement)

Floor plan (First floor elevations required in flood areas)

Framing details – Floor system design, wall design, ceilings and roof design with appropriate cross-section or blow-up views.

Electrical layout

Plumbing layout

HVAC layout

All plans designed by latest adopted codes of Georgia (see attached) and should have floor plan along with front, rear and side views showing this information.

3.  All utility applications must be filled out prior to plan review.

4.  Plans must be reviewed and approved prior to receiving building permit.  At least three days are required to look over plans.

5.  Copies of state and city business licenses for plumbers, electricians and HVAC contractors.  A copy of city business license is required for contractor.

 

Construction inspection required

1.  Erosion sediment control inspection if required

2.  Minimum BMP (erosion and sediment controls) prior to any land-disturbing activities.

3.  Pre-footing or pre-monolithic slab inspection

Covering - site of excavation (dimensions of footer)

Rebar (minimum of two No. 4 bars on bottom 1.3 of footer)

Sewer column test (if required at this time)

Water line

4.  Foundation block work, vent locations and anchor bolts

5.  Floor support system

6.  Framing and roof support system

7.  Rough electrical, plumbing (including sewer service line and connection to city sewer or septic tank system), plumbing water column test and rough HVAC

8.  Insulation and house wrap

9.  Final electrical and general house walk-through

 

Other information

Call before you dig number:  1-800-282-7411.

For water line approval, Paula A. Whiting, environmental engineer for drinking water permitting, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive S.E., Suite 1362, East Floyd Tower, Atlanta, GA, 30334.  Phone:  (424) 651-8427.

For sewer line approval, Mark Beebe, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division, Water Protection Branch, 4220 International Parkway, Suite 101, Atlanta, GA, 30354.  Phone:  (404) 675-1601.

Send erosion sediment and pollution control plan to Environmental Protection Division district office at Mountain District Cartersville office, Georgia Environmental Protection Division, P.O. Box 3250, Cartersville, GA, 30128-1705.  Phone:  (770) 387-4900.

 

Georgia Construction code information

For questions regarding licenses, tests and investigation of contractor’s workmanship, call the Construction Industry Licensing Board, Office of Secretary of State at (478) 207-1416.  The office is in Macon.

For consumer complaints regarding disputes with builders, call the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs at (404) 651-8600 or (800) 869-1123.

For questions regarding manufactured (mobile) homes, call the Georgia Safety Fire Commissioner, Manufactured Housing Division at (404) 656-9498.

For questions regarding industrialized (factory built) buildings or modular buildings, call the Industrialized Buildings Program of the Department of Community Affairs at (404) 679-5246.

For technical information regarding the Georgia State Minimum Standard (construction) codes, call the Construction Codes Section of the Department of Community Affairs at (404) 679-3118.

Code books may be purchased from one of the following sources:

International Code Council

900 Montclair Road

Birmingham, AL  35213-1206

Telephone:  (205) 591-1853

Fax:  (205) 591-0775

Engineer’s Bookstore

748 Marietta Street

Atlanta, GA  30318

Telephone:  (404) 221-1669 or (800) 635-5919

Fax:  (404) 221-1119

DeKalb Bookstore Inc.

448 North Indian Creek Drive

Clarkston, GA  30021

Telephone:  (404) 294-8635

Fax:  (404 294-0133

Georgia Plumber’s Trade Association

1517 Lucky Street

Griffin, GA  30223

Telephone:  (770) 229-1288

Fax:  (770) 229-1422

Architectural Book Center/AIA Georgia

231 Peachtree Street NE, Suite B 04

Atlanta, GA  30303-1603

Telephone:  (404) 222-0099 or (800) 850-4299

Fax:  (404) 222-9916

Southern Polytechnic Bookstore

1100 South Marietta Parkway

Marietta, GA  30060

Telephone:  (678) 915-7355 or (678) 915-3288

Fax:  (678) 915-3179

 

Code revisions

Effective Jan. 1, 2005, the following amendments were made to the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes for Construction:

Standard Building Code (International Building Code), 2000 edition

CABO one and two family dwelling code (International Residential Code), 2000 edition

Standard Plumbing Code (International Plumbing Code), 2000 edition

Standard Mechanical Code (International Mechanical Code), 2000 edition

Standard Gas Code (International Fuel Gas Code), 2000 edition

International Energy Conservation Code, 2000 edition

International Fire Code, 2003 edition

If you have any questions, please, contact the Construction Codes Program at (404) 679-3118.

 

Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes

On Oct. 1, 1991, the Uniform Codes Act became effective in Georgia.  On July 1, 2004, this act was revised to make the following eight construction codes (2000 edition) mandatory as the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes:  International Building Code, International Fuel Gas Code, International Mechanical Code, International Plumbing Code, National Electrical Code, International Fire Code, International Energy Conservation Code and International Residential Code.  All of the listed codes have Georgia amendments. 

The act requires local governments that elect to enforce codes within their jurisdictions to adopt administrative procedures and penalties to locally enforce any of these mandatory codes.  Also, any applicable appendices of these codes must be adopted locally in order to be enforceable within a specific local jurisdiction.

The act also made the following optional codes available for local government adoption and enforcement:  International Property Maintenance Code (2000 edition) and International Existing Building Code (2000 edition).  Local governments choosing to enforce either of these optional codes must adopt the code(s) they wish to enforce, as well as administrative procedures and penalties.

The state Department of Community Affairs board specifically omitted the plumbing and electrical requirements of the International Residential Code for one and two family dwellings; therefore, the plumbing requirements of the International Plumbing Code and the electrical requirements of the National Electrical Code must be used for one and two family dwelling construction.