Unincorporated Bartow County

The county handout and forms page cover new homes, additions, detached accessory structures over 200 square feet, decks, retaining walls, pools, mechanical work, electrical work, plumbing work, floodplain development, erosion control, driveway work, stormwater permits, and land-disturbance activity.

• Exempt Install insulation in an existing home
• Exempt Install qualifying window awnings
• Exempt Replace interior wall, floor, or ceiling coverings
• Exempt Install shelving and cabinets
• Exempt Install gutters and downspouts
• Exempt Replace or repair non-fire-resistive siding
• Exempt Replace or repair roofing, or install a new roof over existing roofing
• Exempt Replace doors or windows
• Exempt Install swings and other play structures
• Exempt Build a fence, outside public rights-of-way
• Exempt Pave a walkway on private property
• Exempt Build a detached non-habitable accessory building not over 200 square feet that meets setback rules and is outside a special flood hazard area
• Exempt Repave driveways with no expansion, excluding work in the right-of-way
• Exempt Replace exposed plumbing fixtures without concealed work, and certain short emergency concealed plumbing repairs

Building code

The county states it administers adopted building codes. Georgia statewide minimum codes effective January 1, 2026 apply, with county enforcement under local ordinances.

Permit validity

A published permit renewal fee applies for 6 months; no more detailed expiration rule was located on the reviewed public pages.

Owner-builder

The county handout says an owner of a single-family dwelling can in many cases obtain permits and do the work personally. For electrical work, the owner must also be the occupant, and if the dwelling is intended for sale, lease, rent, or exchange in the near future, a licensed electrical contractor must perform the work.

Contractor requirements

County forms require licensed contractors and Georgia state licensing rules apply. The county also publishes an E-Verify information sheet for contractors and vendors.

1. 01
   Download the correct permit application and checklist from the county Building Inspection Forms page.
2. 02
   Submit residential development building permits and all commercial permits by email to permits@bartowcountyga.gov.
3. 03
   Submit plan-review packages by email to plans@bartowcountyga.gov using the county plan submittal procedures.
4. 04
   Include the required application, plans, licenses, and supporting forms for the project type.
5. 05
   After permit issuance, request building or erosion inspections through the county Google Form.

Source: Building Inspections Division, Bartow County Community Development Department ↗

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ before budgeting.

• Google Form for building or erosion inspections (phone)

Inspection hours

Permits issued 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; no separate public inspection window was posted

Typical sequence: The county publishes a residential "Typical Order of Inspections" document on its forms page, but the reviewed public text extract did not expose the full sequence