Unincorporated Forsyth County

A building permit is required for all construction and land disturbance work in unincorporated Forsyth County. The county publishes permit packets for residential work including additions, accessory structures, basement finishes, decks and porches, pools, fences and retaining walls, renovations, townhomes and condominiums, and trade permits.

Note: No county-specific exempt-work handout or webpage was located on the public Building and Licensing pages reviewed. The county publishes permit packets for many small and large project types, which suggests applicants should verify permit needs with Building and Licensing rather than rely on assumptions. Because the county enforces Georgia minimum standard codes plus local amendments, state code exemptions may exist, but the county does not summarize them on published pages.

Building code

The county enforces Georgia state minimum standard codes and has adopted local amendments to those codes.

Permit validity

The publicly located county residential packet and fee schedule do not state a general permit-expiration rule. A $100 building permit renewal fee applies if at least one inspection has been approved before renewal. Renewals are limited to one renewal per permit. Full re-permit fees apply if inspections remain expired or the permit has been expired for more than 90 days.

Owner-builder

County residential packets provide an owner-contractor exemption option requiring a notarized self-work affidavit, selection of trades to be covered by the owner-contractor, and subcontractor affidavits for any trades not covered by the owner.

Contractor requirements

Residential contractors performing work over $2,500 must be licensed by the Georgia State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors. County packets require current business licenses and copies of state licenses for the general contractor and subcontractors.

1. 01
   Determine permit type from the Building and Licensing page. The county publishes residential packets for additions, accessory structures, basement finishes, decks and porches, fences and retaining walls, pools, renovations, and other project types, plus commercial plan review guidance.
2. 02
   Prepare the permit package. Residential permit packets require the permit details form, contractor authorization and subcontractor affidavits as applicable, owner-contractor exemption documents if owner-pulling the permit, site plan, recorded plat copy, and septic-related approvals if applicable.
3. 03
   Submit the application online through the Customer Service Portal or in person at Building and Licensing.
4. 04
   Upload plans and supporting documents in CSS for projects requiring plan review. The commercial page strongly recommends an online pre-submittal meeting for new commercial building projects before formal submission.
5. 05
   Pay required permit and plan review fees. Forsyth County Fire states fire plans are not reviewed until the fire review fee is paid.
6. 06
   Respond to review comments and resubmit if required.
7. 07
   After permit issuance, schedule required inspections through the county inspection scheduling team or the online portal. Fire inspections are separately requested from Forsyth County Fire when applicable.
8. 08
   Complete final inspections and obtain certificate of occupancy or completion as applicable.

Typical processing time: Forsyth County Fire states fire plan reviews are typically completed within 10 business days after the review fee is paid. The county building pages reviewed did not publish a general countywide building permit issuance timeline.

Source: Forsyth County Department of Building and Licensing ↗

Accepted payment methods include cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard. Forsyth County Fire states fire plan review invoices are sent by email for electronic credit-card payment and that the Fire Safety Division does not accept cash.

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

• Inspection Scheduling Team - 770-781-2114, Option 1 (phone)
• Customer Service Portal (online)
• Fire Inspections - 678-455-8072 or fmorequest@forsythco.com (phone)

Scheduling deadline

Forsyth County Fire asks for inspection requests two business days in advance

Typical sequence: Inspections are required throughout the project and at completion. The exact sequence varies by permit type. Typical residential sequencing is footing or foundation, framing or structural stages, applicable trade rough-ins, insulation or other discipline-specific approvals, then final inspection. Fire inspections run separately where required.

Source: Forsyth County Department of Building and Licensing ↗