County Building Permits
Cobb County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Cobb County, Georgia. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Applies only in unincorporated Cobb County. Cobb County's pages repeatedly direct users to confirm whether an address lies inside a city before applying.
- Department
- Development and Inspections Division, Community Development, Cobb County
- Address
- 1150 Powder Springs St, Ste 400, Marietta, GA 30064
- Phone
- 770-528-2060
- comdev@cobbcounty.gov
Online Permit Portal
Platform: Online Inspections Portal • Account required: Yes • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Confirm the property is in unincorporated Cobb using the county jurisdiction map.
- Choose the applicable residential or commercial checklist and gather the required application packet and documents.
- Calculate permit fees using the county fee schedules.
- Submit the application packet and supporting materials to Community Development.
- County staff reviews the application and issues comments or approval; applicants using HB493 third-party review must designate that choice when applying.
- Pay fees, obtain permit issuance, and schedule required inspections online or by text.
Typical processing time: No general permit-review turnaround is published on the pages reviewed.
Source: Development and Inspections Division, Community Development, Cobb County
General Requirements
The county states construction in unincorporated Cobb must meet building-code requirements for new construction, additions, remodeling, and related work, with residential and commercial checklists for specific project types.
Required Documents
- County application packet
- Project-specific checklists
- Plans
- Any outside approvals required by the project type
- Residential permitting pages publish separate checklists for pools, accessory structures, additions, basements, demolition, power use, renovations, retaining walls, solar, and more
- Permit validity
- The reviewed county pages do not publish a single general permit-expiration rule.
- Building code
- Cobb County enforces Georgia state minimum standard construction codes and county-approved code amendments.
- Owner-builder
- The county publishes a Homeowner Permit checklist and homeowner application materials.
- Contractor requirements
- Georgia licensing rules apply. The county also references homeowner-only permit pathways separately from contractor subpermit applications.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- $250 minimum permit fee
- Plan check fee
- Included within the county's updated fee schedules by permit category.
- Permit fee formula
- Updated July 1, 2024 fee schedules use square footage and flat-fee methods. New complete building construction is calculated from ICC Building Valuation Data at $6 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost for one- and two-family construction.
- Reinspection fee
- County inspection and permit schedules publish reinspection and related charges.
- Payment note
- Fees are calculated from county fee schedules before permit issuance. Inspection scheduling is online or by text after permitting.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective July 1, 2024).
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Development and Inspections Division, Community Development, Cobb County to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Online Inspections Portal (online)
- Text to 877-376-1455 (phone)
- Scheduling deadline
- Online or text scheduling available.
Typical inspection sequence: Permit-specific inspection codes are published for building, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, zoning, pool location, arborist, and site inspections.
Additional Resources
- Building code: Cobb County enforces Georgia state minimum standard construction codes and county-approved code amendments.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Schedule Inspection
- Fee Schedule Update
- Building Development FAQs
- License lookup guide: Georgia Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Georgia Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Georgia hub: Georgia Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Development and Inspections Division, Community Development, Cobb County before applying.
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