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Building Inspections Division
Notice of Upcoming Code Changes
Effective Jan. 1, 2026
Hall County will begin using newly adopted editions of the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. These updates reflect the most recent actions taken by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and will apply to all permits issued on or after this date.
Projects submitted under the new effective date will be reviewed and inspected in accordance with the following code editions and their associated Georgia amendments:
- Building: 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), Georgia-amended
- Mechanical: 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), Georgia-amended
- Fuel Gas: 2024 International Residential Code (IRC), Georgia-amended
- Plumbing: 2024 International Plumbing Code (IPC), Georgia-amended
- Energy Conservation: 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), including Georgia Supplements and Amendments
- Swimming Pools: 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPS), Georgia-amended
Reference copies of these codes and all Georgia amendments may be accessed through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.
For questions, clarification or assistance related to these updates, please contact DCA at 404-679-4840 or email your regional DCA representative.
**Submissions received prior to Jan. 1, 2026, will be subject to review and evaluation under previously adopted codes and regulations.**
Contact Us
Email: [email protected]
For more information or general questions regarding permits and permit applications, please contact the Hall County Building Inspections Office at 770-531-6809.
Please Note: Our office cannot accept paper copies of plans exceeding 11" x 17". Large format scaled plans must be uploaded to the Accela Citizen Access Portal.
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OBTAINING BUILDING PERMITS
EFFECTIVE MARCH 31, 2025: FOR RESIDENTIAL PERMITS, Environmental Health Review required if on septic. Obtain documentation at Hall County Environmental Health (770-531-3973) or [email protected] PRIOR to submitting permit application.
Hall County now utilizes the Accela software for Planning & Development applications, allowing citizens to submit all applications online from anywhere in the world and keep track of their approval process. All application requests are submitted through our Accela Software.
For more information on how to use Accela, please see the "Accela Software Tutorials" section below.
You can view the fee schedule here: FEE SCHEDULE
Occasionally, a department may request additional information before they can issue your permit. When this occurs, please provide it in a prompt manner. Applications that remain in "Awaiting Applicant" or "Additional Information Required" status for more than 30 days will be withdrawn for inactivity.
What kind of work requires a building permit?
A variety of jobs require building permits. If you aren't sure if you need a permit or not, jump to the "Do I need a permit?" section below to find a table outlining common project types and the associated permit requirements.
The minimum requirements to submit any residential application are:
- Application form- EFFECTIVE MARCH 31, 2025, Environmental Health Documents must be submitted with application as required documents. Applications without this may be rejected.
- Legible, drawn-to-scale, site plan
- Owner’s authorization or homeowner’s affidavit
- General Contractor’s information if the work is not being performed by the homeowner
- Recorded plat of the property
- Deed if the owner differs from the person listed on the tax property card
Other items that must be submitted prior to issuing the permit may be submitted anytime during the review process but are not required for the initial submission. These items are listed in the applicable application packets.
If the application is missing any of the required information, the permit specialist will contact you by telephone or email to let you know that additional information is needed by a certain date or the application will have to be rejected.
Most commercial, industrial and institutional uses will require a plan review before permits are issued.
Retaining walls with a height of four (4) feet or greater also require a plan review.
Plan review cycles are fourteen (14) days and begin on Mondays. Applications submitted by 4 p.m. on Monday are reviewed for completion, and if all required information has been submitted, the plans are routed for review. If the application is missing any of the required information, the permit specialist will contact you by telephone or email to let you know that additional information is needed by a certain date, or the application will have to be rejected. If none of the required information is provided, or if it is all blurry or illegible, the application will be rejected.
The minimum submittal requirements for new construction or additions to commercial, industrial and institutional uses are:
- Application form
- A Land Disturbance Permit (LDP) must be approved; reference the permit number on your application
- Site plan drawn by an engineer or surveyor
- General Contractor’s information
- Recorded plat of the property
- Deed if the owner differs from the person listed on the tax property card
- Architectural plans prepared by a Georgia Engineer or Architect (if under 5,000 SF, they may not require stamps depending on use/occupancy classification. Contact [email protected] if you have questions)
- Retaining walls require a letter from a structural engineer, see example in the retaining wall packet
Building Permit Approval / Issuance Process
EFFECTIVE MARCH 31, 2025: FOR RESIDENTIAL PERMITS- Environmental Health Review required if on septic. Obtain documentation at Hall County Environmental Health (770-531-3973) or [email protected] PRIOR to submitting permit application.
To obtain a Building permit, all application requests are submitted through our Accela Software, where Building Inspections will route them for review through Planning and Zoning and other applicable departments such as County Engineer and Fire Marshal.
Please note, that approval from Hall County Planning does not mean you have obtained a building permit. Your request must be reviewed and approved, if necessary, by other departments before a building permit can be obtained. Once all appropriate departments have approved the request, issuance will be finalized with Building Inspections and the permit will be issued. The building permit process begins in Environmental Health and ends with the Building Inspections office.
Building Permit Process by Hall County PIO
Online Applications: Accela Software
Hall County now utilizes the Accela software for Planning & Development applications, allowing citizens to submit all applications online from anywhere in the world and keep track of their approval process. Need assistance? Check out these tutorial videos using the links below (via Vimeo):
- July 2024 Citizens Access Training
- Create an Account
- Download Approved Plans
- Issues and Conditions
- Finalize and Submit Review Package
- Residential New Construction
- Revisions After Approval
- Submit Revised Plans
- Upload Plans
Ready to go? Visit the Accela Citizen Access Portal to get started.
For questions regarding the use of the Accela Citizen Access Portal and setting up your account, please contact the Hall County Building Inspections Office at 770-531-6809 opt. 2.
Packet Options: Applications and Permits
Use the drop-down menu below to find any permits and/or affidavits that you need. Simply click on the category of permit or document you need to reveal a table.
The last tab provides resources and information about how to schedule an inspection for your project, as well as what you can expect from a common inspection process.
Residential Building Permits
| Title | Description | File Link |
|---|---|---|
| Residential Interior Remodel Permit Packet | To request a building permit for any interior remodel to an existing home. | Download |
| Residential Exterior Additions / Alterations Permit Packet | To request a building permit for an addition or alteration to an existing single-family home. | Download |
| Residential Accessory Structure Permit Packet | To request a building permit for an accessory structure detached from the residence. Use this permit for storage buildings and lean-to (over 144 sq. ft.), carports, detached garages, and detached guest houses. | Download |
| Residential New Home Permit Packet | To request a a building permit for a new home. | Download |
| Residential Townhome Permit Packet | To request a building permit for one- and two-family attached housing. These require a commercial plan review prior to receiving a permit. | Download |
| Manufactured Home Permit Packet | To request a building permit for manufactured home interior and/or exterior renovations, manufactured home additions, or a new or used manufactured home. | Download |
Commercial Building Permits
| Title | Description | File Link |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Townhome Plan Review | To request a new townhome plan review prior to obtaining building permits. | Download |
| Commercial Building Permit | To request a building permit for new commercial construction, exterior additions/alterations, foundation only, shell only, interior build-out, or interior remodel. | Download |
Specialty Permits
| Title | Description | File Link |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition Permit Packet | To request a demolition permit for commercial, residential, or miscellaneous demolition. | Download |
| Swimming Pool Permit Packet | To request a building permit for an in-ground or above-ground swimming pool. | Download |
| Retaining Wall / Fence Permit Packet | To request a building permit for a new or replacement retaining wall (4' or higher), or a building permit for a new or replacement fence (7' or above). | Download |
| Trade Permit Packet | To request a trade permit for electrical, mechanical, or plumbing trade. Use this permit for stand-alone and/or subcontracted trades. | Download |
Affidavits and More
| Title | Description | File Link |
|---|---|---|
| Homeowner Building Affidavit Form | To obtain a homeowner (day labor) permit affidavit for new construction, additions, alterations, and trades. This must be submitted at the time of building permit application. | Download |
| Residential Erosion Control Installation and Maintenance Affidavit Form | To obtain a residential erosion control installation and maintenance affidavit for building permits of houses, modular homes, attached and detached garages, and residential additions to existing buildings. This must be submitted at the time of building permit application. | Download |
Scheduling Inspections
| Title | Description | File Link |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling an Inspection (Desktop Version) | To request/schedule an inspection using the Accela Citizen Access Portal on a desktop device. | Download |
| Scheduling an Inspection (Mobile Device Version) | To request/schedule an inspection using the Accela Citizen Access Portal on a mobile device, such as a smart phone. | Download |
| Typical Home Inspection Process | To learn more about the typical home inspection process for new one- and two-family homes, download this document. | Download |
Do I need a permit?
Use this section to determine whether or not a permit is required for the type of work you want to do.
| Type of Work | Permit Needed? |
|---|---|
| Site built residence | Yes |
| Single or double wide manufactured (mobile) home | Yes |
| Accessory Structure over 144 square feet (typical structure types include carports, storage buildings, pole barns, and detached garages) | Yes |
| Accessory Structure less than 144 square feet with permanent foundations (i.e. concrete slab) | Yes |
| Basement Finish | Yes |
| Pre-fabricated playhouses, playground, or similar equipment | No |
| Deck Construction or Repair | Yes |
| Deck Repairs (non-structural): replacing floorboards, repairing, or replacing guards on decks less than 30" above grade | No |
| Adding, enlarging, or replacing an arbor, pergola, porch, patio, deck, or deck covering | Yes |
| Enclosing a porch, deck, or carport | Yes |
| Garage Door Repair or Replacement | No |
| Interior Addition / Interior Remodel | Yes |
| Painting, tiling, carpeting and/or trim work | No |
| Constructing retaining walls that exceed 4' (four feet) in height as measured above ground | Yes |
| Installing a fence over 7' (seven feet) in height | Yes |
| Replacing roof decking, making structural roof changes, or replacing shingles with metal | Yes |
| Siding Replacement | No |
| Swimming pools and spas | Yes |
FAQs
A site plan is a type of drawing used by architects, landscape architects, planners, engineers, and inspectors which shows existing and proposed conditions for a given site/area. Download a Sample Site Plan with more information here.
According to Hall County’s Zoning Ordinance, any replacement of a preexisting manufactured home or mobile home with a manufactured or mobile home shall be permitted in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 36-66-7 et seq.
Summary of Senate Bill 213:
Chapter 66 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to zoning procedures, was amended to add a new section. This change authorizes the replacement of a new mobile / manufactured home within a mobile home park, manufactured housing community, or other residential lands. The replacement is not authorized in any of the following scenarios:
- The discontinuance is necessary for the safety of life or property;
- The nonconforming use has been discontinued for a period of one (1) year unless such discontinuance is caused by circumstances outside the control of the property owner;
- The replacement home would result in a change from the lawful nonconforming use as a single-family dwelling to any other type of dwelling; or
- The replacement home results in an obstruction to a shared driveway or shared sidewalk providing vehicular or pedestrian access to other homes and uses.
A permit is only required by Hall County if the yard fence will be over 7' (7 feet) high. The most important thing is to be sure that the fence is on your property and not your neighbor's. We recommend that you consult a surveyor if there is any question about your property line before installing a yard fence.
If you are stripping off old shingles to replace with new shingles or metal, no permit is required. However, if you replace decking or need to make structural changes, you will be required to get a permit. Please follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the installation of new shingles.
You do not need a permit for a retaining wall that is under 4' tall. However, if the wall is over 4', you will need to first get approval from Hall County Public Works. Once approved, you will then be able to obtain a building permit.
In Hall County, if the building is smaller than 144 square feet, it does not require a permit and can be 5' (5 feet) from the rear and side property lines. Storage buildings over 144 square feet must be permitted and must adhere to the setback requirements for your lot. If you plan to run electricity to a storage building, you will need to get a separate permit for that.
For your convenience, all Hall County Development Services departments (Environmental Health, Planning and Zoning, Building Inspections, Engineering/Public Works and Business License) are located on the 3rd floor of the Hall County Government Center at the corner of Browns Bridge and McEver Road.
If the property is in unincorporated Hall County, you will need to come see us. However, if the property is within the city limits of Braselton, Buford, Clermont, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Gillsville, Lula or Oakwood, they each have their own permitting departments. If you are unsure whether your property is within city limits, feel free to call us at 770-531-6809 - Option 2
Hall County Building Inspections Department can retrieve permits in office if the permit is less than 10 years old. However, if you are not the original applicant or contractor that started the permit and/or you would like to have documentation or a copy of the permit you will be required to file an open records request. You may contact the Open Records Custodian by emailing [email protected].
Yes, provided they follow the instructions for Third Party Plan Reviews.