The Planning and Development Department performs the permitting and inspections functions of the City. The Department's mission is to ensure quality construction and compliance with Building and Zoning Codes for the safety and protection of Chamblee's residents and businesses. The Department will accomplish this through comprehensive review of plans, processing of permits, inspections and professional interaction with residents, contractors, developers and property and business owners. The Building Code can be found in Chapter 18 of the UDO, and accessed through Municode.

SEE BELOW REGARDING ADOPTED TEXT AMENDMENTS THAT WERE RECENTLY ADOPTED:

Text amendments to Chapter 18 code sections adopted by City Council on September 21, 2021:
Section 18-33. - Use of third-party inspectors and reviewers

Types of Permits Required

Permits are generally required for all residential and commercial new construction, additions, and renovations. Permits are required for demolition (interior and building), electrical work, low voltage wiring, heating and air conditioning, plumbing, permanent signs, temporary signs, fences, accessory buildings, and tree removal. Accessory structures such as sheds, decks, porches, patio rooms, detached garages, swimming pools and greenhouses must be permitted. Permits are required for installation, alteration, or replacement of any electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing system (i.e., hot water heater, furnace, air conditioning unit, electrical panel, or service), which is regulated by technical codes adopted by the City of Chamblee. View or download the Permit Required Checklist.

Please note: All new construction, major redevelopment, renovation and expansion of existing structures must be approved for land development in conjunction with the building permit. See the Land Development page for additional information.

Permitting Hours

Permits generally are issued between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, Monday through Friday.

Plan Review

Plans are to be submitted to the City for review and approval. The applicant will be given a route sheet by the City that will direct the applicant on how and where to submit there plans to all external agencies that the City requires review by. Building Permit reviews for Life Safety codes and ADA requirements are performed by the City.

No Building Permit for a commercial building will be issued until both the City has have reviewed and approved the plans and received the necessary external agency approvals from the applicant. Our goal is that the maximum amount of time required for plan reviews by the City is up to 10 business days per review for an initial submittal of a commercial project, and up to 5 business days for each re-submittal; and up to 5 business days for an initial submittal of a residential project, and up to 3 business days for each re-submittal.

Permit Application Forms & Fees

Permit applications may be accessed online or from the Planning and Development Department. Contractors must provide copies of current State certifications (general contractor, trade contractor, or specialty contractor) and company business license with the application form. Once you have submitted an application, if you need to upload additional documents, you will need the permit number and contractor access code in order to do so. For contractors, this will be your contractor license number. For requestors not required to have a license, this will be your business license number. For homeowners doing their own work, this will be the street number in your address. Review the permit instructions for plan submittal requirements. CLICK HERE TO TRACK A SUBMITTED PERMIT APPLICATION AND PAY PERMIT FEES.

Building Inspections

Building codes are established to provide minimum standards for safeguarding life or limb, health, property, and public welfare by regulating and controlling the design, construction, quality of materials, use and occupancy, location, and maintenance of all buildings and structures. Building inspection is the method by which the City ensures that construction work is conducted in compliance with the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes as well as approved plans. Building inspections for Life Safety Codes and ADA requirements are provided by the City's inspectors. Read more about inspections on the Inspection Information sheet.

Scheduling Inspections

All requests for inspections must be made through the City's online portal. You will need the permit number and contractor access code to schedule an inspection. For contractors, this will be your contractor license number. For requestors not required to have a license, this will be your business license number. For homeowners doing their own work, this will be the street number in your address. To access the online portal and schedule an inspection click here.

Building inspection requests submitted by 4:00 pm Monday through Friday are generally scheduled for the following business day. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact us at (770) 986-5010 or chambleedevelopment@chambleega.gov.

Remote Inspections Program

The Planning and Development Department launched expanded options for remote inspections beginning April 1, 2020.  All inspections eligible for remote inspection will be scheduled as such effective immediately. For details on the remote inspections program, please click here.

Building Inspectors

Pursuant to the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) Section 8-2-26.1, the building inspectors employed by the City of Chamblee are deemed to be Qualified Inspectors, as defined by said code section, for the inspections they are assigned to perform.

The inspectors with Charles Abbott Associates (CAA) are under contract with the City to provide inspection services. Inspections are scheduled daily except for weekends and holidays as observed by the city. In addition to providing daily inspections, the City makes every attempt to arrange meetings, consultations and courtesy inspections as needed within a convenient and reasonable time frame.

Third-Party Inspection and Plans Review Program
In full compliance with the requirements of the State and Section 18-33 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, the City allows owners, developers, and contractors to submit Inspection Certifications by Approved Third-party Inspectors and Plans Review Affidavits by Approved Third-party Plans Reviewers in order to satisfy certain inspection and plans review requirements. To be considered for inclusion on the City’s Approved Third-party Inspectors and Plans Reviewer List in accordance with the Third-party Inspection and Plans Review Program, applicants are required to submit an application by December 31st annually to be placed on the list for the upcoming year. The application can be found on the Applications and Forms page. Please contact chambleedevelopment@chambleega.gov for questions on the process or to obtain a copy of the Approved Third-party Inspectors and Plans Reviewer List.