The Process of Acquiring City of Atlanta Permits
Are you going to need a building permit in Atlanta for your next commercial construction project? Requiring separate submittals to different departments, acquiring a permit for construction, signage, or restaurant updates in Atlanta and the surrounding areas can prove difficult for those who aren’t well-versed in Georgia permitting.
As nationwide expert permit expeditors, at Scout Services, we spend our day-to-day ensuring that all of the necessary materials for our clients’ commercial construction permits are gathered and submitted correctly. We’ve put together our expertise on City of Atlanta commercial building permits in this comprehensive guide to help you get started on your next project permit.
Summary of All Permits
- Type of submittal method: Online via the Accela system
- Digital or wet stamps: Digital (no special third-party verified stamps needed)
- Naming convention: Submit with each discipline as its own file. Name each file with BPR (Building), PPR (Plumbing), EPR (Electrical), MPR (Mechanical), or ZPR (Zoning)
- Timing for standard plan review: 8–10 weeks
- Options for expedited review: Not available
- Contractor license requirement: General Contractors will need a State License, a Contractor Business License in Georgia, and a Photo ID
- Is it okay to submit TBD while out to bid? Yes
- Additional filings required: There are no separate filings required for interior tenant improvements
Special Processes by Project Type
Atlanta Building Permit Process for Commercial Construction Projects
The Atlanta Building Department requires several materials for submittals, including a letter of authorization, permit application, checklist of changes, project budget information, ComCheck documents, and more. Plans must be in PDF format and separated by discipline, and named according to the convention described in the summary section.
Restaurant Tenant Improvement Projects
Prior to any restaurant update, you’ll need to obtain both a health permit from the Fulton County Health Department and a building permit from the Atlanta Building Department. Luckily, concurrent reviews are allowed, streamlining the process of acquiring all needed permits prior to your project start date.
Fulton County Health requires an in-person submittal, so it helps to have a local contact like Scout Services’ permit runners. Other than stamped construction drawings, you’ll need to provide a permit application, alien residency form, menu, and $585 review fee. In order to get approved for your building permit, the approval from Fulton County Health must come through first.
Signage Projects
The sign permitting application process in Atlanta is much more linear. Here are the five steps to acquiring a sign permit in Atlanta.
- Fill out a sign permit application
- Create two copies of accurately scaled street front elevations, sign renderings, and site plans for freestanding signs
- In-person submittal of application and plans at the Office of Buildings with at least half of the permit fees
- The Zoning Enforcement Division will review your materials in 30 days
- Once approved, the remaining fee balance must be paid before receiving the permit
Scout Services is a Trusted Expert for Obtaining City of Atlanta Permits
Having one of the more confusing permitting processes of any jurisdiction, the process of getting a building permit in Atlanta can significantly hold your project back if materials aren’t submitted correctly on time and routed to all of the right departments. As a permit expediter in Atlanta and across the U.S., Scout Services is able to help you keep any type of commercial project on track.
We have deep experience in a multitude of jurisdictions and a nationwide database to quickly and easily reference requirements. This will help you remove excessive rounds of corrections and reviews, and free your time up to focus on keeping your project planning moving forward.
You’ll be assigned to one of our permit specialists, who will see your submittals through from the due diligence stage, to submittals to approval and receipt of your permits. If Atlanta is only one of many jurisdictions you need permits in for a multi-site rollout, our national reach paired with local contacts and expertise will help your project zoom through plan review processes across the U.S.
