Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Building Permit Cost
A City of Atlanta building permit is priced directly from the sworn cost of construction at $7 per $1,000 with a city-wide minimum fee of $150.00
and every building permit also carries the City's $25.00 technology fee — the fee table's own footnote applies it 'to each of the permit base fees'. The City publishes no separate plan-review percentage: plan review is part of the permit process and the fee table prints no plan-review line. Repairs under $10,000 of total valuation are exempt under Ordinance 17-O-1307, and inside historic districts the repair exemption drops to $2,500.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee ($7 per $1,000 of cost of construction)Permit fee | $7.00 per $1,000 of project valuation | Every permit of this type | — |
| Technology fee ($25.00 per permit)Technology fee | $25.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
| Minimum building permit fee ($150.00)Permit fee | the shortfall up to the $150.00 minimum on calculated permit fee | permit fee under 15000 | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A single-family home addition in Atlanta with a sworn cost of construction of $85,000.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $85,000 |
| Project area | 650 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
Example total
$620.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 2Rules considered 3
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Building permit fee ($7 per $1,000 of cost of construction)Permit feeCity of Atlanta Department of City Planning fee table: Building Permit assessed at $7 per $1,000 of Cost of Construction, with a $150 minimum fee. Valuation is the sworn cost of construction checked against Appendix B Table 100.Show the working
| $7.00 per $1,000 of project valuation | $595.00 |
Technology fee ($25.00 per permit)Technology feeCity of Atlanta fee table footnote: "A $25 Technology fee is applied to each of the permit base fees."Show the working
| $25.00 flat fee | $25.00 |
| Total | $620.00 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Minimum building permit fee ($150.00) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 2 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
The permit fee is $7.00 per $1,000 × 85 = $595.00, which exceeds the $150.00 minimum, so no shortfall is charged. The technology fee adds $25.00 to every permit. The total municipal fee is $595.00 + $25.00 = $620.00.
What is different in Atlanta
Building permits in Atlanta are issued by the Office of Buildings at 55 Trinity Avenue SW and filed through the Accela Citizen portal. The Office screens a submittal for acceptance within 48 business hours and routes it for review after the invoiced deposit is paid. New single- and duplex-family homes up to three stories, additions, basement and attic build-outs, retaining walls and demolitions all file with the Residential Permits Division; larger and commercial projects file with the Commercial division. The fee is set on the higher of your sworn cost estimate or the reviewer's estimate from the City's Appendix B Table 100 data, so understating the sworn figure only delays issuance.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate covers the municipal building permit, its minimum and the technology fee. It excludes:
- Development impact fees (Ord. 21-O-0096) — the smallest residential tier pays $4,591, halved to $3,121 in the transportation share within 1,000 walking feet of a MARTA station.
- Certificates of Appropriateness or Special Administrative Permits required before the building permit in historic and SPI districts.
- Trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) pulled separately.
- Water/sewer availability charges from the Department of Watershed Management and right-of-way permits for work in the public way.
What you need before applying
- Sworn Cost of Construction AffidavitRequired
Building Permit Application Packet including a sworn cost-of-construction statement; the fee is set on the higher of the sworn estimate or the reviewer's estimate from the City's Appendix B Table 100 construction-cost data.
- Zoning, Arborist and Site Development ReviewRequired
Zoning review, arborist review under the Tree Protection Ordinance, and site development review run inside the building permit. Historic and SPI districts require a Certificate of Appropriateness or Special Administrative Permit before the building permit.
Common questions
How is an Atlanta building permit fee calculated?
The fee table assesses the Building Permit at $7 per $1,000 of Cost of Construction with a $150 minimum fee, plus a $25 technology fee. The cost of construction is your sworn estimate checked against the reviewer's estimate from the City's Appendix B Table 100 data, and the fee is set on the higher of the two.
City of Atlanta Department of City Planning fee tables
What is the minimum building permit fee in Atlanta?
$150 per permit, plus the $25 technology fee. The official ATL311 knowledge base states: 'The minimum cost for a permit is $150, plus a $25 technology fee.'
ATL311 — Office of Buildings, Residential Permits
Does Atlanta charge a separate plan review fee?
No. The City's published fee table prints no separate plan-review percentage for building permits; plan review is part of the permit process. (Trade-plan revisions are a different item: $100 commercial or $50 residential per discipline beyond the initial review.)
City of Atlanta DCP fee tables
Is a permit required for small repairs in Atlanta?
No permit or fee is required for repair work with a total valuation under $10,000, provided the work is otherwise lawful, under Ordinance 17-O-1307. In historic districts governed by Chapter 20 of the zoning ordinance the repair threshold drops to $2,500.
Ordinance 17-O-1307 / DCP permit exemptions
Can homeowners pull their own building permits in Atlanta?
Yes. Property owners may obtain building permits for their own residences; the application packet identifies whether the general contractor or the property owner is applying and requires the owner's signature and contact details for owner-pulled permits.
Atlanta Office of Buildings, Building Permit Application Packet
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- City websiteCityPrimary source
City of Atlanta — Getting Started with Zoning, Development & Permitting Services (DCP fee tables)
Building Permit $7 per $1,000 of Cost of Construction ($150 min); Technology Fee $25 per permit; Electrical Permit $150 base / $75 min; Plumbing Permit $150 base / $175 min. Footnote: a $25 technology fee applies to each of the permit base fees. The page names the Code of Ordinances fee schedule as the legal source.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.