Building Permit Fees: DeKalb & Forsyth County, GA (2026)

Fees checked October 23, 2026 against official county sources (listed at the bottom). Fee schedules change; always confirm the current amount with the county before quoting a customer. These are unincorporated-county fees: a property inside a city (for example in DeKalb's incorporated cities) may be permitted by the city instead.

How permit fees are calculated

DeKalb County prices new construction from the ICC Building Valuation Data (a national table of average construction cost per square foot by occupancy group and construction type). The county finds the construction cost from that table, then multiplies it by 0.0065 ($6.50 per $1,000). Every permit also carries a $20 technology fee, and the minimum building permit fee is $175.
Forsyth County, GA uses its own simple valuation: $50 per heated sq ft plus $12.50 per unheated sq ft (garage, carport, porch, deck, patio, unfinished basement). The total valuation is run through a sliding fee scale.
In both counties, HVAC, plumbing and electrical are separate trade permits with their own fees, normally pulled by the licensed trade contractor.

DeKalb County, GA building permit fees

From the DeKalb Development Services Fee Schedule (2026, revised; PDF), linked from the county's DeKalb County Permits, Plan Review & Inspections.

Item	Fee
Minimum building permit fee	$175 (plus $20 technology fee)
Technology fee	$20 per permit
New construction (all types)	Construction cost from ICC Building Valuation Data × 0.0065
Certificate of Occupancy	$50
Interior tenant finish (move in as is)	$175
Plans revision: residential site plan / other	$25 / $50
Resubmittal (each after the 2nd)	25% of permit fee
Permit extension (six months)	$50
Work started before permit	Penalty: 100% of permit fee ("double permit fee")
Re-inspection: 1st / 2nd / 3rd and later	$25 / $50 / $100
After-hours inspection	$50 per hour (4-hour minimum)
Refund after plan review	50%

New construction, step by step (DeKalb's schedule): 1) determine the construction type and occupancy group from the ICC Building Valuation Data; 2) find the construction cost from the ICC data; 3) multiply the construction cost by 0.0065. DeKalb's schedule notes all fees are calculated from the current ICC chart and that the ICC data is updated annually. (The schedule's label reads "$6.50 per 1,000 Sq. ft."; the stated multiplier, 0.0065, equals $6.50 per $1,000 of construction cost.)

DeKalb's ICC table lists, for example, $175.92 per sq ft for one- and two-family homes (occupancy R-3) of construction type VB, and $224.62 for type IA. The county's building permit application states total minimum fees of $245 ("$195 Minimum Permit Fee; $50 Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion") (DeKalb County New Single Family Residential Guide and Building Permit Application (PDF)).

Worked example: DeKalb new home

Under ICC's method, construction value = gross area × square-foot cost (ICC Building Valuation Data, August 2026 (PDF)). A 2,400 sq ft one-family house, R-3, type VB: 2,400 × $175.92 = $422,208.00 construction cost × 0.0065 = $2,744.35 building permit fee, plus the $20 technology fee = $2,764.35. Add $50 for the Certificate of Occupancy and separate trade permits. The construction type and area the county uses are set at plan review, so treat this as an illustration of the formula and confirm with DeKalb Development Services (404-371-2155).

DeKalb trade permits

Trade permit	Minimum	Examples of per-item fees
Plumbing	$100 + $20 technology fee	$10 per fixture (water closet, lavatory, tub, shower, water heater, dishwasher…); gas lines $25; sewer service $30; water service $30
HVAC / mechanical	$100 + $20 technology fee	Heating appliance up to 300,000 BTU $25 (above 300,000 BTU $35); duct work $25 per system; residential vent fan $20
Electrical	$100 + $20 technology fee	Residential outlets, switches and lights $2 each; 200 A meter loop $16; panel change $50; swimming pool $50

Other DeKalb fees (land disturbance, signs, fire review, and the water and sewer access fee of $1,811.93 per single-family house) are on the same schedule. For anything not listed here, see the county fee schedule.

Forsyth County, GA building permit fees

From the Forsyth County, GA Building & Licensing Fee Schedule (Building & Licensing, Cumming, GA). This is Forsyth County, Georgia, not Forsyth County, NC.

Residential (non-commercial) valuation and fee scale

Heated sq ft × $50 = heated valuation. Unheated sq ft × $12.50 = unheated valuation. Their sum is the total valuation.

Total valuation	Fee
$1,000 and less	$18.75 minimum
$1,001 to $50,000	$18.75 for the first $1,000 + $6.25 per additional $1,000 or fraction
$50,001 to $100,000	$325 for the first $50,000 + $5 per additional $1,000 or fraction
$100,001 to $500,000	$575 for the first $100,000 + $3.75 per additional $1,000 or fraction
$500,001 and up	$2,075 for the first $500,000 + $2.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction

Worked example: Forsyth new home

A house with 2,400 heated sq ft and a 600 sq ft garage: 2,400 × $50 = $120,000, plus 600 × $12.50 = $7,500, for a total valuation of $127,500. That falls in the $100,001 to $500,000 tier: $575 for the first $100,000 plus $3.75 × 28 additional thousands (fractions count as a full thousand) = $680.00 building permit fee. HVAC, plumbing and electrical permits are charged separately (table below), and a new single-family detached home also owes the county impact fee.

Forsyth trade permits (residential)

Home size	Residential HVAC, plumbing or electrical permit (each trade)
0 – 1,000 sq ft	$37.50
1,001 – 2,000 sq ft	$50
2,001 – 3,000 sq ft	$62.50
3,001 sq ft or more	$75

Other Forsyth County fees

Item	Fee
Building permit renewal (one per permit; needs at least one approved inspection)	$100
Re-permit (inspections remaining, or expired more than 90 days)	Full building permit fee
Mobile home permit	$93.75
Temporary construction trailer	$93.75
Lot grading plan	$250 per lot
Commercial plan review	$100 up to 5,000 sq ft; $0.025 per sq ft over 5,000
Commercial building permit	$0.15 per sq ft enclosed; $0.07 per sq ft open
Impact fees, single-family detached (roads, parks, library, public safety)	$9,513 per dwelling (effective 10/5/2026)

Impact fees from the Forsyth County, GA Impact Fee Schedule (land use table, effective 10/05/2026; PDF), listed under the Forsyth County, GA Finance Department (impact fee resources). Land disturbance and site development fees are on the Forsyth County, GA Planning & Community Development Fee Schedule. For anything not listed here, see the county fee schedule.

Sources (checked October 23, 2026)

Find the jobs behind the permits

Permit fees are paid by the people starting projects right now. PermitKite lists every new home, addition and major remodel filed in both counties each week: DeKalb permits this week · Forsyth County, GA permits this week · how to look up DeKalb permits · how to look up Forsyth County, GA permits · all Atlanta permit lead pages.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a building permit in DeKalb County, GA?

For new construction, DeKalb multiplies the construction cost (from the ICC Building Valuation Data table) by 0.0065, plus a $20 technology fee per permit. The minimum permit fee is $175 plus the $20 technology fee, and a Certificate of Occupancy is $50. Source: DeKalb Development Services Fee Schedule, checked October 23, 2026.

How much is a building permit in Forsyth County, GA?

Forsyth County values a home at $50 per heated square foot plus $12.50 per unheated square foot (garage, carport, porch, deck, patio, unfinished basement), then applies a sliding scale: for example $575 for the first $100,000 of valuation plus $3.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction, up to $500,000. Source: Forsyth County Building & Licensing fee schedule, checked October 23, 2026.

What does a permit for a new 2,400 sq ft house cost in Forsyth County, GA?

Using the county formula with 2,400 heated and 600 unheated sq ft: valuation $127,500, building permit fee $680.00. Separate HVAC, plumbing and electrical permits are charged per trade ($37.50 to $75 each by square footage), and a new single-family detached home also owes impact fees ($9,513 per dwelling on the schedule effective 10/5/2026). Confirm with the county before you quote.

Are trade permits (HVAC, plumbing, electrical) separate?

Yes in both counties. DeKalb's plumbing, HVAC and electrical permits each have a $100 minimum plus a $20 technology fee, with per-item fees above that. Forsyth charges each residential trade $37.50 to $75 depending on square footage.

What happens if work starts before the permit is issued?

DeKalb's fee schedule lists a penalty of 100% of the permit fee ("double permit fee") for working without a valid permit. Forsyth's Planning & Community Development schedule doubles variance fees when work has begun; for building permits, ask Forsyth Building & Licensing.

Is this Forsyth County, Georgia or North Carolina?

Forsyth County, Georgia: the metro Atlanta county whose seat is Cumming (ZIPs 30040 and 30041). This page does not cover Forsyth County, NC.

Building permit fees in DeKalb County and Forsyth County, GA