When Atlanta Plumbing Work Needs a Permit
Updated 2026-10 · Atlanta, GA
What the Office of Buildings lists
The City of Atlanta’s Office of Buildings says a plumbing permit is needed to replace water heaters and underground piping, to alter piping inside a wall or ceiling or beneath a floor, and for plumbing in all new installations, including building sewers, water service and exterior rain drains. An emergency repair to freeze- or leak-damaged pipe needs one once the new concealed piping runs past five feet. Plumbing permits for new or replacement work in one- and two-family houses can be applied for online without plan review. This is a summary of the city’s published guidance, and we are not a plumbing company or a permitting authority: confirm with the Office of Buildings for your job.
Who pulls it
The licensed plumbing company does, and the cost should be on the quote. A permit brings an inspection, which on a water heater checks the venting and the relief valve and on a sewer checks the pipe and its slope before it is buried. A company that suggests skipping the permit to save you money is also skipping the inspection that protects you.
Checking the licence
Georgia licenses plumbers through the Division of Master and Journeyman Plumbers of the State Construction Industry Licensing Board, under the Secretary of State. A Class I master plumber licence is limited to single-family and two-family dwellings and commercial buildings up to 10,000 square feet; Class II is unrestricted. Either covers an ordinary house. Ask for the master plumber’s name and search it on the Secretary of State’s licence lookup at verify.sos.ga.gov.
Outside the city
Decatur, Brookhaven and Sandy Springs each issue their own permits. The state licence is the same everywhere in Georgia; the permit office is not.
Want a quote that names the permit? Call or send the details.
Where to go next
Common questions
Can I pull a plumbing permit myself?
Rules for homeowners working on their own house vary; ask the Office of Buildings. If a company is doing the work, the company pulls it.
Does a permit slow the job down?
Online permits for one- and two-family plumbing do not need plan review. The inspection adds a visit, which the company schedules.