Roofing Permits in Gilmer County, GA: Fees, Steps and Penalties

Which office: county or city

Gilmer County Planning & Zoning permits and inspects residential and commercial construction in the unincorporated county, including new construction, additions and accessory structures. Its office is at 1 Broad Street, Suite 002 in Ellijay, phone 706-635-3406, open 8:00 am to 5:00 pm according to the county website. Inside Ellijay city limits, the City of Ellijay Code Enforcement department issues permits instead. East Ellijay is a separate city; ask its city hall first.

The county page states the intent of the Board of Commissioners to enforce the latest edition of each technical code as adopted by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, and says building permits must be obtained before beginning construction or excavation.

Applications are filed at Planning & Zoning with the required fees and signed affidavits. The county lists a building permit application, a subcontractor affidavit, a Georgia energy code affidavit, an authorized agent form and a qualifying agent license form among its documents.

The fee lines in Section 66-40

Gilmer County's building permit fees are written into Section 66-40 of the Code of Ordinances. Residential lines include $400.00 for heated space up to 1,000 square feet and $0.35 for each additional square foot, $0.35 per square foot for additions and alterations, $0.20 per square foot for decks, porches, garages and carports with a $100.00 minimum, and a miscellaneous permit at $100.00. Plumbing, HVAC and meter base permits are $100.00 each.

For a re-roof, the county decides which line applies. When you call, describe the scope plainly: tear-off or overlay, the roof area, whether any framing or decking is being replaced, and whether the work includes porches or outbuildings.

The section also says any changes to the fees made after February 8, 2007 are made by resolution of the county board of commissioners, and the county's Planning & Zoning page says its printed fee schedule is being updated. Confirm the current amount before you budget.

Re-inspections, renewals and penalties

Section 66-40 charges $50.00 for each re-inspection, from the first through the final certificate of occupancy. A permit that has lapsed for less than a year renews for $100.00; a permit lapsed over a year renews at the current permit price, and the ordinance caps renewal at a two-year maximum before renewal again at the current price.

Building without a permit is charged at double the permit fee plus a $500.00 fine. The same applies to land disturbance without a permit.

The ordinance also says utilities may not be connected to a building without written approval from the county building inspector. That rarely affects a re-roof, but it matters if a roofing project is part of a larger renovation.

How a typical re-roof permit goes

Most homeowners let the roofer pull the permit. Even so, it is your house and your record. Ask the roofer to give you a copy of the permit before tear-off starts and to tell you when inspections are scheduled.

Inspections check the work against the adopted code. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs lists the 2024 International Residential Code with Georgia Amendments 2026 as the mandatory residential code. If Gilmer County has adopted any part of Georgia's optional Appendix U on disaster-resilient construction, it will say so; ask.

Keep the permit card and the final inspection result with your house papers. A future buyer's inspector or your insurer may ask for them, and the permit record is the simplest proof that a roof was installed with inspection.

Outbuildings and cabins

Section 66-40 has separate lines for structures common on Gilmer County properties: residential utility sheds at $0.20 per square foot with a $100.00 minimum, barns and greenhouses at $0.15 per square foot with a $100.00 minimum, and poultry houses at a flat fee. If you are re-roofing an outbuilding along with the house, ask whether one permit or two is needed.

The county Planning & Zoning page also carries a notice about the Short-Term Rental ordinance and the registration letters sent to owners in February 2025. If your cabin is a rental, that registration is separate from any building permit.

The cabin roofing page covers the practical side of re-roofing a rental.

Getting the work quoted

Once you know the permit path, use the calculator for a square count and collect written quotes. The Free Quote Request form sends your request to an independent roofer who works in Gilmer County.

Ask every roofer to include the permit in their scope and price, and to name the person who will meet the inspector.

If you are inside Ellijay city limits instead, see the City of Ellijay permit page.

One last practical point: permits are tied to an address and a scope. If the job grows after tear-off, for example from a re-roof into rebuilding part of the roof framing, tell the permit office before the work changes. An inspector who arrives expecting shingles and finds new rafters will want to know why nobody called, and a quick amendment call is far cheaper than a failed inspection and a $50.00 re-inspection.

Figures on this page come from: Gilmer County, GA Code of Ordinances, Sec. 66-40, Building permit fees (Municode); Gilmer County, GA: Planning & Zoning (building permits, inspections, STR ordinance notice); City of Ellijay: Code Enforcement (building permits and inspections inside city limits); Georgia Department of Community Affairs: Current State Minimum Codes for Construction; Georgia DCA: 2024 International Residential Code, Georgia Amendments 2026 packet (incl. optional Appendix U). Checked 2026-10-30.