A Transparent Maintenance service · Metro Atlanta & surrounding Georgia counties
Permits pulled.
Pricing made clear.
Need a licensed Georgia residential contractor to permit and supervise your project? Tell us about it, accept the agreement, pay online, and James Claxton becomes your contractor of record — scope approved, permit filed, inspections supervised through final.
- GA Residential-Basic Contractor · RBCO007813
- Insured
- Pay by card · No deposits
- 16 counties · 259 ZIP codes
What you get
- Transparent Maintenance as the licensed contractor of record for the permitted scope
- Scope reviewed and approved by James within two business days — refunded in full if he declines
- Permit obtained and filed with the county or city that has jurisdiction
- Supervision through the required inspections and final: up to 4 site visits within 12 months of permit issuance
- After approval: James's license documents in your portal for the permit file, plus his direct phone and email until final
Labor and materials are not included; licensed subcontractors bill you directly. We do not put the license on work performed by unlicensed crews, and electrical, plumbing, and HVAC permits need the licensed trade contractor doing that work.
Who this is for
Three reasons people call James about permits
Honest pricing and real expertise. If your situation isn't here, book a call — he'll tell you straight whether this is the right fit.
You got a stop-work order.
The city wants a licensed contractor of record before work continues. Transparent Maintenance approves the scope, pulls the permit, and supervises the rest through inspections.
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You're managing your own project.
Homeowners and investors with licensed subs lined up still need a licensed contractor of record on the permit. Flat fee for permit and supervision; your subs bill you directly.
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You're a licensed trade contractor.
Your client's project has a general scope beyond your trade license. Transparent Maintenance permits and supervises that scope; your permits stay yours.
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How it works
Three steps. Same day.
Keeping you up to date every step of the way — that's how Transparent Maintenance has always worked, and the permit service is no different.
- 1
Tell us about the project
Who you are, who's doing the work, address, scope, budget, and whether you're under a stop-work order. Five minutes, online.
- 2
Accept the agreement and pay by card
The Construction Management Agreement is right here to read. Pay securely through Stripe — no deposits, no wire transfers. Refunded in full if James declines the scope.
- 3
James approves, permits, and supervises.
James reviews the scope within two business days. On approval your portal unlocks the license documents, he files with the county or city that has jurisdiction, and he supervises the permitted work through inspections and final. Declined scopes are refunded in full.
Pricing
Two flat prices. No surprises.
Pick the tier that matches your project. Both are one-time payments for permit and supervision, due on acceptance; your licensed subcontractors bill you directly.
Basic
Permit Kit
$1,500one-time
Transparent Maintenance permits and supervises your residential project's approved scope, with the filing handled.
- Transparent Maintenance as the licensed contractor of record for the permitted scope
- Scope reviewed and approved by James within two business days — refunded in full if he declines
- Permit obtained and filed with the county or city that has jurisdiction
- Supervision through the required inspections and final: up to 4 site visits within 12 months of permit issuance
- After approval: James's license documents in your portal for the permit file, plus his direct phone and email until final
Best for: Straightforward residential projects with licensed subcontractors already lined up, and stop-work orders where the plans exist.
Get started — $1,500Partner
Permit Partner
$2,500one-time
Everything in the Permit Kit, plus drawings and plan review handled with the county.
- Everything in the Permit Kit
- Help assembling the scope, budget, and application documents
- Architectural and building drawings coordinated for you
- Plan-review comments and resubmittals handled with the county
- Up to 6 site visits within 12 months of permit issuance, with priority scheduling
Best for: Additions and sunrooms, projects that need drawings, or anything the city has already pushed back on.
Get started — $2,500Included with every tier: scope approval, the permit obtained under Transparent Maintenance's license, supervision through inspections and final, and updates every step of the way. Projects over $50,000 may need scope or pricing adjustments — James will call you first.
At a glance
The facts, in one place
- Service
- Transparent Maintenance is the licensed contractor of record for the permitted scope. Permit obtained, inspections supervised through final.
- Provider
- Transparent Maintenance, Inc. · James Claxton, CEO · McDonough, GA
- License
- Georgia Residential-Basic contractor license RBCO007813 · qualifying agent RBQA007812
- Covers
- Residential only: detached one- and two-family homes and townhouses of three stories or fewer. Multifamily and commercial: call first.
- Not offered
- We do not put the license on work performed by unlicensed crews, and electrical, plumbing, and HVAC permits need the licensed trade contractor doing that work.
- Price
- $1,500 Permit Kit · $2,500 Permit Partner · one-time, card via Stripe, no deposits; permit fees and subcontractor labor separate
- Service area
- 16 counties and 259 ZIP codes within 50 miles of downtown Atlanta
- Turnaround
- Scope reviewed within two business days of payment; on approval the portal unlocks the license documents and the filing starts
- Before you buy
- Book 30 minutes with James, or call the office at (404) 394-2449
Service area
Within 50 miles of Atlanta
James is based in McDonough and works permits across 16 metro counties. Pick yours for where it files and what to expect.
The license kit
Everything the permit file asks for, in one folder
The documents behind the permit application, in your portal once James approves the scope — for your records and the county's file.
Georgia State Licensing Board letter
Residential-Basic contractor license verification from the Georgia Secretary of State (issued 2026-06-17).
Contractor license card
Company license RBCO007813 · Qualifying agent RBQA007812 (James Robert Claxton III).
Certificate of Insurance (COI)
General liability certificate for Transparent Maintenance, Inc.
Henry County Occupational Tax Certificate (2026)
Business registration for Transparent Maintenance, Inc., valid for calendar year 2026.
Driver's license — front
Identity document for the qualifying agent. Use only for the permit application.
Driver's license — back
Identity document for the qualifying agent. Use only for the permit application.
Identity documents are shared for the permit application only. Downloads are private, expire after 15 minutes, and every one is logged. The documents don't make anyone else the contractor — Transparent Maintenance stays the contractor of record.
Questions
Straight answers
How much does it cost to have a licensed contractor permit and supervise my project in Georgia?
$1,500 flat for the Permit Kit — scope approval, the permit obtained under Transparent Maintenance's license, and supervision of the permitted work through inspections and final — or $2,500 for the Permit Partner, which adds drawings coordination and plan-review follow-through. Permit fees and your subcontractors' labor are separate.
How does Transparent Permits work?
Transparent Maintenance is the licensed contractor of record for the permitted scope: James Claxton approves the scope, obtains the permit from the county or city with jurisdiction, and supervises the permitted work through the required inspections and final approval. You keep your budget and your licensed subcontractors; James is answerable for the permitted work, which is why he approves the scope first and can stop work that isn't to code.
Can my own crew or a handyman do the work under your permit?
No. Georgia requires a licensed contractor for work over $2,500, and a license can't be lent to cover someone else's crew — that's grounds for revocation under O.C.G.A. § 43-41-16. Work in the permitted scope is done by Transparent Maintenance and subcontractors it approves, or by licensed contractors you hire and we supervise.
Can a homeowner pull their own building permit in Georgia?
Many Georgia counties let an owner-occupant pull permits on their own primary residence. Rentals, flips, and projects where a contractor does the work generally need a licensed residential or general contractor on the permit — that's where Transparent Permits comes in.
What about electrical, plumbing, and HVAC?
Those permits are pulled by the licensed trade contractor doing the work — Georgia's Chapter 14 licenses, tightened by SB 553 in 2026. Transparent Maintenance covers the residential general scope and coordinates with your licensed trade subs.
What do you need from me after I pay?
Before photos of the property, the approved scope of work with the total project budget, license numbers and insurance for any contractors you've hired, and site-access instructions for James's visits and inspections. Your portal and welcome email list them.
Which counties do you cover?
16 Georgia counties within 50 miles of downtown Atlanta — 259 ZIP codes — from Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett out to Hall, Bartow, Coweta, and Walton. Further out in Georgia is case by case; book a call with James before you buy.
What if my project is over $50,000?
Larger projects may need scope or pricing adjustments. James will call you first — nothing changes without your okay.
What if James can't take the project?
If James reviews your scope and won't act as contractor of record for it, we refund you in full.
Before you buy
Talk to James first
Not sure which tier fits, or whether your county is covered? Book 30 minutes with James. After you purchase, you'll have his direct phone and email.
Ready to get the permit moving?
Five minutes online. The city is slow — we aren't.