Residential building permits in DeKalb County, GA
with a licensed contractor of record.
DeKalb County sits 5–21 miles from downtown Atlanta — squarely in James Claxton's territory. Tell us about the project, accept the agreement, pay by card, and Transparent Maintenance approves the scope, files the permit, and supervises the work through inspections and final.
Where it files
Permit offices in DeKalb County
County office (unincorporated addresses)
DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability — Permits, Plan Review & Inspections
404-371-2155 (option 3)
Online portal: DeKalb e-Permitting Portal
Projects inside incorporated DeKalb cities (Decatur, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, etc.) have a different permitting authority.
Official DeKalb County permitting page
Inside a city?
Cities in DeKalb County generally issue their own residential permits through their own building department. A ZIP code doesn't settle jurisdiction, so James checks every address before he files.
City of Atlanta: City of Atlanta Department of City Planning — Office of Buildings (Residential Permits) · 404-330-6906. Residential permits
Transparent Permits is a private service of Transparent Maintenance, Inc., not affiliated with DeKalb County or any city government. Permit fees are separate and paid to the issuing office.
How it works here
- 1Five-minute intake: who you are, who performs the work, address, property type, scope, budget, and whether a stop-work order has been issued.
- 2Accept the Construction Management Agreement and pay by card through Stripe. No deposits; refunded in full if James declines the scope.
- 3James 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.
Transparent Maintenance is the licensed contractor of record for the permitted scope. Work requiring a license is done by Transparent Maintenance, subcontractors it approves, or licensed contractors you hire — never by an unlicensed crew under its permit.
Coverage
Postal cities and ZIP codes in DeKalb County
Atlanta
5 mi from downtown
30319 · 30322 · 30329 · 30333 · 30340 · 30341 · 30345 · 30346 · 30350 · 30360 · 39901
Decatur
6 mi from downtown
30030 · 30031 · 30032 · 30033 · 30034 · 30035 · 30036 · 30037
Avondale Estates
8 mi from downtown
30002
Scottdale
8 mi from downtown
30079
Clarkston
10 mi from downtown
30021
Pine Lake
11 mi from downtown
30072
Stone Mountain
11 mi from downtown
30083 · 30086 · 30087 · 30088
Tucker
12 mi from downtown
30084 · 30085
Lithonia
14 mi from downtown
30038 · 30058
Redan
15 mi from downtown
30074
32 residential ZIP codes in DeKalb County within 50 miles of downtown Atlanta. USPS postal city names are shown; the municipality with permit authority can differ.
Pricing
Two flat prices, county-wide
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 — $2,500Questions
DeKalb County permit questions
Do I need a licensed contractor to pull a residential building permit in DeKalb County?
For most residential construction over $2,500 in value, Georgia requires a licensed residential or general contractor, and permit offices in DeKalb County ask for that license number on the application. With Transparent Permits, Transparent Maintenance (Residential-Basic license RBCO007813) is the contractor of record: James Claxton approves the scope, files the permit, and supervises the work through inspections. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC permits are pulled by the licensed trade contractor doing that work.
Who issues residential building permits in DeKalb County?
For unincorporated addresses, DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability — Permits, Plan Review & Inspections (404-371-2155 (option 3)). Projects inside incorporated DeKalb cities (Decatur, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, etc.) have a different permitting authority. James confirms whether your address is city or county before filing.
How fast can Transparent Permits start on a DeKalb County permit?
Within two business days. After you accept the agreement and pay online, James reviews the scope; on approval your portal unlocks the license documents and the filing starts. Review times are set by the issuing office; James supervises the permitted work through its inspections once the permit issues.
What does it cost to have a licensed contractor on my permit in DeKalb County?
$1,500 for the Permit Kit (scope approval, permit, supervision through inspections) or $2,500 for the Permit Partner (adds drawings coordination and plan-review follow-through). Permit fees are paid to the issuing office separately, and your licensed subcontractors bill you directly.
What kinds of property does the license cover?
Residential-Basic: detached one- and two-family homes and townhouses of three stories or fewer. Anything else — multifamily, commercial, a taller townhouse — call the office first and James will tell you straight.
General information, not legal advice.