City of Atlanta Demolition Permit Primer as of Oct 2019

If you’re embarking on a residential demolition project in the City of Atlanta and need help securing a permit, the following should serve as a simple guide. In the past year, the Department of Buildings has added several requirements to the process, and while these are still fairly straightforward, they can be time-consuming. For a reasonable fee, Southern Demolition and Environmental can pursue the entire permit application on your behalf.

1. Have a site plan prepared by a registered land surveyor or engineer, in accordance with best practices. The City of Atlanta requires site plans to be highly detailed, and to include key items such as driveways, patios, retaining walls, construction exits, trees, critical root zones of trees, tree save fences, silt fences, structures to be demolished, and amount of debris to be removed (in cubic yards).
2. Obtain a clearance letter from an accredited asbestos inspector, certifying that no asbestos is present on the property. Southern Demolition and Environmental provides this service starting at $475.
3. Phone the gas service and electric company to ensure that both utilities are “killed.” Keep in mind that this is often time-consuming: it can take two to three weeks for the gas company to sever the line away from the area of disturbance, and before removing utilities, it may be necessary to confirm that accounts are closed.
4. Make sure that an active 811 ticket (“Call Before You Dig”) has been issued for the subject property.
5. Install the tree save fence, in accordance with the accepted site plan submitted to the Department of Buildings.
6. Have the tree save fence inspected by a qualified arborist.
7. Call Soil and Erosion Control to discuss the silt fences and other items that limit erosion, and install the fences according to their directives. Make sure these also comply with the accepted site plans, unless altered by Field Inspector.
8. Obtain a Rodent Letter, which indicates the property has been treated for rodents within the last 30 days.
9. Post the Notice of Issuance of Building Permit sign, according to the timetable described by the City.
10. Post the permit.
11. Post the sewer plug permit, plug the sewer, and call in an inspection.
12. After demolition and site stabilization, remove the tree save fences and silt fences.

Are you getting started on project, and need someone to show you the ropes? Give us a call at 404-478-7142. Our experienced team can answer any questions you may have about demolition in the City of Atlanta.