Searching "Marietta permit portal," "Sages Marietta," or "Marietta building department"? Here's the exact process — the portal, the phone numbers, and the document checklist — organized the way you'll actually need it, not the way a city website buries it across six different pages.
[Marietta]/cities/marietta-ga/) has been fully paperless since 2018. No fax. No email. No paper copies accepted. Every application runs through SagesGov, and if you already use SagesGov somewhere else, that account won't work here — Marietta requires its own separate, jurisdiction-specific login.
Marietta Building Department — Who to Call
| Department | Permits and Inspections, Development Services |
| Address | Marietta City Hall, 205 Lawrence Street, Marietta, GA 30060 |
| Building Permits | 770-794-5651 |
| Permits & Inspections Office | 770-794-5659 |
| buildinginspections@mariettaga.gov | |
| GIS Team (address questions) | 770-794-5550 |
| Planning & Zoning | 770-794-5669 |
| Fire Department (fire code) | 770-794-5466 |
One important boundary check: Marietta's permit authority only covers property inside Marietta city limits — not unincorporated Cobb County or neighboring municipalities. If you're not sure which side of that line your property sits on, confirm before you start gathering documents for the wrong department.
Setting Up Your SagesGov Account
Portal: sagesgov.com/marietta-ga
If you already have a SagesGov account for another city, you still need separate access specifically for Marietta — each jurisdiction's login is tied to its own mapping and GIS system, and one doesn't carry over to another.
For companies — architects, builders, engineers, contractors — register a new account under your company first, with a designated account administrator. Once approved, that administrator adds additional users underneath the company account. Individual team members submitting on behalf of a company shouldn't register their own separate accounts.
For independent professionals, either a company/firm account or an individual user account works, depending on how you operate.
One step that trips people up: you can't submit anything until your account is approved. Register early, before you're racing a deadline.
Submitting Your Application, Step by Step
1. Start a new submission from the Home tab tile, and work through SagesGov's built-in required fields.
2. Upload your plans as PDF files. Each document gets categorized by file type during upload, and you'll get a confirmation email once the submission goes through.
3. If revisions are requested, go to the Worklist tab, click the existing project, and follow the resubmission steps from there. Don't click the Home tab tile again for a resubmission — that starts an entirely new project application instead of continuing your existing one, which creates a genuine mess.
4. Fees get billed through SagesGov once invoiced — no separate payment portal.
5. Once approved, your permit issues directly in SagesGov, and inspections get scheduled through the same system.
What Documents You Actually Need
Requirements split by project type and who's pulling the permit.
Residential, with a general Contractors: copy of the GC's state license, business license, and driver's license; construction plans with detailed scope of work, scaled dimensional drawings of existing and proposed floor plans, room function, and specific footing/framing measurements, bearing the preparer's name; and a site plan for any exterior work involving land disturbance, showing existing structures and proposed work with distances to lot lines.
Residential, homeowners as their own contractor: a notarized Property Owner's Affidavit, a recent utility bill or deed proving ownership, your driver's license, the same construction plans described above, and a site plan if applicable.
One threshold worth knowing: if your proposed work sits within 10 feet of the property line, or close to a setback line tied to a variance, a professional survey may be required before construction can begin — not just a standard site plan.
Commercial projects involving land disturbance need a site plan prepared by a registered, licensed design professional. Georgia law separately requires an architect's seal for any building over one story or 5,000 square feet, or for assembly, educational, healthcare, correctional, hotel/lodging, multi-family, or care-facility occupancy types.
When You Actually Need a Permit
Permits are required whenever you construct new, enlarge, alter, repair, move, or demolish a building or structure, or install/alter electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems. Common triggers: decks (new, repaired, or replaced), water heater replacement, new window installation, occupancy changes, HVAC installation, outdoor accessory structures, and pools.
The one real exemption: fence construction doesn't need a permit. Planning and Zoning still has height, location, and configuration rules that apply regardless — the paperwork is gone, the underlying rules aren't.
What It Costs
| Project Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential | $5 per $1,000 of total construction cost + $50 base |
| Commercial ($250K or less) | $4 per $1,000 + $50 base |
| Commercial ($250K or more) | $6 per $1,000 + $50 base |
Commercial plan review fees run flat: $125 under $250K, $250 for $250,001–$500K, $500 for $500,001–$1 million, $1,000 for $1 million and over.
Reinspection fees start free on the first inspection, then climb: $50 for the first disapproved reinspection, $75 for the second, $100 for the third and each one after that.
What Reviewers Actually Check
Marietta currently uses the 2018 International Building Code (commercial) and 2018 International Residential Code (residential). Plans get checked against actual floor space, wall, depth, and height measurements; materials specified down to member sizes and required bolts; blocking and reinforcing details; and utility locations relative to your project.
Residential lot surveys for one- and two-family dwellings need to show the proposed building footprint and square footage, along with setback lines, easements, and floodplain limits where relevant.
Floodplain-specific requirement: residential structures need a surveyor's letter confirming the lowest floor level sits at least 3 feet above the floodplain before framing begins. Non-residential structures need the same confirmation at 1 foot above.
Scheduling Inspections
Requests made by 4:00 PM generally get scheduled for the next business day, all through SagesGov. Typical sequence runs trade and building rough inspections, covering inspections before anything gets concealed, then a final inspection — with any fire permit child records needing to close before a building final can complete on affected projects.
FAQ
Do I need a permit for a fence in Marietta?
No — fence construction is exempt from permits. Planning and Zoning's height, location, and configuration requirements still apply. Contact them at 770-794-5669 to confirm your specific project.
Can a homeowner act as their own contractor?
Yes, under Georgia Code 43-41-17(h), provided the required conditions are met and a notarized Homeowner Affidavit is submitted with the application.
What if my address isn't showing up in SagesGov?
Contact the GIS Team directly at 770-794-5550. Addresses created or changed outside the city's normal processing procedures won't appear in the system, which can cause real locating issues.
How long does permit processing actually take?
Inspection requests by 4:00 PM are generally next-business-day. Overall processing timelines vary by project complexity and current department workload — no single fixed number applies across every project type.
What code does Marietta use for pools?
The International Swimming Pool and Spa Code with Georgia Amendments.
Do I need a survey, or is a site plan enough?
For most projects, a site plan covers it. If your proposed work sits within 10 feet of a property line, or near a setback tied to a variance, a professional survey may be required on top of the site plan.
Can I use my existing SagesGov account from another city?
No — Marietta requires its own separate, city-specific account even if you're already registered elsewhere on the platform.
What if my resubmission accidentally started a new project?
This happens when someone clicks the Home tab tile for a resubmission instead of going through the Worklist tab and selecting the existing project. Resubmissions always route through Worklist, never through a fresh Home tab submission.
Do I need a sealed plan for a residential deck or addition?
Generally no, unless you're within 10 feet of a property line or dealing with a variance-related setback. Commercial work and larger structures have separate, stricter seal requirements under Georgia law.
What's the actual difference between residential and commercial plan review fees?
Residential fees scale per $1,000 of construction cost with a flat base. Commercial plan review runs flat-rate tiers by total project value instead, from $125 up to $1,000.
Create Site Plan for Your Project types in Marietta
- Marietta permit site plan guide
- Cobb County site plan guide
- Georgia's permit site plan requirements
- Fence site plan
- Pool site plan
- Deck site plan -
- How to generate setbacks
Where This Leaves You
Marietta is fully paperless, and everything routes through a Marietta-specific SagesGov account — not one you've set up for another city. Plans go in as PDFs. Site plans are required for exterior work with land disturbance, and anything within 10 feet of a property line may need a professional survey before you can even submit.
Set up your account, gather your documents, and get your site plan ready before you're racing a deadline.
Need drafted for you permit-ready site plan , or want a professional to double-check your submission before it goes in?