Private Providers in Georgia

Georgia's private professional provider law lets permit applicants hire a Georgia-licensed engineer or architect, or a state-qualified inspector working within their certification, to perform plan reviews and building inspections.

Statewide owner's right

At a Glance

Legal basis
O.C.G.A. § 8-2-26(g), as revised by HB 493 (2019), SB 49 (2021) and SB 447 (2026)
Enacted
Overhauled in 2019 (HB 493, plan review and inspections); made an at-will option in 2021 (SB 49); inspection-report rules updated July 1, 2026 (SB 447)
Who qualifies
Georgia-licensed professional engineers and architects, and qualified inspectors under O.C.G.A. § 8-2-26.1 (within their certified area), who are independent of the project
Services covered
Building inspections and plan review for permitted projects
How the right works
Owner elects a private professional provider; the local government still issues permits and certificates of occupancy, can flag deficient reports, and can issue stop-work orders

How Georgia's program works

House Bill 493 (2019), the "Private Permitting Review and Inspection Act," rewrote O.C.G.A. § 8-2-26(g) to set procedures for plan review and inspections by private professional providers. Senate Bill 49 (2021) made the option available whether or not the local government can meet its review timeframes, and added state-qualified inspectors as eligible providers. When an applicant uses a private provider, the local regulatory fee is reduced by 50 percent. The provider reviews or inspects for compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, including the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes, local amendments and zoning. For plan review, the applicant submits the provider's report and sworn affidavit to the local government within five days of completion.

The two-business-day rule

Since July 1, 2026, an approved inspection report from a private professional provider is deemed approved as a matter of law. The local governing authority has two business days to notify the provider in writing of any deficiencies, the provider then submits a corrected report, and a deficiency in a report cannot stop work the provider has approved or delay the project. This keeps projects moving while preserving local oversight.

What to watch for

Providers must be Georgia-licensed engineers or architects, or state-qualified inspectors working within their certification, and must carry professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance of at least $1 million per claim ($2 million for projects over $5 million in construction cost). Local governments retain permitting authority, and implementation details vary by county and city, so check the local building department's private provider procedures before filing. Some jurisdictions have adopted their own submission packets for third-party work.

How does this compare to Florida?

Florida Statute 553.791, in effect since 2002, is one of the most detailed private provider laws, with a state-adopted notice form and fixed review deadlines for local jurisdictions. Our Florida guide library is a useful baseline for understanding how any private provider engagement is structured.

Explore the Florida Guides

Sources

This guide is a plain-language educational summary, not legal advice. Legislation and local procedures change; verify against the current statute text and your jurisdiction's requirements before relying on it.

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