Gwinnett County
Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions
In short
Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions issues 3 permits we publish for Gwinnett County, last verified 2026-10-02. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rezoning / Special Use Permit / Zoning Varianceonly if it applies to you | Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions | Rezoning/Special Use Permit fees scale by acreage and zoning category, from the Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule, 'Planning & Zoning Fees' section, effective July 1, 2024: Single-Family, 0–5 acres $750.00 up to over 100 acres $2,500.00 plus $40.00 per acre (capped at $10,000.00); Multifamily/Special Residential, the same tier structure up to over 100 acres at $2,500.00 plus $40.00 per acre; Nonresidential, 0–5 acres $1,000.00 up to over 100 acres $3,000.00 plus $50.00 per acre; Mixed-Use, MU-N $1,000.00 plus $100.00 per acre, MU-C $2,000.00 plus $150.00 per acre, MU-R $3,000.00 plus $200.00 per acre (all capped at $10,000.00). Zoning Variance Application: Single-Family Residential $250.00, Multifamily $450.00, Nonresidential or Mixed-Use $700.00. Automobile Brokerage Permit $300.00. Moved-In House Application $300.00. | Per application. | 2026-10-02 |
| Certificate of Occupancy / Tenant Name Change Permit | Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions | A typical Certificate of Occupancy for occupying an existing space without construction costs $180.00, combining Building Plan Review and Fire Plan Review, per the county's own business-license page. The Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule, revised 05/23/2024 and effective July 1, 2024, separately itemizes a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy / Certification of Completion at $50.00 and a Tenant Interior Space Alterations Certificate of Completion (Shell Building) at $50.00. New-construction buildings are priced instead under the Building Permit fee formula listed separately here. | Per occupancy; a Tenant Name Change Permit is required in place of a new Certificate of Occupancy when there is no construction. | 2026-10-02 |
| Building Permitonly if it applies to you | Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Building & Development Divisions | New construction: $4.00 per $1,000.00 of ICC Building Valuation Data estimated construction cost (0.004 × valuation), updated annually each January 1 to the current ICC chart; Shell-Only construction is priced at 50% of the calculated valuation, and a 5% fee reduction applies for LEED/EarthCraft certification or a solar/EV-charger installation. Minor renovation under $75,000.00: Residential $125.00 / Non-residential $150.00. Extensive renovation of $75,000.00 or more: the same $4.00 per $1,000.00 formula. Selected related fees on the same schedule: Demolition $150.00; Tenant Change Permit $120.00; Mobile Home $75.00; Building Permit Extension $25.00; Building Permit Reinspection (first follow-up $0, second $50.00, third and later $100.00); Compliance Inspection Report (non-residential) $500.00. | Per project, from permit issuance through final inspection. | 2026-10-02 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Rezoning / Special Use Permit / Zoning Variance
A business in unincorporated Gwinnett County that needs rezoning, a Special Use Permit, or a zoning variance pays the Dept. of Planning & Development's Planning & Zoning fee, which scales by acreage and zoning category — from $750.00 for the smallest single-family tier up to $10,000.00-capped fees for the largest nonresidential and mixed-use tiers — plus separate flat fees for a zoning variance ($250.00 to $700.00 depending on district), an Automobile Brokerage Permit ($300.00), and a Moved-In House Application ($300.00). A Special Use Permit is specifically confirmed required for a childcare facility by the county's own business-license page, and that requirement is actively enforced: real, numbered case filings for day-care facilities include SUP2024-00028, SUP2022-00033, and SUP2022-00006, each a zoning action on a specific parcel for a day-care or preschool use.
Certificate of Occupancy / Tenant Name Change Permit
A business opening in unincorporated Gwinnett County needs either a Certificate of Occupancy, jointly signed off by Building Services and the Fire Marshal, or a Tenant Name Change Permit when it is simply taking over an existing space with no construction. The typical combined fee is $180.00, per the county's own business-license page, which bundles Building Plan Review and Fire Plan Review. The Dept. of Planning & Development's Fee Schedule itemizes related charges separately: $50.00 for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy or Certification of Completion, and $50.00 for a Tenant Interior Space Alterations Certificate of Completion where the space is a shell building. This fee is distinct from the countywide Fire Certificate of Occupancy listed separately here, which applies even inside city limits.
Building Permit
UDO §100-40 states 'This Ordinance shall apply to all unincorporated areas of Gwinnett County, Georgia,' and §100-50.1 requires anyone proposing to construct, demolish, expand, or modify a structure within unincorporated Gwinnett to apply to the Dept. of Planning and Development. New construction is priced at $4.00 per $1,000.00 of ICC Building Valuation Data estimated cost, recalculated each January 1 against the current ICC chart, with a 50% valuation discount for a shell-only building and a 5% fee reduction for LEED/EarthCraft certification or a solar/EV-charger installation. A minor renovation under $75,000.00 costs a flat $125.00 (residential) or $150.00 (non-residential); an extensive renovation of $75,000.00 or more uses the same per-$1,000.00 formula as new construction. Every building-permit-relevant industry listed here that operates in unincorporated Gwinnett is subject to this fee schedule for new construction or renovation.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Gwinnett County
- Phone
- 678-518-6020
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development, Fee Schedule (Revised 05/23/2024, effective July 1, 2024)Gwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Gwinnett County Licensing & Revenue — Business License pageGwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
- Gwinnett County Unified Development Ordinance, Title 1, AdministrationGwinnett County Dept. of Planning & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
Other offices serving Gwinnett County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
- Restaurants in Gwinnett County
- Coffee shops in Gwinnett County
- Retail stores in Gwinnett County
- Salons and barbers in Gwinnett County
- Food trucks in Gwinnett County
- Fitness studios in Gwinnett County
- Childcare centres in Gwinnett County
- Contractors and trades in Gwinnett County
- Auto repair shops in Gwinnett County
- Veterinary clinics in Gwinnett County
Georgia jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.