Construction documents · Georgia
Georgia separates mandatory construction codes from codes that depend on local adoption. Capture that distinction in the review instructions, especially for existing-building work where the chosen reference path affects what reviewers should compare.
Your codes, connected to your drawings
Groundbook can review your drawings against the state and local code PDFs you upload. Add the adopted code books and amendments that apply to your project, then review potential issues with links to the supporting sources.
Upload the applicable code PDFs alongside the drawing set. Include the edition, local amendments, and project requirements.
Set code PDFs to Code and Use as reference. Mark the drawings you want reviewed as Check this file.
Follow the linked drawing and reference, check applicability, and have the responsible professional verify the issue.
State and local references
Examples of references you can bring into Groundbook. Confirm the adopted edition, effective date, and project scope with the reviewing authority, then upload the applicable PDFs.
Use the adopted International Building Code with Georgia amendments for the applicable building scope.
Include the adopted International Energy Conservation Code with Georgia supplements and amendments.
Code names link to official agency or publisher resources. Reviewed September 9, 2026. The reference set comes from the files you supply.
Georgia reference guide
Georgia DCA explains that mandatory codes apply regardless of whether a local government enforces them. Permissive codes require local adoption; the absence of local enforcement is not a general exemption from mandatory standards.
Georgia DCA: mandatory and permissive codesDCA publishes the current minimum-code list and Georgia amendment files by discipline. The list can contain different model-code years, so copy each applicable edition rather than assigning one year to the whole package.
Georgia DCA: current minimum codesSources reviewed September 9, 2026. Confirm current requirements and project applicability with the reviewing authority.
Prepare a useful review
Use this preparation list for Groundbook alongside the official permit checklist.
Record the applicable code and Georgia amendments for each discipline. Include the reviewing department’s intake checklist.
For rehabilitation or other optional-code paths, supply evidence of local adoption and any written determination of the review approach.
Compare the code analysis, occupancy, exit plans, rated assemblies, and MEP interfaces. Add State Fire Marshal references when that scope applies.
Identify which files are being checked, which are references, and which revisions are superseded. Include reviewer comments and responses where they explain an unresolved decision.
Use the drawing-register templateFrom documents to decisions
Compare stated design information with the code and local references you supply. Verify scope, exceptions, and the source behind each potential issue.
Review code referencesLook for incomplete information and conflicting requirements before submission. Assign each verified finding to the responsible designer.
Prepare for submissionCheck relationships across drawings, schedules, specifications, and reports. Resolve the source conflict and carry the decision into the issued set.
Review the whole packageBefore you start
No. DCA states that mandatory codes apply even without local enforcement. Check local adoption separately for permissive codes and establish who reviews the project’s actual scope.
Supply the current drawing set and schedules, relevant specifications and reports, the applicable code and amendment PDFs, and the reviewing authority’s checklist. Identify the edition, project scope, and permit stage. Groundbook reviews the supplied evidence; do not assume every local requirement is already available.
No. Groundbook surfaces potential conflicts and omissions with links to source documents for professional verification. It does not issue permits, certify compliance, provide permit-expediting services, or replace the authority having jurisdiction.
Official source directory
Applicability versus local enforcement and adoption.
Discipline-specific editions and Georgia amendment files.
Bring your drawings and the references that govern the project.