Fire Inspections
Fire Marshal’s Office Inspection Types
- New construction/Addition/Remodel: Conducted when any type of construction has taken place in an existing building or a new building. Within this category there may be several types of inspections conducted.
- 80 percent: Inspection of fire rated assemblies (where applicable), plenum spaces, firestopping, etc. before the ceiling is installed. A complete set of approved plans (including fire sprinkler and alarm plans) and specifications shall be maintained on the construction site at all times.
- 100 percent: When all work is complete. This inspection must be scheduled upon completion of all building inspections conducted by Community Development. All appropriate paperwork must be presented to the inspector.
- Sprinkler system – 80 percent: Inspection of piping, hangers and head spacing and valves before the ceiling is installed.
- Sprinkler system – 100 percent: Installation is complete, all acceptance tests have been conducted by the sprinkler contractor, above ground and underground materials test certificates (where applicable) have been provided to the inspector and the system monitoring is operational and tested.
- Annual: Conducted on existing buildings.
- Certificate of Occupancy: Conducted for business change of ownership, new business license, etc.
- Short Term Rental: Conducted on all Short Term Rental properties (Airbnb, etc).
- Permit Inspections: Conducted in order to issue various permits (Tents, Mass Gathering w/ Portable Grandstands, Blasting, etc)
- Special / Courtesy / Complaint: Conducted any time a suspected fire or life safety hazard is reported to our office. These inspections include hazardous condition of an occupancy representing an immediate threat to life safety (i.e. assembly overcrowding, blocked exits, compromised fire protection and detection systems, etc).
- Fixed suppression systems, fire alarms and grease hoods: These components are inspected to ensure compliance with applicable codes and standards. The Fire Marshal’s Office requires certification letters on the following at the time of inspection/test:
- Sprinkler installation or alteration
- Fire alarms
- Commercial cooking hoods
- Underground and above ground piping
- Fixed fire suppression systems
New Construction/Addition/Remodel Inspection Process
During the construction or renovation process the Fire Marshal’s Office requires inspections to ensure conformity to the approved plans and compliance to all applicable codes and ordinances. A Fire Marshal’s Office inspector conducts an on-site inspection at least twice during construction: at the 80 percent stage and then at 100 percent completion of the project. At final inspection, the contractor shall have the following documents for review of the inspector for Temporary and Final Certificates of Occupancy (as applicable):
- Georgia Licensed Fire Sprinkler Contactor’s Certificate for above ground piping
- Georgia Licensed Fire Sprinkler Contactor’s Certificate for below ground piping
- Georgia Licensed Fire Sprinkler Contactor’s Certificate for standpipes
- Georgia Licensed Fire Sprinkler Contractor’s Certificate of Competency Site Supervision Form
- Fire Pump Test Certificate
- Letter from fire alarm installer certifying installation and completed Inspection and Testing Form is in accordance with NFPA 72
- Letter from the Mechanical Engineer certifying that the smoke evacuation system for atriums has been tested in accordance with NFPA 92B
- Letter from a Georgia Licensed Special Hazard Suppression Company indicating the hood suppression system is in compliance with NFPA 17A.
- Letter from Georgia Licensed Electrician indicating that electrical system has been installed and meets the requirements of NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code)
- Portable Fire Extinguishers installed and tagged by a Georgia Licensed Fire Extinguisher Company
- All utilities must be on and in service (power, gas, water)
If a project fails an inspection, we will schedule another time to re-inspect. Once a project passes the final inspection, a certificate of occupancy is issued from the Fire Marshal’s Office. The Fire Marshal’s Office inspections are not sequential with the applicable Community Development inspections.
To request a fire inspection, click the link below and complete the online form.
If requesting a Certificate of Occupancy Fire Inspection please refer to this checklist before scheduling your inspection.