Do I need a permit for standby generator installation in Unincorporated Cobb County?

Most likely yes. Standby generator installation usually requires a permit in Georgia. Confirm the specifics with Unincorporated Cobb County.

A permanently installed standby generator with a transfer switch requires an electrical permit, and a gas connection adds a separate gas or mechanical permit and inspection. Confirm setback and clearance rules from the house, property lines, and openings before placing the unit. Cobb County's own permitting office is the Cobb County Development and Inspections, reachable on 770-528-1000 at https://www.cobbcounty.gov/community-development/building-development/permitting. Its online permit portal is https://cobbca.cobbcounty.gov/CitizenAccess/default.aspx. It issues permits for the unincorporated county. If your city does not run its own building department, and many smaller Georgia municipalities do not, this is the office that will handle the job. A permanent generator involves electrical and, on gas units, fuel gas permits, plus setback review for the pad. Cobb County's Subcontractor Permit Request covers the electrical work and lists gas lines under both plumbing and heating, so a gas-fired standby unit normally involves more than one trade permit. The permit must be issued before any work begins. Cobb's single-family district rules require accessory structures and uses to sit behind the house and write an exception only for heating and air conditioning units and garbage pads, so confirm the generator pad location with Zoning at 770-528-2035 before pouring. The gas meter is not authorized until the gas piping test passes.