Do I need a permit for addition or structural alteration in Unincorporated Forsyth County?

Yes. In Georgia, addition or structural alteration generally requires a permit, and Unincorporated Forsyth County is no exception.

Additions and any change to load-bearing walls require a permit and reviewed plans in Georgia; removing or altering a bearing wall usually needs engineered details. Additions may trigger energy-code, zoning, and setback review, so confirm the full scope before starting. Forsyth County's own permitting office is the Forsyth County Department of Building and Licensing, reachable on (770) 781-2114 at https://www.forsythco.com/Departments-Offices/Building-Licensing. 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. Forsyth County sits inside the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, created by the Georgia General Assembly in 2001. Every local government in the District, cities included, has to adopt the District's model post-construction stormwater ordinance or an equivalent one at least as effective, so these rules follow you into any city in the county rather than stopping at the unincorporated line. An addition adds roof area, which counts as impervious surface, and a large one combined with new driveway or patio work can reach the local threshold. In practice the thresholds are aimed at larger development rather than ordinary homeowner work, so most single-family projects sit below them. Cobb County, for example, publishes its trigger as adding more than 5,000 square feet of impervious surface or disturbing more than an acre. Each local government sets its own figures, so check yours before assuming. Where it does apply, the current standard is to retain the first 1.0 inch of rainfall on the site to the maximum extent practicable, which usually means a detention or infiltration feature rather than just grading water to the street. Forsyth County's addition packet requires smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to be installed and tested when an addition is permitted. On septic, the Forsyth County Environmental Health Department must approve the project before you apply, and complete floor plans showing the bedroom count are required for all remodel and addition projects. Building permits expire 12 months after issuance. One renewal is allowed, applied for within 3 months of expiration with a $100 fee, and only after at least one inspection has passed. Under UDC 10-1.13, outside construction is limited to 7 AM to 7 PM weekdays and 8 AM to 6 PM Saturday, with none on Sunday.