Peachtree Corners Q&A: FAQs from City's Building Dept.

From the Peachtree Corners ”Inside Peachtree Corners” e-newsletter

Frequently Asked Questions of the City’s Building Department

Q. Do I need a permit to re-roof my house?

A. Yes. The purpose of permit is to verify code compliance. Ultimately this is meant to protect your family and your home, which is possibly your largest financial investment.

Q. Do I have to completely strip my roof in order to re-roof?

A. Maybe. The International Residential Code (IRC) requires that ALL existing roof covering be removed when any of the following conditions exist.

1. If your roof or roof covering has become water soaked or has deteriorated to the point that it will not act as an adequate base for additional covering. You must strip all of the roof covering material off and repair the wood sheathing or plywood as necessary
2. You may not re-roof over wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tiles. If your roof has one of these types of roof coverings, you must strip your roof down to the sheathing or plywood and re-roof from a clean surface.
3. If your existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering you must strip the roof completely down to the bare roof sheathing or plywood and re-roof.

Q. What inspections are required for a re-roof permit?

A. If you are required to strip your roof down to the sheathing we look at the stripped roof and the sheathing to verify that it is structurally sound. The next inspection is a final inspection to verify that the roof is complete, the flashing in place around your vents and chimneys, the drip edge has been installed and the site is free of roofing debris.

Q. I plan on building a deck when the weather warms up, do I need permit to construct a deck?

A. Yes, a permit is required and inspections during the course of construction will be performed by Peachtree Corners Building Division staff.

Unfortunately, improperly constructed and/or maintained decks fail at an alarming rate; however, the design of a safe deck is as simple as following the guidelines of the International Residential Code (IRC). The State of Georgia has done the heavy lifting for you and placed all of the information within the Prescriptive Deck Details handout. This document guides you through the design process for a code compliant deck.

If you would like to submit a question for publication or would like to discuss a construction project in Peachtree Corners, please feel free to contact me. You can reach me via email;dwilkins@peachtreecornersga.gov or by phone; Office (678) 691-1207; Cell (678) 928-1132.

Don Wilkins, Peachtree Corners Building Official