Hiring and paperwork, Georgia
What to settle before anyone starts work in Suwanee
What the state, three cities and two Georgia agencies say about licenses, permits and hiring, gathered in one place with the phone numbers each one prints.
What this website does not say about the contractor
This website connects callers to an independent contractor. It makes no statement about that contractor's license, insurance or permits, and nothing on these pages counts as one. Ask the contractor who answers for a license number and an insurance certificate, then check them against the sources below before agreeing to anything.
Georgia's contractor license, and where water damage fits
Georgia's Secretary of State says a license is required to perform or offer residential or commercial general contractor services for compensation. It adds that a license is not required for work that qualifies as a specialty trade. The exemptions have their own page on the Secretary of State's site. The Secretary of State's pages do not say whether water damage restoration counts as general contractor work or as a specialty trade. The useful question is which category the contractor's work falls into, and whether a license applies to it.
What the state says about insurance
On the same Secretary of State page, insurance is a condition of applying for and keeping a general contractor license, and workers' compensation coverage is required only for a licensee with three or more employees. A contractor outside that licensing, or with fewer employees, may carry different coverage, and that is a reason to ask for the certificate itself and not a description of it.
Where this comes from
Checked 1 Nov 2026
Looking a contractor up
The Secretary of State's licensee search takes an individual or a business, by profession type, license type, license number and name, and it needs at least two of those fields filled in. A name plus a license type is a workable pair. A result shows whether a license exists. Whether it covers the job at hand is a question for the contractor.
What Johns Creek tells homeowners to ask
Johns Creek's homeowner and contractor FAQ says state law requires a professional license from the Georgia Secretary of State for building and trade contractors, with exceptions for limited specialty contractors. It adds that the city issues no permit to a contractor who lacks one. It points owners to the state's verification site, says to ask first about permits, and suggests that a contractor pressing the homeowner to pull the permit may be dodging responsibility.
Where this comes from
Checked 1 Nov 2026
Hiring tips from two Georgia agencies
GEMA's insurance-planning page urges wariness toward contractors who demand money up front, a second or third bid, and proof of licenses, permits, insurance and bonding. The insurance commissioner's claim tips add that temporary repairs are a good idea, permanent repairs wait until the insurer has inspected, and receipts are worth keeping.
Neither agency says what a water damage job costs or what an insurer will cover.
Suwanee: when the city wants a permit
Suwanee's building page says permits are required for work that constructs, enlarges, alters or repairs a structure, re-roofs included. Permits are also required for electrical, plumbing, heating and mechanical changes, with water heater replacement and basement, attic or garage finishes on the same list. Minor repair, cabinetry and painting are listed as work that needs none. Residential and contractor applications go in online, and the inspections department answers at 770-945-8996.
Where this comes from
Checked 1 Nov 2026
Sugar Hill: the building office and a state board
Sugar Hill's Building Services office is at 5039 West Broad Street, open Monday to Friday, 8 to 5, at (770) 945-6734. The city's FAQ offers a rule of thumb: pull a building permit when an existing structure is modified or added to.
The building page also describes Georgia's board for licensing residential and general contractors, created in 2004, and lists four license types: Residential-Basic, Residential-Light Commercial, General Contractor Limited Tier for projects up to $500,000, and General Contractor. It prints the board's phone number, 478-207-2440. That number comes from Sugar Hill's page, not from the Secretary of State's site.
Where this comes from
- City of Sugar Hill, Building services
- City of Sugar Hill, Frequently asked questions
- City of Sugar Hill, Code enforcement
Checked 1 Nov 2026
Johns Creek: the $2,500 line and the Building Official
Johns Creek's page on whether a permit is needed lets a non-structural minor repair under $2,500.00 go ahead without one only if the Building Official agrees. It warns that work done without a required permit can bring stop-work orders and fines. The permit technicians are at 11360 Lakefield Drive, 678-512-3250. The Secretary of State FAQ does not state a dollar threshold of its own.
Whose office covers your address
A mailing address in ZIP 30024 can sit in Suwanee or in Johns Creek, which share it, and the two cities have different building offices and different water providers. The street address and the city limit decide which office to call, and a county line decides the water utility.
The building office in each city
| City | Office | Phone | Hours on the city's page | What the page says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suwanee | Inspections department, City Hall, 330 Town Center Avenue, Suwanee, GA 30024 | 770-945-8996 | Not listed on the pages checked | Permits for building, repair, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and water heater work; online applications; minor repair, cabinetry and painting need none. |
| Sugar Hill | Building Services office, 5039 West Broad Street in Sugar Hill, Georgia 30518 | (770) 945-6734 | Monday to Friday, 8 to 5 | Inspection requests go in online; one made before 2 p.m. is booked for the next business day. The page describes the state licensing board. |
| Johns Creek | Permit technicians, 11360 Lakefield Drive, Johns Creek, GA 30097 | 678-512-3250 | Not listed on the pages checked | Non-structural minor repairs under $2,500.00 only with the Building Official's permission; no permit for an unlicensed contractor; stop-work orders and fines for unpermitted work. |
The folder worth keeping
Keep a single folder for the job, on paper or on a phone. Into it go the contractor's name and license number, the insurance certificate, signed paperwork with every written change, any permit, the photographs from before repairs, and every receipt.
Still unsure what to ask?
Call (678) 572-1407 and give the town, the kind of work and anything you have been told so far, with the street address on hand. If you rent, contact the landlord first.