Georgia Fire Inspectors Association

Section 43-15-24(a) indicates it to be unlawful for the various ‘entities’ to engage in construction (unless 43-15-24(b) applies which exempts the project where the total cost [site work, building, sprinkler, fire alarm, finishes, etc.] is less than $100,000, and even then when the occupancy was educational, assembly, public housing, etc., the State Attorney General's Opinion to this exemption indicates these would never be exempt from an architect or engineer seal regardless of the total cost…) without a registered arch/eng involved in both preparing plans (including sealing them - but, this does not include sprinkler, fire alarm, etc., shop drawings...) and supervising/reviewing the construction. The following was received from the Board Secretary for the Georgia Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors regarding the issue of a contractor/owner hiring a professional to create plans for permitting, then 'firing' the professional from the project prior to its completion:


OCGA Paragraph 43-15-24 makes it unlawful for any entity to engage in construction which may affect or jeopardize the health, safty, or welfareof the public (with exceptions) unless the plans and specfications have been prepared under the direct supervision or review and bear the seal of, and the construction is executed under the direct supervision of or review by (emphasis added), a registered professional engineer or architect.

In as much as the Building Permit is issued in the name of the Owner, it would be the Owners responsibility to insure complience with the Regulations. However, it is the responsibility of the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) to inspect the documents being submitted for a Building Permit to insure they are "lawful" documents (bear the seal of a registered professional engineer or architect) before issueing the permit.

A Contractor, who is also a registered Professional Engineer, could be disciplined by the Engineering Board where the Contractor knowingly constructs the building where there is no Responsible Registerd Professional Engineer or Architect for the Project.

Should the Authority Having Jurisdiction find that there is no Responsible Registered Professiona Engineer or Architect for the Project after issueing a Building Permit, the AHJ may refuse to issue an Occupancy Permit for the Building until the Owner submits a Certification and Sealed Documents by a Registered Professional Engineer or Architect that the constructions substantially complies with the Sealed Documents submitted for the Building Permit.

A complaint could also be filed with the Engineer or Architecture Board for discipline against any Registered Professional Engineer or Architect who seals documents that have not been prepared under his direct supervision!