Lithonia, Georgia

Water Damage in Lithonia: DeKalb Water and Older Homes

Lithonia sits near the Yellow River, and in September 2009 the USGS gauge there logged the highest peak on its record. Rain like that is rare, but an ordinary wet spring still finds old roofs and old plumbing. Ceiling and wall leaks are where many of those calls begin. Unsure which office covers your address? Call (678) 940-8196 and ask.

Call (678) 940-8196

Fig. 1Street of brick-front houses with garages and tall pines in Conyers, Georgia

Rain and cold

The nearest NOAA normals checked come from the Covington station, two counties east, and show 50.50 inches of rain in a year, 5.10 of them in March. On September 22, 2009, the Yellow River near Lithonia reached 27.47 feet at a USGS gauge, the highest peak stage on record there. One figure measures rainfall and the other river height. Neither describes one street, so conditions may differ at your address.

Who to ask in town

The permit types on Lithonia's list are building, deck, roof, pool and spa, demolition, retaining wall, interior finish, remodeling and addition, and trade. A Permit Required Checklist is linked, and the page says the usual process is an application, plan review and an inspection. Online filing goes through the Citizen Portal; a fillable PDF is the other route.

City Hall's address is 6920 Main Street, phone 770-482-8136, and its hours are 8 to 4 on weekdays, minus a closing from noon until 1 p.m. each day. No fees appear on the page, and plumbing and electrical permits are not named, so ask if a repair falls under trade work.

Water, soil and housing

A small city with wide margins and an older housing stock

Margins on the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 estimates run wide for Lithonia, a small city. Table B25034 counts roughly 1,151 homes (give or take 204). Built in 1939 or earlier: about 16 percent, give or take 112 homes. Built in the 1970s: about 19 percent. The median year built is 1977, give or take 5 years, and rentals make up about 58 percent of occupied homes. Plumbing and roofs that old have had longer to wear, and a leak can hide behind finished walls.

Following the September 2009 floods, 17 Georgia counties received federal disaster declarations, according to the National Weather Service, which does not list which ones. University of Georgia Extension says clay soil stays wet for a long time compared with sandy or loamy soil, which matters only where a yard is clay. The article says nothing about Lithonia soil.

Local tips

According to Lithonia's utilities listing, DeKalb County takes responsibility for all water service in the city. DeKalb Watershed Management lists (770) 270-6243 as its emergency number.
Sign up for DeKalb County's CodeRED alerts, which the city's emergency management listing links, to get local warnings about severe weather.
Before roof, interior finish or remodeling work begins, read the city's Permit Required Checklist, which carries the title When is a Building Permit Needed.
City Hall closes from noon to 1 p.m. each weekday and shuts at 4 p.m., so time any permit question around those hours.
Own or manage a Lithonia home where water has reached the walls or flooring? Call (678) 940-8196 and describe it. If you rent, the first conversation belongs with the landlord or property manager.

Neighborhoods

Sourceschecked 1 Nov 2026