Est. 2003
Basement finishing in Dunwoody, GA.
Most of Dunwoody was built between the mid 1960s and the mid 1980s, with split-levels, block foundations and basements not designed as bedrooms. Finishing one to code often means cutting an egress opening, rerouting ducts for height and updating alarms.
Basement finishing contractor · Dunwoody, GA
Basements finished for Dunwoody's 1970s houses.
Dunwoody Club Forest, Branches, Redfield, Village Mill and Dunwoody North were built in the same era, and their basements share the same layout problems. Most have eight feet or less of clear height, low ductwork, small windows and a stair that lands in an awkward spot.
We have finished basements in houses like these since 2003. You get fixed line-by-line pricing, a daily job-site photo and a one-year written warranty, and we file the city permits.
Basement types
Three kinds of basement in Dunwoody.
Dunwoody lots are flatter than lots in Cherokee County, so there are fewer walkouts and more fully buried basements.
Split-level lower floor
The lower floor sits half a story down, often with windows on one side. It is the easiest type to finish in Dunwoody. Moving the stair sometimes makes the whole layout work.
Daylight or walkout
Houses on streets that slope toward a creek or ravine often have one wall open to grade. That wall usually provides daylight and an exit door.
Full buried basement
These have block walls, small original windows and no daylight. Finishing one is standard work. A legal bedroom requires cutting the block wall for an escape opening.
What we build
Basement finishing work for Dunwoody homes.
Family Room & Wet Bar
In-Law & Teen Suites
Basement Bathrooms
Home Theaters
Home Gyms
Egress Windows
Included in every basement
One fixed price for every trade in the basement.
- Design & lower-level layout
- Permit application & inspections
- Exterior grade & drainage review
- Framing & moisture-smart wall assembly
- Electrical, recessed & accent lighting
- HVAC supply, return & balancing
- Plumbing, baths & wet bars
- Insulation & sound separation
- Flooring, ceilings, trim & paint
- Egress windows & wells where required
- Daily cleanup & job-site photos
- One-year written warranty
Local conditions
Basement finishing for Dunwoody's 1960s to 1980s houses.
We start with clear height. In these houses the trunk ducts and the main beam hang below the joists. We measure under the lowest duct, beam or pipe and design the layout from that number. Full height goes where people stand, and lower soffits go over hallways and storage.
A new bedroom needs a compliant escape opening. In a block wall that means a cut, a header, a window well and drainage. Dunwoody also requires smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to meet current placement standards when an alteration creates a sleeping room. We include those alarms in the scope from the start.
The city will not accept insulation installed at the rough-in inspection, because it blocks the view of the framing and rough work. Insulation is inspected separately after rough-in passes. Photographs are not accepted in place of an inspection. We schedule each required inspection as a site visit.
Our process
The sequence for a Dunwoody basement finish.
Measure the clear height
We measure under every duct, beam and pipe. The lowest point sets the layout.
Design the escape opening early
If a bedroom is in the plan, we draw and price the wall cut, the header and the window well at the start. They do not come up for the first time at plan review.
Plan alarms with the layout
A new sleeping room requires current smoke and CO alarm placement. We lay out the alarms with the electrical plan.
Check the mechanical and the panel
A 1970s HVAC system and electrical panel were sized for the house as built. During design we check the added load from a bath, a media room and new circuits.
Submit through CentralSquare
Dunwoody moved its Community Development operations to the CentralSquare portal in 2025. We file the application, track its status and request inspections there.
Build to the inspection sequence
Rough-in is inspected with no insulation in place. Insulation is inspected next, then the walls are covered. A typical lower level takes six to eight weeks on site.
Permits
Permitting a basement finish with the City of Dunwoody.
Dunwoody has run its own Community Development Department since it incorporated in 2008. A basement finish here is permitted by the city, not DeKalb County. Applications are filed through CentralSquare, the permitting portal the city moved to in 2025. Permitted work is regulated under the Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes, and that applies to homeowners doing their own work too.
Insulation cannot be in place for the rough-in inspection, because it blocks the view of the framing and rough work. Insulation is inspected separately after rough-in passes. Photographs are not accepted in lieu of an inspection. When an alteration creates one or more sleeping rooms, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms must meet current placement requirements.
Who issues it
City of Dunwoody Community Development. Permit desk at 678-382-6821, permits@dunwoodyga.gov. dunwoodyga.gov
CentralSquare portal
Applications, permit status and inspection requests run through CentralSquare, which replaced the city's previous system in 2025.
Separate insulation inspection
Insulation cannot be installed for the rough-in inspection. It is inspected after rough-in passes, before anything is covered.
Alarms with a new bedroom
Creating a sleeping room brings smoke and CO alarm placement up to current standards across the affected areas.
Budget
What a finished basement costs in Dunwoody.
Artistic Construction finishes basements at $75 to $125 per square foot, priced at our own finish standard. A dry, standard basement lands inside that band; moisture correction, a new egress opening and structural work are what move it.
Two things drive the price most. One is whether the ceiling needs duct or beam work to reach usable height. The other is whether a legal bedroom is in the plan. A guest suite with a cut egress window in a block wall costs more than a media room and bar under an adequate ceiling.
We price the ceiling work and the egress window as separate lines. That lets you compare our number against a bid that left the window out.
What costs the most
Egress cuts in block walls, duct rerouting for ceiling height, electrical capacity, and bathrooms.
Budget for the unknowns
Opening the walls of a fifty-year-old house can turn up work nobody could see at the estimate. We write a contingency into the contract to cover it.
Planning guides
Basement finishing guides to read first.
Basement ceiling design options
Options when the clear height is eight feet or less.
Read the guide →Basement finishing cost in Georgia
Where the money goes in a finished lower level, trade by trade.
Read the guide →The most expensive parts of finishing a basement
What pushes a lower level over budget most often.
Read the guide →Finished vs. unfinished basement
How finished space below grade gets counted.
Read the guide →Basement remodel cost calculator
Get a cost range for your square footage.
Open the tool →Where we work
Basement finishing in Dunwoody and north DeKalb.
All remodeling services in Dunwoody · Areas we serve · Basement finishing overview
In their words
Reviews from finished basements.
A whopping amount of ZERO stress. You are in truly good hands from start to finish.
Very responsive, patient with our questions, and made suggestions that improved our project.
Exceptional professionalism, expertise, and a genuine commitment to delivering quality service.
Dunwoody questions
Questions about basement finishing in Dunwoody.
Does Dunwoody or DeKalb County issue the permit?+
The City of Dunwoody issues it. The city has run its own Community Development Department since incorporating in 2008. Applications are filed through its CentralSquare portal, and inspections are scheduled there too.
Why can we not insulate before the rough-in inspection?+
Insulation hides the work the inspector needs to see. Dunwoody treats insulation as a visual obstruction at rough-in, so framing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical are inspected first. Insulation is inspected after that, and then the walls can be covered. A correct schedule shows that separate insulation inspection.
Our basement ceiling is low. What can be done?+
We reroute what can be moved and box the rest into soffits over hallways and storage. First we measure the clear height under the lowest duct, beam and pipe. Full height is kept in the seating and standing areas.
We want a guest bedroom downstairs. What does that add?+
It adds a compliant emergency escape opening and current smoke and carbon monoxide alarm placement. In a block wall, the opening means cutting the foundation, heading the opening and building a window well outside. Dunwoody requires the alarm update when an alteration creates a sleeping room. We put both in the first estimate.
Can a photo count instead of an inspection?+
No. The city does not accept pictures in lieu of inspections. Every required inspection is a site visit, and the schedule we give you lists each inspection day.
How long does a Dunwoody basement take?+
A typical lower level takes six to eight weeks of site work, after design and the permit. An egress cut or a bathroom can add time, and your proposal states it before you sign.
Dunwoody & nearby
What will your Dunwoody basement cost?
Tell us about your Dunwoody basement and we will come back with clear costs and a realistic timeline, line by line.
- ✓ Walkout & daylight basements
- ✓ In-law suites & guest baths
- ✓ Egress, drainage & permits
- ✓ Fixed pricing, line by line