Est. 2003
Basement finishing in Johns Creek, GA.
Johns Creek's golf-course subdivisions were built between the late 1980s and the mid 2000s, and most of those houses came with an unfinished full basement. We finish that space into living area and file the permit with the city.
Basement finishing contractor · Johns Creek, GA
Basements finished for Johns Creek houses.
Builders in Medlock Bridge, Rivermont and St Ives poured full basements under very large houses and left them as storage. Finishing that space costs a fraction of an addition, because the foundation and footprint already exist.
We have finished lower levels across north Fulton since 2003. You get fixed line-by-line pricing, a permit we file through the city portal, and a photo from your job site every working day.
Basement types
Three kinds of basement in Johns Creek.
Johns Creek slopes down toward the Chattahoochee. How far down that slope your lot sits sets which of these basements you have, and that changes the window, drainage and egress work.
Daylight basement
Two or three walls are buried, with full windows on the low side. Those windows usually serve as a legal escape opening, so a lower-level bedroom needs no new window cut.
Walkout basement
A door opens out to grade at the low corner. Water runs down the same slope toward that door, so we check the grading and drainage there before finishing.
Full below-grade
All four walls are buried, which is common on the flatter ground around Shakerag and Newtown. Each bedroom needs a new egress window cut into the foundation, plus a window well. That structural work is in the first price we give you.
What we build
Basement finishing work for Johns Creek 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 1990s Johns Creek houses.
The typical unfinished basement here runs 1,500 to 2,500 square feet under a house built between 1988 and 2005. Overall ceiling height is usually enough. The layout is limited by HVAC trunks, waste lines and beams hung below the joists, which builders ran wherever was easiest over an empty slab.
We measure the lowest obstruction before we draw any walls. Some trunks get rerouted. Others get boxed into a lower ceiling over a hallway, so the main rooms keep full height.
Lots backing to the Chattahoochee or a tributary fall under Georgia river corridor rules and local stream buffers, which govern land disturbance near the water. Interior finishing is not affected. A new window well, exterior stair or regrade can need a separate review, so we check the buffer line before designing any outside work.
Our process
The sequence for a Johns Creek basement finish.
Measure the ceiling obstructions
We map every duct, beam and waste line and record the finished ceiling height in each area before drawing a layout.
Decide how much of the shell to finish
On a 2,200 square foot basement, finishing 1,400 square feet and keeping the rest as conditioned storage is often the better spend. We price both options.
Check the buffer line on river-adjacent lots
If your property touches the Chattahoochee or a tributary, stream buffer and river corridor limits get confirmed before any exterior work is designed.
Clear the HOA architectural review
The gated communities here review any change visible from outside. Interior work is usually approved without trouble. A new window well usually gets a closer review.
Submit through the city CSS portal
Johns Creek takes applications only through its Customer Self-Service portal, and a contractor has to hold registered credentials there before applying. Ours are on file.
Build, inspect and send daily photos
Framing, rough-ins and inspections, then finishes and the walkthrough. Six to eight weeks for a typical lower level, and a photo from the site each working day.
Permits
Permitting a basement finish with the City of Johns Creek.
Johns Creek runs its own Building Division inside the Community Development Department, so the city permits your basement, not Fulton County. The city does not take paper applications. Every application goes through the city Customer Self-Service portal, and contractors must register their license credentials there before they can apply.
Each submittal goes to the divisions that review it, which can include Building, Land Development, Planning and Zoning, and the Fire Marshal. Inspections come at framing and rough-in, then insulation, then final, all requested through the same portal. If you add a bedroom, the inspector checks the escape opening and the smoke and CO alarm placement.
Who issues it
City of Johns Creek Community Development, Building Division, 11360 Lakefield Drive. johnscreekga.gov
The CSS portal
Applications, plan review, fees and inspection requests all run through the Customer Self-Service portal. Contractor licenses have to be registered first.
We pull the permit
Our credentials are already registered in the portal. We file the application, request the inspections and tell you when each one passes.
Near the river
Lots along the Chattahoochee and its tributaries carry buffer rules that affect outside work like window wells and regrading.
Budget
What a finished basement costs in Johns Creek.
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.
Square footage drives the price here more than in most towns, because Johns Creek basements are large. A 2,000 square foot lower level with a bath, a bar and two finished rooms costs more than a 900 square foot media room.
Price also depends on ceiling obstructions, whether the builder stubbed bath plumbing into the slab, and whether an egress window has to be cut. Our line-by-line pricing shows what each of those costs you.
What costs the most
Bathrooms, egress cuts, rerouting ducts and waste lines, and HVAC capacity for the added load.
Finish it in stages
A large basement can be finished in phases. We rough in plumbing for the whole space now, so finishing the far end later does not mean opening the same wall twice.
Planning guides
Basement finishing guides to read first.
Basement finishing cost in Georgia
A line-item cost breakdown, and why bids on the same basement vary so widely.
Read the guide →The most expensive parts of finishing a basement
The line items that cost the most, and how to plan for them.
Read the guide →How to compare basement quotes
How to compare quotes that cover different scopes.
Read the guide →Finished vs. unfinished basement
Below-grade square footage, and how Georgia appraisals treat it.
Read the guide →Basement remodel cost calculator
Enter the scope you are considering and get a price range.
Open the tool →Where we work
Basement finishing in Johns Creek and north Fulton.
All remodeling services in Johns Creek · 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.
Johns Creek questions
Questions about basement finishing in Johns Creek.
Does Johns Creek permit my basement, or does Fulton County?+
Johns Creek. The city has run its own Community Development Department and Building Division since it incorporated in 2006, and residential permits are issued by the city. Applications go through the city Customer Self-Service portal, where a contractor must have license credentials registered before applying.
The basement ceiling is full of ductwork. Can it still work?+
Yes, in almost every case. We map the obstructions and measure the clear height in each area. Some trunks get rerouted and others get boxed into a soffit over a hallway or a bar. The main rooms keep their full height.
We back up to the Chattahoochee. Does that change anything?+
Not for interior work. It matters for any digging or grading outside, because river corridor and stream buffer rules govern land disturbance near the water. We check a new window well, exterior stair or regrade near the buffer before designing it.
How much of a 2,000 square foot basement should we finish?+
Often not all of it. Conditioned storage is useful in a house this size, and the mechanical equipment has to stay accessible. We lay out the finished area first, decide what stays unfinished, then price the difference.
Will our HOA need to approve it?+
Usually only for exterior changes. Interior finishes rarely need HOA approval. The gated communities here review anything visible from outside. A new window well or an altered door goes in for approval before we build it.
How do I tell whether three basement bids are comparable?+
Usually they are not. Bids differ most in items left off the page, such as drainage correction, egress, HVAC capacity, permit handling, and who pays for surprises behind the wall. Our guide to comparing basement quotes lists what every bid should spell out.
Johns Creek & nearby
What will your Johns Creek basement cost?
Tell us about your Johns Creek 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