Est. 2003
Basement finishing in Marietta, GA.
We finish basements in east Cobb ranches, split-levels, older in-town houses and newer builds. A Marietta address can permit through the city or Cobb County, and we confirm which before design starts.
Basement finishing contractor · Marietta, GA
Basements finished for older Marietta houses.
We finish basements in east Cobb ranches and split-levels from the 1960s and 1970s, older in-town houses near the square, and newer builds farther out. The age of the house sets the ceiling height, wall type and panel size we work with, and those drive the price.
We have worked in Cobb County since 2003. You get fixed line-by-line pricing, permits we file with the correct office, a job-site photo every working day, and a one-year written warranty.
Basement types
Three kinds of basement in Marietta.
Many Marietta houses sit on a slab or crawlspace and have no basement. If yours has one, it is usually one of these three.
Split-level lower floor
The lower floor sits half a story below grade with windows on one side. It is the most common finishable space in Marietta, and the ceiling plan determines how much of it is usable.
Daylight or walkout
Some houses on lots that slope toward Sope Creek, Rottenwood Creek or a ravine have one wall fully above grade. That wall allows full windows and an exterior door for light and egress.
Partial or cellar
These are smaller and lower, and some run under only part of the house. We measure the clear height first and tell you whether it can be finished.
What we build
Basement finishing work for Marietta 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 1960s and 1970s Marietta houses.
East Cobb houses from the 1960s and 1970s usually have eight feet or less of clear height and block or early poured walls. Ductwork runs under the joists, and the electrical service was sized for far fewer circuits. We work with all of it and price each item on its own line.
Many Marietta basements were partly finished in the 1970s or 1980s without a permit. We open the walls and check that framing, wiring and plumbing before we price the job. Some of it can stay and some has to come out. We identify it in week one, before an inspector finds it later in the build.
On sloped lots, red clay holds water against the foundation wall, and runoff from the yard above collects at the house. Before we draw a framing plan, we check the gutters, the discharge lines and the low corner of the basement.
Our process
The sequence for a Marietta basement finish.
Confirm city or unincorporated Cobb
Many Marietta addresses are in unincorporated Cobb County. We check your parcel on the county's Am I Located in a City map before anything is drawn.
Open up and look at prior work
If the basement has an old unpermitted finish, we open it up before pricing. We list in writing what stays, what comes out and what must be brought to code.
Measure clear height
We measure from the floor to the lowest duct, beam and pipe. In older Marietta houses, that height limits the layout more than square footage does.
Check service and HVAC capacity
A 1968 panel was not sized for a finished lower level with a bath and a media room. We verify electrical and HVAC capacity during design.
File with the right office
City parcels go to Marietta Development Services through its online system. County parcels go to Cobb County Community Development.
Build, inspect and send daily photos
You get a photo from the site each working day, through framing, rough-ins, inspections, finishes and the walkthrough.
Permits
Who issues your basement permit, Marietta or Cobb County.
A Marietta mailing address covers a large part of unincorporated Cobb County, so we confirm your jurisdiction first. Inside the city limits, Marietta Development Services handles permits and inspections through the city online system. Outside them, Cobb County Community Development on Powder Springs Street issues the permit and its inspections office handles the inspections. The county's Am I Located in a City map shows which one applies.
A basement finish needs a permit in either jurisdiction, because it creates habitable space with new walls, circuits, mechanical and usually plumbing. Expect plan review, inspections during the build and a final inspection. If your basement has an old unpermitted finish, we address it as part of the project and do not cover it with new drywall.
Inside the city limits
City of Marietta Development Services, permits and inspections, submitted through the city online permitting system. mariettaga.gov
Unincorporated Cobb
Cobb County Community Development, 1150 Powder Springs Street, Suite 400. Use the county Am I Located in a City map to confirm. cobbcounty.gov
Old unpermitted work
Common in Marietta basements finished in the 1970s and 1980s. We find it before pricing and resolve it in the open, which costs less than a stop-work order.
We pull the permit
We handle the application, the drawings and the inspections, on a city parcel or a county parcel.
Budget
What a finished basement costs in Marietta.
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.
Basement prices in Marietta vary more than anywhere else we work, because the houses vary more. A split-level lower floor with enough height is a simpler job. An older house that needs duct rerouting, a panel upgrade, an egress window cut and removal of a 1980s unpermitted finish costs considerably more.
We walk the space, open walls where needed, and price every item line by line.
What costs the most
Removing and correcting old unpermitted work, egress cuts, duct rerouting for height, and electrical capacity.
Ask what is excluded
On older Cobb houses, the lowest bid often assumes nothing behind the walls needs work. Ask each contractor what their price leaves out.
Planning guides
Basement finishing guides to read first.
Basement finishing cost in Georgia
What the framing, the bath and the finishes each cost on their own.
Read the guide →How to compare basement quotes
How to compare three basement bids line by line.
Read the guide →The most expensive parts of finishing a basement
The basement line items that cost the most, ranked by cost.
Read the guide →Basement ceiling design options
Ceiling options for a basement with low joists.
Read the guide →Basement remodel cost calculator
Try your square footage against a few different scopes.
Open the tool →Where we work
Basement finishing in Marietta and Cobb County.
All remodeling services in Marietta · 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.
Marietta questions
Questions about basement finishing in Marietta.
My address says Marietta. Is that the city or unincorporated Cobb?+
Often it is unincorporated Cobb County. A Marietta mailing address covers a large area outside the city limits, and the two permit through different offices. We check your parcel on the county's Am I Located in a City map before drawings are prepared. City parcels go to Marietta Development Services, county parcels to Cobb County Community Development.
Our basement was finished in the 1980s without a permit. Now what?+
We open it up and correct it as part of the project. Before pricing, we check what is behind the drywall and list in writing what stays, what comes out and what must meet current code. Some of it is usually fine. Covering it with new finishes is how a project ends up with a stop-work order.
Our house is on a slab. Can you still add living space?+
Yes, but not below grade. Many Marietta houses are on a slab or crawlspace. For those, an addition, a garage conversion or reworking existing square footage is the better route. We tell you which on the first visit.
The ceiling is barely eight feet. Is it worth it?+
Usually, yes, with a ceiling plan. We measure clear height under the lowest obstruction, reroute what can be moved, and put the rest in soffits where the drop is least noticeable. Full height stays over the areas where people stand.
Will our old panel handle the new circuits?+
Not always. A service sized in the 1960s was not designed to carry a finished lower level with a bath, a media room and added HVAC load. We verify capacity during design, so any service work is priced with everything else.
How long does a Marietta basement take?+
Six to eight weeks of site work for a typical lower level. Older houses with prior unpermitted work, a panel upgrade or an egress cut take longer. The schedule in your proposal is based on your house.
Marietta & nearby
What will your Marietta basement cost?
Tell us about your Marietta 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