Est. 2003
Basement finishing in Roswell, GA.
We finish basements in Roswell houses from 1840s mill-town cottages near the square to 1970s riverside subdivisions and 1990s builds toward Crabapple. The era of the house changes the design, the permit path and the price.
Basement finishing contractor · Roswell, GA
Basements finished for Roswell houses.
Basements in Martin's Landing or Horseshoe Bend, near Canton Street, and in 1990s builds off Hardscrabble each need different egress, drainage and permit work. We sort out which one you have before we design anything.
We have worked in Roswell since 2003. Pricing is fixed and itemized line by line, and we file the city permit. You get a photo from your job site every working day and a one-year written warranty.
Basement types
Three kinds of basement in Roswell.
The land falls toward the Chattahoochee along Roswell's southern edge and toward Big Creek and Vickery Creek inland. Most houses sit on one of those slopes, and the slope sets how much basement wall is above grade.
Daylight or walkout
The 1970s and 1980s neighborhoods along the river were built into slopes, so many basements have an above-grade wall and a patio door. That usually covers daylight and the bedroom escape opening without new cuts.
Full below-grade
These basements are below grade on all sides. Framing and finishes are standard work. A legal bedroom needs a cut escape opening and a window well, which we price as structural work.
Older partial basement
Houses in and around the historic core have smaller below-grade space with lower ceilings. We measure clear height first, and any exterior change gets checked for historic district review.
What we build
Basement finishing work for Roswell 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 on Roswell's riverside, creek-side and historic lots.
Houses in Martin's Landing, Horseshoe Bend and the streets off Willeo were built into grade, so most have a walkout or a daylight wall. They date from the 1970s and 1980s, so we check for low ductwork and original electrical panels before finalizing a layout.
Lots that fall toward the Chattahoochee, Vickery Creek or Big Creek carry heavy storm runoff, and the city maps flood zones along them. Flood mapping does not affect interior finishing. Digging a window well, regrading or adding an exterior stair near a mapped zone or stream buffer gets checked before we design it.
Near the historic core, below-grade space is older, lower and smaller. Any change to the outside of the house can fall under historic district review. We confirm that before drawing a new window opening.
Our process
The sequence for a Roswell basement finish.
Identify the house type
We confirm whether the house is in a riverside subdivision, an inland build or the historic core. That changes the design, the permit path and the price.
Walk the grade and check the flood map
On a lot that falls toward the river or a creek, we check drainage discharge and mapped flood zones before quoting any exterior work.
Measure clear height and check capacity
We measure clear height under ducts, beams and pipes. We check original panels and HVAC against the load a finished lower level adds.
Design egress before finishes
A bedroom needs a compliant escape opening. In a buried wall that means a cut, a header, a window well and drainage. We include that cost in the first price you see.
File with the Roswell Building Division
Applications go through the city Permitting and Licensing hub, reviewed by the Building Division on Hill Street.
Build to the inspection sequence
Framing and rough-in are inspected first. Insulation is inspected next, before walls are covered. The city then does the final inspection and issues a certificate at closeout.
Permits
Permitting a basement finish with the City of Roswell.
Roswell issues its own permits through the Building Division of Community Development, at 38 Hill Street. Applications and inspection requests run through the city Permitting and Licensing hub. Any work that alters a structure or touches electrical, mechanical or plumbing systems needs a permit application before work starts. Paint and floor coverings count as routine maintenance and do not.
Insulation cannot be in place for the rough-in inspection because it blocks the inspector's view of the framing and rough work. It gets inspected after rough-in passes. At closeout the city issues a Certificate of Occupancy or a Certificate of Completion, depending on scope. That document shows your lower level was permitted and inspected.
Who issues it
City of Roswell Community Development, Building Division, 38 Hill Street, Suite G-30. roswellgov.com
Permitting and Licensing hub
The city's online system for submitting applications, requesting inspections and managing permits.
Insulation is its own step
It cannot be in place for the rough-in inspection. It gets inspected after rough-in and before cover.
Historic district and flood zones
Exterior changes near the historic core or a mapped flood zone get confirmed before design. Interior finishing is unaffected.
Budget
What a finished basement costs in Roswell.
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.
A walkout family room with a bar in Martin's Landing usually has daylight and an escape door already. A guest suite in a buried 1990s basement needs a cut egress window and a well. An older house near the square has lower, smaller space and possible historic review on exterior changes. Those differences move the price more than square footage does.
We price line by line, so drainage, egress, mechanical capacity and finishes each show as a separate number.
What costs the most
Egress cuts, drainage correction on creek-side lots, mechanical and electrical capacity in older houses, and bathrooms.
What you save
A riverside walkout usually has daylight and an escape door already. Those are the two items that cost the most in a buried basement.
Planning guides
Basement finishing guides to read first.
Basement finishing cost in Georgia
The cost of a basement finish, broken into the parts you can change.
Read the guide →Is finishing a basement worth it?
How a finished basement affects resale, and what you get from using the space.
Read the guide →The most expensive parts of finishing a basement
Which items cost the most in a basement finish, and why.
Read the guide →Basement flooring options
Which flooring holds up below grade and which does not.
Read the guide →Basement remodel cost calculator
See a range for your basement before you talk to anyone.
Open the tool →Where we work
Basement finishing in Roswell and north Fulton.
All remodeling services in Roswell · 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.
Roswell questions
Questions about basement finishing in Roswell.
Does Roswell issue the permit, or Fulton County?+
Roswell. The city Building Division inside Community Development reviews plans and inspects residential work, and applications go through the city Permitting and Licensing hub. Fulton County is not involved in your basement permit.
We are in Martin's Landing near the river. Does that complicate things?+
Only for exterior work. Flood mapping and stream buffers do not affect interior finishing. A window well, regrading or an exterior stair near a mapped zone or creek buffer needs checking first. We do that check before we design anything.
Our house is near Canton Street. Are there extra rules?+
Possibly, for exterior changes. Work in and around the historic core can fall under historic district review, so we confirm a new window opening or altered door before design. Interior finishing below grade is generally unaffected.
Why does insulation get inspected separately?+
Because insulation hides the framing and rough work an inspector needs to see. Roswell does not allow insulation in place for the rough-in inspection. Rough-in is inspected first, then insulation, and only then can walls be covered. We build that extra inspection into the schedule.
What do we receive when the job passes final?+
The city issues either a Certificate of Occupancy or a Certificate of Completion, depending on the scope of the work. Keep it with your closing documents. It shows your lower level was permitted and inspected.
How long does a Roswell basement take?+
A typical lower level takes six to eight weeks on site. Design and the permit come before that. Egress cuts, drainage work or hidden problems behind the walls of an older house add time, and the proposal states that up front.
Roswell & nearby
What will your Roswell basement cost?
Tell us about your Roswell 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