Est. 2003
Custom home builder in Cumming, GA.
Forsyth County has been the fastest-growing place we build for two decades. We build custom homes on Lake Lanier lots, mountain lots, north Forsyth acreage on septic and the remaining south Forsyth estate parcels. Each kind of lot needs different site work and a different first permit.
Custom home builder · Cumming, GA
Custom homes built across Forsyth County.
We build new homes in Vickery and the south Forsyth estate communities and on Lake Lanier shoreline lots. We also build on acreage north of Sawnee Mountain toward Matt and Coal Mountain. We have built here since 2003. Before drawings start, we check whether the city or the county permits your parcel and whether it has sewer or needs a soil test.
The whole build is on one fixed-price contract, from site work through the certificate of occupancy. We file with the city or Forsyth County and send a photo from the site each working day. The house carries a one-year written warranty.
Custom home lot types
Three kinds of custom home lot in Cumming.
A Cumming lot can be a city or county parcel, on sewer or septic, on the lake or on a mountain slope. Your lot type sets which permit comes first.
Septic, well and a long driveway
Lots in Matt, Coal Mountain and north of Sawnee. A soil evaluation for the drain field comes before the permit. The driveway is priced as its own line item, and we place the house around the drive and the field.
Shoreline rules and a steep site
Lake lots are steep and wooded, and the Corps of Engineers controls the water's edge. We engineer the house to the slope. The dock needs a separate approval.
Sewer, sidewalks and design review
Lots in Vickery, Windermere, Polo Fields and nearby communities. Utilities are at the street. An architectural review committee approves the elevation before the county reviews a permit.
What we build
Every part of a Cumming custom home.
Lot & Site Work
Design & Floor Plans
Shell, Roof & Exterior
Kitchens & Baths
Outdoor Living
Basements & Bonus Rooms
Included in every custom home
One fixed price for every trade in a custom home.
- Lot evaluation & site plan
- Architectural plans & engineering
- Permit application & inspections
- Clearing, grading & erosion control
- Foundation, framing & roof
- Plumbing, electrical & HVAC
- Insulation & energy code compliance
- Windows, doors & exterior finishes
- Kitchens, baths & interior finishes
- Selections & 3D renderings
- Daily cleanup & job-site photos
- One-year written warranty
Local conditions
Septic, lake lots and permits for Forsyth County custom homes.
Many houses with a Cumming mailing address sit outside the city limits. Those permit through Forsyth County Planning and Community Development, not the city. The zip code does not show which office applies, but the parcel record does. We check it before any drawings are prepared.
North of the city and away from the main corridors, parcels are on septic. Forsyth County Environmental Health approves the soil evaluation and drain-field location before a building permit is issued. The drain field needs a stretch of open ground, which limits where the house can go. We lay out the house, driveway and septic together, because moving one moves the other two.
On Lake Lanier lots, the Corps of Engineers controls the water's edge. The dock and anything below the flood pool line need separate approvals. Most lake lots are steep enough that the foundation is engineered to the slope, which usually gives the house a walkout lower level. Red clay sits over rock across the county, so we design the drainage on every lot.
Our process
The sequence for a Cumming custom home.
Pull the parcel record first
The parcel record shows which office reviews the plans and whether a soil test has to come first. On a lake lot, it also shows where the Corps of Engineers line falls.
Walk the lot
We check where water drains, what the slope will cost and which trees the driveway should curve around. On septic lots, we find where the drain field can go. The house footprint comes from that visit.
One set of drawings for both reviews
In Vickery or Windermere, the review committee approves elevations and materials before the county opens the file. We draw one set of plans that meets the committee's guidelines and the building code.
One price, then the application
You get one fixed-price proposal covering site work, septic where it applies, the foundation, every trade and every allowance. Then we file the permit application under our license.
Build, with the inspections booked
The build runs footings, framing, rough-ins, insulation, drywall, finishes and the final walkthrough. We schedule every inspection. You get a photo from the site every working day.
Permits
Who issues your custom home permit, Cumming or Forsyth County.
Inside the city limits, the City of Cumming issues residential permits through its Building and Zoning office at City Hall. Most 30040 and 30041 addresses are in unincorporated Forsyth County and permit through Forsyth County Planning and Community Development. Either office reviews the site plan, foundation, framing, energy compliance and each trade permit for a new house. Georgia enforces the state minimum standard codes statewide, so the code is the same on both sides of the city line.
On a lot without sewer, Forsyth County Environmental Health must approve the soil evaluation and drain-field layout before a building permit is issued. On acreage, we schedule that review before the drawings are finished. A lake lot also needs Corps of Engineers approval for anything at the shoreline. Disturbing an acre or more of land requires the state erosion permit, and we file every application and schedule every inspection.
Inside the city limits
The City of Cumming issues residential permits through its Building and Zoning office at City Hall. cummingga.gov
Unincorporated Forsyth
Covers most 30040 and 30041 addresses. Permits and inspections go through Forsyth County Planning and Community Development. forsythco.com
Septic before the permit
Forsyth County Environmental Health approves the soil evaluation and drain-field location on any lot without sewer, ahead of the building permit.
We pull the permit
The application, site plan, drawings, engineering and every inspection are in the contract, whether the city or the county permits your lot.
Budget
What a custom home costs to build in Cumming.
Our custom homes run $170 to $290 per square foot for the house itself. The lot is priced on its own lines: an on-site septic system instead of a sewer tap is roughly $25,000, and grading, driveways, retaining walls, wells and long utility runs depend on the site.
In Forsyth County the lot moves the price more than the house plan does. The same plan costs different amounts on a sewered south Forsyth estate lot and on a wooded acre on septic north of Sawnee. A steep lake lot with an engineered foundation changes the total again.
Site work, the septic system, the foundation and each finish allowance are separate numbers on the proposal, not a price per square foot. The cost calculator gives you a range. Your exact price comes after we walk the lot and write the proposal.
What moves the total
Site work and driveway length on acreage, septic, a foundation engineered to a lake or mountain slope, and the basement most Forsyth lots allow.
Lake lot site costs
Slope engineering, retaining walls, longer utility runs and shoreline approvals. On a Lake Lanier build, we price these before the house.
Planning guides
Custom home guides to read first.
Choosing a custom home builder in Cumming
How we build custom homes in Forsyth County, for buyers still choosing a builder.
Read the article →What a custom home costs in North Georgia
Cost ranges for north Georgia custom homes and what raises or lowers the total.
Read the guide →How a construction draw schedule works
When the bank releases each payment and which inspections come first.
Read the guide →How to choose a custom home builder
Questions to ask a builder before you sign a contract.
Read the guide →Custom home cost calculator
A starting range for your square footage and finish level.
Open the tool →Where we build
Custom homes in Cumming and Forsyth County.
All remodeling services in Cumming · Areas we serve · Custom home building overview
In their words
Reviews from custom home clients.
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.
Cumming questions
Questions about custom home building in Cumming.
Is our lot permitted by Cumming or by Forsyth County?+
Most Cumming addresses are outside the city limits and permit through Forsyth County Planning and Community Development. Inside the limits, the city Building and Zoning office issues the permit. The parcel record shows which applies, not the zip code, and the building code is the same statewide. We check the parcel before a drawing starts and pull the permit either way.
We are looking at acreage north of Sawnee. What do we check before we make an offer?+
Check the soil first. A drain field needs a soil evaluation approved by Forsyth County Environmental Health, and land that fails one is expensive to own. Bring us out before you buy. We will check the slope and access, find where a drain field could go, and price the site work before any house design starts.
What is different about building on Lake Lanier?+
A lake lot adds shoreline approvals and a steep site. The Corps of Engineers controls the water's edge, so the dock and anything below the flood pool line need separate approvals. Most lake lots are steep enough that the foundation is engineered to the slope. That slope is also why most lake builds have a walkout lower level.
Can you build to our community's architectural guidelines?+
Yes. Vickery, Windermere, Polo Fields and most south Forsyth communities have a review committee. It approves elevations, materials and colors before the county issues a permit. We design for that approval and the building code at the same time.
How long does a custom home take in Cumming?+
Your proposal includes a dated schedule with every approval in it. Design, review-board approval where there is one, and permitting come before construction. Acreage adds septic approval, and a lake lot adds shoreline approvals. Build time then depends on the house and the ground under it.
Cumming & nearby
What will your Cumming custom home cost?
Tell us about your Cumming lot and the home you want to build. We will send back a line-by-line budget and a realistic schedule.
- ✓ Lot evaluation & site plan
- ✓ Design, plans & renderings
- ✓ Permits, septic & inspections
- ✓ Fixed pricing, line by line