Est. 2003
Custom home builder in Dunwoody, GA.
Most custom homes we build in Dunwoody replace an older house on an established street. That means a demolition permit, mature trees to protect, neighbors on both sides and a city that issues every permit itself.
Custom home builder · Dunwoody, GA
Custom homes on Dunwoody teardown lots.
Dunwoody Club Forest, Branches, Redfield, Village Mill, Dunwoody North and Georgetown were all built in the same era. Lots there run a third to half an acre with sewer at the street. We have worked this part of DeKalb since 2003 and have permitted through the city since it took over from the county.
The contract is fixed-price from demolition through the certificate of occupancy. We file the city permits and meet every inspector on site. You get a photo from the site each working day and a one-year written warranty on the house.
Custom home lot types
Three kinds of custom home lot in Dunwoody.
Nearly every lot in Dunwoody already has a house on it. The work and the price change with the old house, the trees on the lot and any creek or drainage rules.
A 1960s or 70s house to tear down
This is the most common Dunwoody build. It needs a demolition permit, an asbestos survey on the old house and a survey against current setbacks and stormwater rules. The grade usually allows a basement in the new house.
Tree survey before the floor plan
Dunwoody's tree ordinance protects canopy, and a removal permit comes with replanting expectations. On a wooded lot we complete the tree survey first, and it sets where the house and driveway can go.
Stream buffers and drainage design
Lots that back onto Nancy Creek or its branches carry stream buffers and drainage rules. The stormwater design goes into the site plan and can limit the size of the footprint.
What we build
Every part of a Dunwoody 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
Trees, slopes and permits for Dunwoody custom homes.
Dunwoody has run its own Community Development since 2008. Applications go through the CentralSquare portal the city adopted in 2025, and inspectors come in person and do not accept photographs. A new house gets a full plan review, with the site plan, stormwater design and tree plan reviewed with the building drawings. The Georgia State Minimum Standard Codes apply to every part of it.
The city's tree ordinance protects canopy, and removal is permitted with replanting expectations. On a lot with fifty-year-old hardwoods, the tree survey sets the footprint and the driveway. We draw the trees that stay first and place the house around them.
Most Dunwoody lots slope toward Nancy Creek or the Chattahoochee, and that grade allows a walkout lower level on most of them. On a few lots, a stream buffer or drainage rule leaves part of the yard unbuildable. Sewer serves the whole city. On a teardown, we cut and cap the water, gas and power under the demolition permit before demolition starts.
Our process
The sequence for a Dunwoody custom home.
Measure the lot against current rules
We check setbacks, stormwater, the tree survey and any creek buffer before drawing a floor plan. The result is the buildable area you are allowed to use.
Permit demolition and tree removal together
We file tree removal and demolition together under one erosion-control plan. The replanting is agreed before anything is cut, so the site is cleared one time.
Design the house around the trees
The plan places the house between the trees that stay, any buffer and the grade. The drawings go to the city with the site plan and stormwater design.
Price it, then file through CentralSquare
Demolition, site work, foundation, every trade and every allowance go on one fixed-price proposal. We file the submittal in the city portal under our license.
Build to the city's inspection order
The order is footings, framing, rough-ins and a separate insulation inspection, then drywall, finishes and the final. Dunwoody inspects in person, and we attend each one.
Permits
Permitting a custom home with the City of Dunwoody.
Dunwoody has run its own Community Development Department since it incorporated in 2008. A new house here is permitted by the city, not DeKalb County. Applications are filed through CentralSquare, the permitting portal the city moved to in 2025. A new single-family home gets a full plan review covering the site plan, stormwater, tree plan, foundation, framing, energy compliance and the trade permits.
On a teardown, the demolition and any tree removal are permitted before the building permit. Insulation goes in after the rough-in inspection and is inspected on its own, and the city does not accept photographs instead. Clearing an acre or more also requires the state erosion permit. We file every permit and meet the inspector at each stage.
Who issues it
City of Dunwoody Community Development. Permit desk at 678-382-6821, permits@dunwoodyga.gov. dunwoodyga.gov
CentralSquare portal
Applications, plan review status and inspection requests run through CentralSquare, which replaced the city's previous system in 2025.
Trees and demolition first
Tree removal is permitted under the city ordinance with replanting expectations, and the teardown has its own permit. Both are filed ahead of the new-home permit.
Insulation is inspected separately
It cannot be installed for the rough-in inspection. It is inspected after rough-in passes, before anything is covered.
Budget
What a custom home costs to build in Dunwoody.
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.
The lot will cost more than any line we quote, and we do not price the lot. Our first lines cover the work between the old house and the new foundation. That means the asbestos survey, the demolition, the tree work and its replanting, and erosion control on the cleared site.
We price every line separately, not by the square foot. The demolition, site work, stormwater design, foundation and each finish allowance get their own numbers. Our calculator gives a range to plan around, and the line-by-line proposal is what you sign.
What moves the total
Demolition and haul-off, tree removal and replanting under permit, stormwater compliance on a bigger footprint, and a foundation on ground that slopes toward the creek.
The teardown
Utility disconnects, the asbestos survey, the demolition and the tree permit are priced as their own lines. They are permitted and priced before the house.
Planning guides
Custom home guides to read first.
How to choose a custom home builder
Questions to ask a builder before you sign a contract.
Read the guide →Custom home cost per square foot around Atlanta
What a per-square-foot price covers and why it changes from lot to lot.
Read the guide →How a construction draw schedule works
When the bank releases each payment and which inspections come first.
Read the guide →Fixed price vs cost-plus
How the two contract types differ, and why we build on a fixed price.
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 Dunwoody and north DeKalb.
All remodeling services in Dunwoody · 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.
Dunwoody questions
Questions about custom home building in Dunwoody.
Is a new house in Dunwoody a city permit or a DeKalb County permit?+
City. Dunwoody has run its own Community Development since 2008, and applications go through the CentralSquare portal it adopted in 2025. The county is not involved in the building permit. We file the application and schedule every inspection under our license.
We are buying a 1970s house to tear down. What comes first?+
First, a survey against current setbacks and stormwater rules and an asbestos survey on the old house. Then the demolition and tree permits are filed together. Expect the buildable area to come back smaller than the house standing on the lot today.
How much do the tree rules affect the design?+
On a wooded lot, they decide where the house and driveway go. Dunwoody protects canopy and permits removal with replanting expectations. On a parcel with fifty-year-old hardwoods, the tree survey sets the footprint and the driveway. We finish the tree survey before drawing the house, so the plan does not have to be redrawn.
Is a basement worth it on this grade?+
Yes, if the lot slopes enough for one. Many Dunwoody lots fall away enough for a walkout the old house never had. Finishing that level while the trades are on site is the cheapest space the house will gain. It gets its own line on the proposal.
How long does a custom home take in Dunwoody?+
Build time depends on the size of the house, after the survey, design, tree and demolition permits and building permit are done. Your proposal schedule includes those permits and every inspection, including the separate insulation inspection.
Dunwoody & nearby
What will your Dunwoody custom home cost?
Tell us about your Dunwoody 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