Est. 2003
Home additions in Cumming, GA.
Most Cumming houses were built between 1995 and 2010 on lots with room to add on. We build room additions, primary suites and second stories here. Where an addition can go depends on the septic field, the recorded setbacks and the existing roofline.
Home addition contractor · Cumming, GA
Home additions for Cumming and Forsyth County houses.
Many families in Windermere and James Creek add on to stay in their Forsyth school zone. An addition can put a bedroom, a primary suite or a second family room onto the four-bedroom house you have. We have built in Forsyth County since 2003. We price the addition in full so you can compare it with the cost of moving.
Every addition is built under one fixed-price contract. It covers the foundation, framing, roof tie-in, trades and finishes. We file the permit with the City of Cumming or Forsyth County, meet each inspector and send you site photos every working day. The work carries a one-year written warranty.
Home addition types
Three kinds of home addition in Cumming.
On a Cumming lot, the addition's size and placement depend on where the septic drain field sits. They also depend on how close the house is to the property line.
Rear family room or bedroom wing
This addition goes off the back of the house, away from the street and usually clear of the septic field lines. It is the simplest addition to permit in Forsyth County. The roof tie-in is straightforward because the existing rear roof slope extends across it.
Additions on a septic lot
A large share of Forsyth parcels are on septic, and you cannot build over a drain field or its replacement area. Either the addition is placed clear of the field, or the field is moved. Moving the field needs county health department approval before any other work starts.
Second story over the existing footprint
This is common on the smaller subdivision lots at the south end of the county. The foundation and the wall framing below must carry the new load. An engineer checks both before we draw the floor plan.
What we build
Every part of a Cumming addition.
Family Room Additions
Primary Suite Additions
Kitchen Expansions
Sunrooms & Screened Porches
Decks & Covered Patios
Second Stories & In-Law Suites
Included in every addition
One fixed price for every trade in the addition.
- Site plan & setback review
- Permit application & inspections
- Structural engineering & stamped drawings
- Foundation, slab or crawl space
- Framing & roof tie-in
- Siding, brick & trim matched to the house
- Windows, doors & exterior sealing
- Plumbing, electrical & HVAC capacity
- Insulation & energy code compliance
- Flooring, trim & paint carried through
- Daily cleanup & job-site photos
- One-year written warranty
Local conditions
Addition foundations and rooflines for Forsyth County houses.
Most of Forsyth County sits on red clay that holds water and shifts as it wets and dries. A new footing beside a thirty-year-old one settles at a different rate unless it is dug to the same depth and tied in. We dowel new foundation walls into the old ones and step footings down a slope instead of pouring one flat pad over backfill. A flat pad over backfill is the first place a crack shows up two winters later.
Cumming houses built in the 1990s and 2000s mostly have steep front gables and deep overhangs. An addition off the back at a shallower pitch will not match them. We match the roof pitch and carry the fascia and frieze detail across. We order shingles by the original manufacturer's color name where that shingle is still made.
On the eastern edge of the county, some parcels back onto Corps of Engineers property along the Lake Lanier shoreline. That boundary is not always where the fence is, so we have it surveyed before any footing is staked. On parcels near a creek, we locate the state stream buffer before staking too.
Our process
The sequence for a Cumming addition.
Locate the septic field and setbacks
Before anything is drawn, we locate the septic field and its replacement area. We check the recorded setbacks against where the house sits. Those two set the footprint of the addition. If they are found after design, the plans have to be redrawn.
Measure the house and draw the plans
We draw plans from measurements of your house, not from the builder's original set. Thirty years of changes rarely match the original drawings. We take roof pitch, plate height, window proportions and trim profiles from the house itself.
Engineer and price it
The foundation, beams and any second-story load get stamped engineering drawings. The proposal lists every trade and allowance on its own line. That is the price you sign. Any change order is a written price you approve before the work is done.
Permit, then break ground
We file the permit with the City of Cumming or Forsyth County, depending on where your parcel sits. We schedule every inspection. We photograph the site at the end of each working day so you can see progress without driving over.
Tie in, finish and final walkthrough
We tie the roof, siding and trim into the existing house. Flooring and paint run from the old rooms into the new ones without a visible seam. We walk the punch list with you, and everything we built carries a one-year written warranty.
Permits
Who issues your addition permit, Cumming or Forsyth County.
A Cumming mailing address covers much of unincorporated Forsyth County. Inside the city limits, the City of Cumming issues the permit. Outside them, Forsyth County Planning and Community Development does, with a separate application, portal and inspection schedule. Either office requires a full permit, with a site plan showing the new footprint against the setbacks and foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections.
Unlike the cities to the south, many Forsyth parcels are on septic. On a parcel outside the sewer area, Forsyth County Environmental Health must sign off before the building permit moves. The office checks whether the system can carry added bedrooms and whether the addition sits too close to the field. That review has its own timeline, so we file it first, under our license, with everything else.
Inside the city limits
City of Cumming, 100 Main Street. It handles building permits and inspections for parcels inside the city. cummingga.gov
Unincorporated Forsyth
Forsyth County Planning and Community Development, 110 East Main Street in Cumming, for everything outside the city limits. forsythco.com
Septic sign-off comes first
On any parcel not on sewer, Forsyth County Environmental Health reviews the existing system and field before the addition permit is issued. This matters most when the addition adds a bedroom.
We pull the permit
The application, site plan, engineering and every inspection are in the contract, whether your parcel is under the City of Cumming or Forsyth County.
Budget
What an addition costs in Cumming.
Our home additions run $200 to $300 per square foot, built out. Foundation height on a sloped lot, the roof tie-in and new plumbing runs are the lines that move a project within that range.
Square footage is less than half of what sets the price. The rest depends on plumbing in the new space, whether the HVAC and electrical panel can carry it, and any work below ground. A bedroom and bath on a house with a spare HVAC zone and a modern panel needs less work. The same room needs more work on a house whose systems are at capacity.
We price each of those items on its own line before work starts. You see what the bath, the panel, the foundation and the roof tie-in each cost, not one lump figure. Our cost guide gives regional ranges to check against while you decide.
What moves the total
Foundation depth, septic work under the new footprint, plumbing to a new bath, added HVAC capacity, and how much of the old roof is reframed.
Remodeling the adjoining rooms
An addition opens walls into the rooms beside it. Remodeling the kitchen or the adjoining bath under the same permit costs far less than opening those walls again in three years.
Planning guides
Home addition guides to read first.
Home addition permits in Georgia
What the application contains and what each inspector checks.
Read the guide →Building in Cumming and Forsyth County
Forsyth County soil, septic, and the city and county permit offices.
Read the article →Types of home addition
Bump-out, wing, second story or sunroom, and what each one involves.
Read the guide →Is an addition worth it?
The cost of adding on compared with the cost of moving.
Read the guide →Addition costs in North Georgia
Regional ranges by addition type and finish level.
Read the guide →Where we work
Home additions in Cumming and Forsyth County.
All remodeling services in Cumming · Areas we serve · Home additions overview
In their words
Reviews from home addition 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 home additions in Cumming.
Will my septic system handle another bedroom?+
Forsyth County Environmental Health decides, by comparing the system's rated capacity with the bedroom count you propose. Older systems sized for three bedrooms often cannot carry a fourth. The options then are a larger field, a new system, or an addition that adds living space without a bedroom. We get the county's answer before you sign anything.
How close to my property line can I build?+
Your zoning district sets the limit, and in many Forsyth subdivisions a recorded plat setback is stricter than the code minimum. We pull the recorded plat and check where your house sits, since original builders often used more of the buildable area than owners expect. If an addition would cross the setback, a variance needs a hearing and adds time, and we tell you whether to pursue one. The Georgia addition permit guide covers what goes on the site plan.
Can we live in the house while you build?+
Yes, in almost every case. Until the day it opens into the house, the addition is built as a separate structure behind your existing wall. We cut the opening only after the new space is dried in. A temporary partition seals it and keeps the dust on our side.
How long does an addition take in Cumming?+
A typical room or suite addition takes eight to twelve weeks on site once the permit is issued. Before that come the survey, drawings, engineering, plan review and, on a county parcel, the septic determination. Plan on one to two months for that stage.
Will the addition look like it was always there?+
Yes, because we match the roof pitch and overhang and carry the existing fascia, frieze and corner boards across. We match the original siding or brick and copy the interior trim profiles from your own doors and windows. If an exact material is discontinued, we tell you before you sign the contract. Our home additions page shows how the tie-in is detailed.
Cumming & nearby
What will your Cumming addition cost?
Tell us what you want to add to your Cumming house. We will come back with a fixed price, line by line, and a schedule.
- ✓ Room, suite & family room additions
- ✓ Second stories & structural work
- ✓ Site plan, permits & inspections
- ✓ Fixed pricing, line by line