Est. 2003
Home additions in Dunwoody, GA.
Most of Dunwoody was built within roughly fifteen years, on large lots under mature trees, with floor plans divided into separate rooms. An addition here usually opens up the back of the house as well as extending it.
Home addition contractor · Dunwoody, GA
Home additions for Dunwoody's 1970s houses.
Lots in Branches, Redfield, Village Mill and Dunwoody North run a third to half an acre, with sewer at the street. The school district carries a price premium, so many owners add on instead of selling. Most of these additions face two issues. The city protects the tree canopy, and 1970s floor framing was not built for a second load path.
We have worked this part of DeKalb since 2003 and have permitted through the city since it took over from the county. One fixed-price contract covers the foundation, framing, tie-in, every trade and the finishes. We file the permit and meet the inspectors. You get a site photo each working day and a one-year written warranty after the final walkthrough.
Home addition types
Three kinds of home addition in Dunwoody.
The layout of the existing house drives the scope here more than the lot size does. Each of these three jobs is built differently.
Primary suite on the main floor
A primary bedroom with its own bath on the ground floor, built off the back of the house. The upstairs bedrooms then become the children's floor.
Adding onto a house with half floors
A split-level's floors sit at half heights, so the addition joins one level and steps to the others, or adds a landing. That choice sets the roof line, the foundation and how the addition looks from the street.
Working around protected trees
Dunwoody's tree ordinance protects mature trees, and one near the footprint can force the footprint to move. We survey the trees before the plan is final. The root zone limits where we can dig, the same way the setback does.
What we build
Every part of a Dunwoody 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
Framing, power and trees for a Dunwoody addition.
1970s framing dimensions differ from current practice, and the ceilings are lower than in newer houses. An addition framed to current standards next to the original leaves a step in the ceiling or a step in the floor. We settle which one at the drawing stage, so the framers are not deciding it on site.
HVAC sized for the original footprint will not serve a new suite. The electrical service in these houses is often at its limit before anything is added. Before we price the job, we check whether the existing equipment can take the load or the scope needs a second zone and service upgrade. Finding that out during rough-in costs more and takes longer.
Protected trees near the build limit the footprint. Removing one takes a city application with replanting attached, not a call the crew makes on the day. Foundation work inside a root zone is slower and may need hand digging, and a bid drawn from the plan alone will not include it.
Our process
The sequence for a Dunwoody addition.
Survey the trees and the lot
We map the trees, the setbacks and where stormwater leaves the property before anything is drawn. On a Dunwoody lot, those three usually limit where the addition can go.
Pick the floor level
On a split-level, the main design decision is which floor the addition joins. When the choice is close, we draw it both ways and show how each changes the roof line and the existing rooms.
Check what the house can carry
We check the framing, the electrical panel and the HVAC against the new load, with stamped drawings for anything structural. Any upgrade they need goes on the proposal, not into a later change order.
File with the city
The City of Dunwoody issues the permit through Community Development. We submit through the city portal, track the review and book each inspection.
Build and tie in
We build the foundation, frame, dry in, run the trades and finish, with a daily site photo throughout. At the end we walk the punch list with you, and you get a one-year written warranty.
Permits
Permitting an addition with the City of Dunwoody.
Dunwoody has run its own Community Development department since it incorporated, so one office handles the permit, with no city and county split. Applications go through the city's online portal. An addition gets a full review of a site plan showing the new footprint against setbacks and lot coverage, plus the structural drawings. Inspections follow for the foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and insulation.
The city also reviews trees and stormwater. Removing a protected tree is a separate application under the city ordinance, with replanting expected and its own timeline. Added roof and paving change the runoff leaving the site, and the city reviews that on the plan. We file all of it under our license and settle both items at the start of the job.
Who issues it
City of Dunwoody Community Development, Permits and Inspections, at 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road. dunwoodyga.gov
Trees are their own application
Removing a protected tree is a separate application under the city ordinance, with replanting attached. We resolve it before the footprint is final.
Lot coverage and stormwater
New roof and paving add runoff, and the city reviews it on the site plan along with the setbacks.
We pull the permit
The contract covers the application, site plan, any tree permit, engineering and every inspection.
Budget
What an addition costs in Dunwoody.
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.
Two costs unrelated to finish level push a Dunwoody addition above the regional average. The first is electrical and HVAC capacity, because the original equipment was sized for a smaller house. A panel upgrade and an HVAC zone for the new space are common here. The second is trees, which can mean a tree application, hand digging near roots, or a less efficient footprint.
Both appear on our proposal as separate lines, not buried in a price per square foot. When you compare bids, check whether each one prices the electrical and HVAC upgrades or assumes the existing systems will handle the load.
What moves the total
Electrical service and HVAC capacity, plumbing for a suite bath, tree and stormwater work on the site plan, and matching fifty-year-old framing heights.
Opening the back of the house
The addition already opens the rear wall. Removing the remaining walls between the kitchen and the old den under the same permit costs far less than a second project later.
Planning guides
Home addition guides to read first.
Is an addition worth it?
The cost of adding on compared with the cost of moving.
Read the guide →Home addition permits in Georgia
What the application contains and what each inspector checks.
Read the guide →Common remodeling mistakes
Decisions made at the drawing stage that become expensive changes on site.
Read the guide →Financing a renovation in Georgia
How owners pay for work of this size.
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 Dunwoody and north DeKalb.
All remodeling services in Dunwoody · 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.
Dunwoody questions
Questions about home additions in Dunwoody.
Will the ceiling heights match?+
Only if we frame them to match. Houses of this age have lower ceilings than current framing, so a standard addition sits higher unless we frame it down. Matching gives a flush transition and a lower ceiling in the new room. Not matching gives a taller room with a visible transition, and we draw whichever you choose before framing starts.
Can I take down the oak that is in the way?+
Possibly. Removal goes through the city tree ordinance, with replanting expected in return. First check whether the addition can move instead, because excavation inside a root zone is slower and more careful than a machine trench. We map the trees before the plan is final, so you make that choice on paper.
Does my electrical panel need upgrading?+
Often, yes. A 1970s house was wired for a fraction of what a modern kitchen, suite and HVAC zone draw, and many original panels here are full. We check the service size and open breaker spaces at the walkthrough. If an upgrade is needed, it goes on the proposal with a price.
How do you add onto a split-level?+
There are two usual ways. We join at the lower level and step up, or extend the upper level on a new foundation below. The half floors mean the addition cannot continue the ground floor straight out, and the two options look very different from the curb. The types of home addition guide sets out the trade-offs for each.
Can we live here during the work?+
Yes, and most Dunwoody clients do. We frame and dry in the addition before opening the wall between it and the house, so the first several weeks of work stay outside. When we open the wall, we seal the opening, contain dust by zone and clean up at the end of each day.
Dunwoody & nearby
What will your Dunwoody addition cost?
Tell us what you want to add to your Dunwoody 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