Locate the parcel first
Confirm the property in the city’s GIS and identify the permitting authority. Metro Atlanta includes many jurisdictions; the postal city on a listing is not a permit determination.
Use the parcel itself as the common reference for every discussion. Save the survey or property description, proposed use and current structures in a small preconstruction file. When asking the city or a design professional a question, provide that same information so replies are about one site rather than a general neighborhood or ZIP code.
Plan around site constraints
Check zoning, setbacks and any applicable overlays before deciding a plan fits. Atlanta’s current process requires an arborist meeting before application for projects affecting trees. Tree review can change the house position and project sequence.
Ask the designer to show the proposed house, driveway, access and outdoor work on the site plan alongside the constraints identified during review. A floor plan’s interior square footage cannot answer whether its footprint fits. If a tree or overlay question remains open, record the dependency before paying to refine a design that may need to move or shrink.
Separate demolition from the new build
For a replacement home, ask the permit office which demolition, utility-disconnection and construction applications the project needs. Identify who will supply each approval and when the builder can give a site-specific price.
The demolition discussion should identify responsibility for approvals, disconnections, protection of retained features, debris removal and the condition of the cleared site. Treat those as proposal questions rather than assuming every builder includes them. Compare renovation and replacement using the same site information, because a proposal to keep part of a structure is a different undertaking from a complete rebuild.
Request a written feasibility scope
Ask the proposed builder to identify responsibility for survey, drainage, access, utilities and foundation investigations. Record assumptions and exclusions before treating an early estimate as the total project budget.
Separate a feasibility engagement from a construction commitment. Define the documents to be delivered, who will prepare them, which decisions remain preliminary and what would cause the budget to change. Ask how survey, soil or drainage findings will reach the designer and builder. A verbal statement that a lot is buildable is less useful than a written list of the plan, assumptions and approvals considered.
Make the purchase decision with open items visible
Before committing to the lot, review the unresolved items together: authority, permitted use, buildable area, trees, demolition and site-work scope. Give each item an owner and a next deliverable. If a cost remains an allowance, label it that way and describe what will turn it into a quoted amount. This keeps a low preliminary number from appearing more certain than the evidence supports.
Marietta and Alpharetta require their own jurisdiction checks and submission documents. The Atlanta sequence in this guide should help organize the questions, but the answers must come from the authority responsible for the parcel. Reconfirm current requirements when the design or intended work changes.
| Question | Useful evidence |
|---|---|
| Which authority applies? | Parcel-specific jurisdiction confirmation |
| What fits? | Site plan with applicable setbacks and constraints |
| What trees affect the plan? | Required arborist review and resulting conditions |
| What is included in preparation? | Written demolition, utility and site-work scope |
| What remains uncertain? | Named owner, next deliverable and allowance for each gap |
Sources & dates
- Atlanta GIS · checked 2026-10-28
- Atlanta permit instructions · checked 2026-10-28
- Online permitting · checked 2026-10-28
Questions or factual corrections: send a sourced correction.