House Building in Marietta, GA

Before a single board is cut, a new house exists as a set of drawings, and those sheets are what every estimate, permit and crew works from. Homeowners planning house building in Marietta get more from each meeting when they know how to read a plan set and which details to look for before approving it.

Here is a sheet-by-sheet tour, with the questions worth asking along the way.

The site plan: where the house and its utilities sit

The site plan shows property lines, required setbacks, the footprint of the house, the driveway and often the existing and finished grades. Check the distance from the house to each property line and where the driveway meets the street. Look for spot elevations and arrows that show how water will drain away from the foundation.

This sheet should also mark the utility connection points: the water meter, the sewer tap or cleanout, and the power and gas services. The distance from each one to the house sets trench lengths, and the sewer elevation tells you whether waste can flow by gravity or needs a pump.

Foundation and framing plans

The foundation plan gives footing sizes, wall locations, slab thickness or crawlspace piers, and any steps where the foundation follows a slope. Framing plans show joist size and direction, beams, headers and the posts that carry concentrated loads. Roof trusses often come on a separate drawing from the truss manufacturer.

Read these sheets with your floor plan beside them. A post that lands in the middle of a room you pictured as open, or a dropped beam across a ceiling you expected to be flat, is far easier to discuss now than after framing.

Floor plans and what the numbers mean

Floor plans show rooms, doors, windows and dimensions. On many plans those dimensions are taken to the face of the framing rather than the finished wall, so a room drawn at a given size ends up slightly smaller once drywall is hung. Check hall widths, closet depths and door swings, and sketch your furniture in at scale.

Look for the mechanical pieces too. A good floor plan shows where the furnace or air handler, the water heater and the main duct chases go. If those spots are missing, ask where they will fit, because mechanical coordination after framing usually costs closet space or ceiling height somewhere.

Elevations, wall sections and the envelope

Elevations show each face of the house: cladding materials, roof pitch, window heights and trim. Wall sections slice through the structure to show every layer from the interior finish to the siding, and how the wall meets the foundation below and the roof above. The section is where the building envelope gets defined, including insulation, sheathing, the weather barrier and flashing.

If the set has no typical wall section, those choices end up being made by whoever is on site that day, and they become hard to compare between bids.

Interior elevations and cabinet sheets

Kitchen and bath elevations show cabinet heights, appliance openings, window sills in relation to the countertop, backsplash height and the hood location. Compare each opening with the actual appliance specifications, since a refrigerator deeper than the cabinets or a dishwasher blocked by a corner drawer is a common surprise. If the cabinet sheets raise questions, our kitchen remodeling page for Marietta explains how a cabinet layout is planned.

Schedules, notes and the electrical plan

Window and door schedules list sizes, operation and glass for every opening. The electrical plan places outlets, switches and fixtures, and it is worth marking up by hand with how you actually use each room. General notes set specifications such as insulation levels and allowances. A simple rule applies: if an item is not on the drawings or in the written scope, assume it has not been priced.

Marietta permits and city limits

Marietta is in Cobb County, and a Marietta mailing address does not always mean the lot is inside the city. The city’s homeowner permit page explains that a county parcel record showing tax district ‘(4) MARIETTA’ places the property in city limits, while ‘(9) UNINCORPORATED’ means Cobb County has jurisdiction. The same page says homeowners cannot apply for plumbing, electrical or mechanical permits; the professional holding the license for that trade must apply.

Inside the city, the building division requires a plumbing permit for any work on a plumbing system, water supply and sewer lines included. Applications go through the online SagesGov system, and inspections are done in person, since virtual inspections began phasing out on November 1, 2024.

Frequently asked questions about reading house plans

Are floor plan dimensions measured to the drywall or to the framing?

On many residential plans, dimensions run to the face of the studs or to framing centerlines rather than to finished drywall, and the notes should say which. Drywall on each side takes a little more out of the room. When a measurement really matters, such as a niche for a piano or a built-in bookcase, confirm how it was drawn.

What is a wall section, and why should a plan set include one?

A wall section is a cut-through drawing that shows every layer of the wall, from the interior finish to the exterior cladding, and how the wall meets the foundation and roof. It defines insulation, sheathing, the weather barrier and flashing. Without one, those decisions are made in the field, where they are harder to check and compare.

How can I tell whether my lot is inside Marietta city limits?

The city’s homeowner permit page suggests checking the county parcel record. A tax district listed as ‘(4) MARIETTA’ means the property is inside city limits, while ‘(9) UNINCORPORATED’ means Cobb County has jurisdiction. That tells you which office will handle permits and inspections for the new house.

Bring your plans, or just your lot

Whether you already have drawings or only a lot and an idea, call 404-409-4448. We can go over the sheets with you, visit the property and explain how a written estimate would follow the plan set page by page. More background is on our page about building homes in Georgia.