Custom luxury homes · Cumming, GA

Custom homes in Cumming and Forsyth County

Cumming is home base for RLG Atlanta. We know the difference between building inside the city limits and in unincorporated Forsyth County, and it starts with which office issues your permit.

Building a custom home in Cumming

Inside the city limits, the City of Cumming Planning & Zoning Department issues residential construction and land disturbance permits. Plans go through review before a permit is issued, and new-home plan sets must carry the seal of a Georgia registered architect or structural engineer.

Outside the city, Forsyth County's Department of Planning & Community Development issues permits from its office at 110 E. Main St. The county's new-home checklist is longer, and two items on it affect your budget and your site plan: impact fees and stream buffers.

What to know before you build in Cumming

City or county permit

City of Cumming lots go to the city's Planning & Zoning Department. Everything else in Forsyth County goes to the county's Planning & Community Development office.

Impact fees on every new home

Forsyth County requires impact fees for all new homes. They are part of the permit cost, so we include them in your budget up front.

Wider stream buffers

Forsyth County requires a 50-foot undisturbed stream buffer plus a 75-foot impervious setback, on top of the state's 25-foot buffer. On a creek lot, that moves the house.

Septic before the building permit

If the lot is on septic, Forsyth County Environmental Health must issue the septic permit first. On sewer, you need proof of the sewer purchase.

Recorded plat and site plan

The county requires a copy of the recorded plat and a site plan showing floodplain, buffers and easements.

Setbacks are on the owner

The county notes that a building permit does not confirm setbacks are met. We stake the house from the survey so there are no surprises.

Building on the Forsyth side of Lake Lanier

Lake Lanier runs along much of Forsyth County's eastern side. Lake lots add Corps of Engineers rules on top of the county's. See lakefront homes and our Lake Lanier guide.

How we build

Start with the land
We walk the lot with you before plans are final: access, slope, septic or sewer, buffers and where the house should sit.
Open-book pricing
Custom homes are built cost-plus. You see the supplier and subcontractor invoices behind every draw, not a single lump number.
Permits and plan review
We handle submittals with the city or county building office and coordinate the surveys, soil reports and engineering they require.
On site, every day
Jerry runs the job in person. You get regular progress updates with photos, like the public build journal for Lakewood Lodge.

Keep reading

GuideWhat Goes Into the Cost of a Custom Home in Forsyth CountyThe line items that set your number, the local fees most people miss, and how open-book pricing works.Read more GuideBuilding a Home on Lake LanierCorps of Engineers property lines, the 1085 flowage easement, dock permits and what to check before you buy.Read more GuideHow to Evaluate a Building Lot in North GeorgiaSeptic and soil, stream buffers, surveys, water and sewer: what to confirm before you close on land.Read more

Other places we build

Where we buildCustom Homes in AlpharettaPermits, local rules and what to expect when you build here.Read more Where we buildCustom Homes in MiltonPermits, local rules and what to expect when you build here.Read more Where we buildCustom Homes in Johns CreekPermits, local rules and what to expect when you build here.Read more Where we buildCustom Homes in DawsonvillePermits, local rules and what to expect when you build here.Read more Where we buildCustom Homes in Gainesville & Lake LanierPermits, local rules and what to expect when you build here.Read more

Sources

Rules and fees change. Confirm with the office before you rely on them. Last checked October 2026.

Talk to Jerry and Karen about your build.

Tell us about your land and your plans. We reply by phone or email.