In Metro Atlanta, a detention pond is sized against four separate criteria in the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual, not one. You must treat the water quality volume from the first 1.2 inches of rainfall, provide 24-hour extended detention of the 1-year 24-hour storm for channel protection, hold the post-development 25-year 24-hour peak discharge to the…
Serving property owners, marinas, HOAs, and developers on Lake Sidney Lanier. Summary Dredging on Lake Sidney Lanier is regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Mobile District under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, with parallel review by Georgia EPD and by the…
Quick answer: A Forsyth County subdivision approval in 2026 typically takes 6 to 14 months from concept to recorded final plat, and requires four sequential submittals: concept plan, preliminary plat, land disturbance permit (construction plans), and final plat. County fees range from about $2,000 to $12,000+ depending on lot count, plus $15,000 to $75,000 in engineering,…
Quick answer: Before hiring a commercial land development engineer in Atlanta, developers should verify Georgia PE licensure, confirm a Certificate of Authorization for the firm, ask for jurisdiction-specific project references, review sample plan sets, clarify fixed-fee vs. hourly billing, and ask directly who will stamp the drawings. The wrong hire on a commercial site can cost…
Quick answer: Industrial site development in Metro Atlanta requires M-1 or M-2 zoning (or a rezoning application), a full stormwater management design meeting current Georgia Stormwater Management Manual (GSMM) requirements, a Georgia EPD NPDES Construction General Permit for any disturbance over one acre, and county-specific industrial performance standards covering truck circulation, buffers, and outdoor storage. Typical…
Quick answer: In 2026, a land disturbance permit (LDP) in Metro Atlanta typically costs $1,500 to $7,500 in county fees plus $7,500 to $75,000 in engineering fees, and takes 45 to 120 days from submittal to permit issuance. Costs and timelines vary significantly by county, project size, and stormwater complexity. Georgia SB 447 now imposes a…
Why the Right Site Plan on Lake Lanier Starts With Your Actual Conditions — Not an Estimate Serving Lake Lanier across Forsyth, Hall, Dawson, Gwinnett & Lumpkin Counties Buying or building on Lake Lanier is one of the best decisions a Georgia family can make — and one of the most heavily regulated. The dream…
Why a Civil Engineering Feasibility Study Is the Smartest Money You’ll Spend Before You Buy When you’re evaluating a piece of property in metro Atlanta, the purchase price is the easy number. The hard numbers — the ones that decide whether your project is profitable, buildable, or a money pit — live below the surface.…
If you are dealing with backyard drainage ditch problems, you are not alone. It is one of the most-searched homeowner drainage issues in Georgia, and for good reason. A neglected, undersized, or poorly graded drainage ditch quietly eats away at usable backyard space every time it rains. Sides slough off, the channel widens, vegetation dies, and…
Quick Answer: Pre-sale feasibility engineering is a property study completed by a licensed civil engineer before a parcel is listed for sale. It documents what a buyer can actually build — including arborist findings, infiltration rates, impervious coverage limits, and site layout yield — so sellers price accurately, shorten the due-diligence window, and reduce the risk…
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