Barndominium Builders in Canton, GA

Canton barndominium builders get asked one question more than any other: what does Cherokee County need before I can build? Canton is the county seat of Cherokee County, about 40 miles north of downtown Atlanta by way of I-575 and I-75, and the order of operations here matters. Get it wrong and a finished set of plans sits waiting on a septic approval.

Septic comes before the building permit

For a new single-family home in unincorporated Cherokee County, the county's Development Services Center lists a septic permit, if applicable, among its requirements and says you must apply with the Office of Environmental Health before applying with the county. The county's zoning FAQ points septic questions to the Department of Health, North Georgia Health District. On a rural lot, that means the soil work and septic layout drive where the barndo can sit, not the other way around.

What else the county asks for

The same checklist calls for a house location plan, which can be a survey or plat of the property, proof of water and sewer service, and a driveway permit when the lot is not part of a larger development plan. Water in unincorporated Cherokee County is handled by the Cherokee County Water and Sewer Authority; inside a city, you go to that city's utility. If your land has no public water, a well plan becomes part of the conversation early.

Inside Canton city limits

Lots inside the city fall under the City of Canton's Building Safety Services, which enforces the building code and schedules inspections through its online LAMA permitting portal. City lots usually bring public water and sewer and tighter zoning, so we review exterior material and setback rules before committing to a metal-sided design.

The Etowah and the hills

The Etowah River, a tributary of the Coosa, flows east to west through the center of Canton, and the city sits at about 968 feet. Cherokee County's primary waterways are the Etowah and Little Rivers, which feed Lake Allatoona. North of town, the county rises toward the foothills of the north Georgia mountains. Bottomland near the river and steep ground to the north both need a careful look at drainage, flood mapping and grading before a pad goes in.

Slopes and saprolite

The USDA's Pacolet series describes a common Piedmont upland soil: well drained, with a red clay subsoil and slopes commonly from 15 to 25 percent. In the typical Pacolet profile, soft weathered rock called saprolite begins around 37 inches down. On ground like that we expect cut-and-fill work, retaining considerations on the uphill side and a slab or pier design that suits the soil the geotechnical work actually finds.

A county that keeps growing

Cherokee County went from 214,346 residents in 2010 to 266,620 in 2020, after rising 51.1 percent between 2000 and 2010. Rapid growth began after the first phase of I-575 opened in 1979, and the county is most densely populated in the south, closest to Atlanta. Canton itself grew from 22,958 to 32,973 over the last decade. For a barndo owner, that growth means land with acreage is more available north and west of town, and subdivisions with covenants are more common in the south.

Mill-town roots

Canton was once a mill town known for Canton Denim; the Canton Cotton Mills closed in 1981. A barndo with a big shop and simple steel lines fits right into that working history.

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