Marietta has some of the best basements in metro Atlanta. The lots roll, so a big share of the homes built here in the 80s and 90s came with a daylight basement that has a full wall of windows and a door to the backyard. Most of them are still unfinished, holding a furnace, a water heater and twenty years of boxes. We have finished a lot of those basements over 30 years, and the same handful of ideas keep coming up because they fit these houses. Here they are, with what each one takes to build.
The most common basement remodel in Marietta starts with the wall that has the windows. We put the main living space there, with a big TV wall, built-ins for storage on either side, recessed lighting on dimmers, and luxury vinyl plank or engineered flooring that shrugs off the occasional damp day. If the backyard door is on that wall, we frame a small mudroom drop zone beside it so pool towels and muddy cleats stop at the door. This room alone turns an unused floor into where the family actually lives in summer.
Aging parents, college kids who come back, a live-in relative, or just guests who want privacy. A basement guest suite in Marietta means a bedroom with an egress window, a full bathroom with a tiled walk-in shower, a closet, and ideally a small sitting area or kitchenette. On a daylight basement the egress is often just a bigger window in the wall that is already above grade. We put the bathroom close to where the main drain leaves the house to keep the plumbing simple, and we add sound insulation in the ceiling so nobody hears the TV upstairs.
Since 2020 nearly every basement plan we draw in Cobb County includes an office. The trick is putting it where it is quiet and where there is daylight if possible. We build a dedicated room with a solid-core door, insulated walls, plenty of outlets, hardwired internet, and good task lighting. A glass door or a transom keeps it from feeling like a bunker. If you take video calls, we plan the wall behind the desk so it looks like a room and not a mechanical closet.
A wet bar with a sink, a beverage fridge, a dishwasher drawer and stone counters is the upgrade that makes a basement feel like a second house. Full kitchens are possible, but a wet bar covers most of what people actually do down there: drinks, snacks and cleanup after a game. We tie it into the same drain run as the bathroom whenever the layout allows, and we build the storage tall so the room does not look like a dorm.
Basements are the right place for a gym: cool, out of sight, and the floor can take it. We frame a room with rubber flooring, a mirror wall, a ceiling fan, a dedicated circuit for a treadmill and extra ventilation. For storage, we finish a section of the mechanical area with shelving on the walls and keep it off the floor. Georgia humidity and a Marietta basement are a real combination, so a dehumidifier tied to the HVAC is part of every plan we build, gym or not.
Ideas are the fun part, but before we write a price we look at moisture, ceiling height and what is in the way. We check the block walls for any signs of moisture, map the ducts and drain lines that decide where ceilings can stay tall, and figure out whether a bathroom can gravity-drain or needs an ejector pump. Then we design the layout around what is actually there, which is why our basements do not end up with a beam running through the middle of the theater wall.
Yes, we pull the permits and we handle every bit of the paperwork with Cobb County, and the inspections are built into the timeline. Our own crew does the framing, electrical, plumbing, insulation, drywall, tile and trim from start to finish, so a full basement in Marietta takes us eight to twelve weeks rather than a whole season of waiting between trades.
What is the most popular basement remodel in Marietta
A daylight family room on the window wall, usually paired with a full bathroom and a bedroom or office. It uses the best light in the basement and turns an unused floor into the room the family actually lives in during the summer.
Can I add a bathroom in my basement
Yes. If the main drain leaves the house below the slab we cut the concrete and gravity-drain; if it leaves above the slab we install an ejector pump, which is normal and reliable. We figure out which one at the estimate so it is in the written price.
Thinking about a basement remodel in Marietta? We are usually already in your neighborhood working on one of your neighbors' homes, so we are close and can stop by to give an estimate the same day. Free in-home visit, written price, our own crew from start to finish.
