Sandy Springs yards: what we plan around
Sandy Springs is hilly. Roads wind through mature oak and hickory forest, and many lots drop off toward a creek or, on the west side of the city, the Chattahoochee River. Under the leaves is the same red clay found across the metro. It drains slowly, so water coming off a slope collects wherever the ground flattens out, which is often right where people want a patio.
Most homes here were built between the 1950s and the 1980s on lots of about a third of an acre to an acre, and many have since been renovated or rebuilt. The yards often haven’t caught up. We see washed-out slopes, sinking walkways and back yards too steep to use.
Projects we build most in Sandy Springs
- Terraced retaining walls that turn a steep back yard into two or three level spaces.
- Patios set into a slope, with drainage behind them to carry storm water around the seating area.
- Drainage fixes for wet basements and soggy lawns: regrading, French drains and dry creek beds.
- Shade gardens under big hardwoods, where grass gives up.
Permits and rules in Sandy Springs
Sandy Springs runs its own Community Development department, and its rules are stricter than in many nearby cities. These are the ones that usually affect a yard project:
- A wall over 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing, or one that holds back a driveway or slope, needs a city permit. Walls 6 feet or taller need a design sealed by an engineer.
- Removing a tree 18 inches or more across, or a dogwood or redbud 10 inches or more, takes a permit even when no construction is planned. Each protected tree removed means a replacement tree or a payment into the city’s tree fund.
- No land disturbance within 50 feet of a stream, and no patios, walls or other hard surfaces within 75 feet, unless the city grants a variance.
- Lots within 2,000 feet of the Chattahoochee fall under the Metropolitan River Protection Act. Pavers, concrete and structures aren’t allowed within 150 feet of the river, and clearing in the corridor gets an extra review.
Before we design, we look up your lot’s streams, river setbacks and protected trees. If the plan needs a permit or a variance, we prepare and file it. We last checked these rules in October 2026.
Neighborhoods we serve in Sandy Springs
We work across the city: Riverside and Mount Vernon Woods, the Panhandle, North Springs, Huntcliff, and the streets around City Springs and Powers Ferry Landing. Near Perimeter Center, we serve the single-family neighborhoods tucked behind the office towers.