Land development is the engineering and permitting work that turns raw acreage into buildable lots: yield studies, subdivision layout, entitlement, grading, stormwater, utilities, and land disturbance permitting. It is for landowners, investors, and developers who own or are buying land in North Georgia and need approved, constructible plans before capital goes in the ground.
What it is
Land development is everything that happens between a deed and a lot somebody can build on. It starts with what the code allows — zoning, minimum lot size, frontage, setbacks, buffers, floodplain — and ends with a permitted plan set and a graded site with utilities in the ground.
In practice that means we establish the real buildable area, lay out lots and roads to get the highest yield the ordinance permits, carry any rezoning or variance the layout requires, then engineer the grading, drainage, stormwater management, erosion control, sewer or septic, and water service. We prepare and submit the land disturbance permit, respond to plan review comments, and stay on the project through construction.
The layout decision is where the money is made or lost. A layout drawn to fit the topography and the utility runs costs a fraction of one drawn on a flat sheet and forced onto the ground later. Because our engineers and our builders are the same company, the plan reflects what construction actually costs.
What you receive
Master planning · subdivision and lot layout · yield study · entitlement, rezoning, and variance support · zoning exhibits · land disturbance permit (LDP) plan set · grading and drainage design · stormwater management and detention design · erosion and sediment control plans · sanitary sewer, pump station, and septic design · water and utility extension design · road and driveway access design · preliminary and final plat coordination · construction staking coordination · construction management and inspection support
When you need it
Before you buy — a yield study and buildable-area analysis during due diligence tells you whether the lot count in your pro forma is real. This is the single highest-return hour you will spend on a land deal. Before you close on financing — lenders underwrite to a lot count and a site-work budget, and both should come from engineering, not an assumption. Before you submit anything to a county — incomplete or uncoordinated submittals restart the review clock and cost months. When a deal has stalled because the layout doesn’t work, the septic won’t pass, or the access is questionable — that is an engineering problem, and it is often solvable. And when you are ready to build, the land disturbance permit is the gate everything on your schedule sits behind.
How it fits into a Mack Development build
If you build with Mack Development, land development is not a separate engagement — it is the first phase of your build. The same team that establishes your buildable area lays out the site, engineers the grading, pulls the permit, and then builds the house.
That continuity prevents the most expensive mistake in residential construction: a house designed at one elevation and a site graded to another. We set finished floor elevations in the Revit model against the engineered grading plan, so the driveway slope, the walkout basement, and the utility entries all work before the foundation is poured.
Frequently asked questions
When should I bring in a land development engineer?
During due diligence, before you close. A yield and buildable-area analysis tells you whether the lot count your deal depends on is achievable after setbacks, buffers, floodplain, and septic reserve area are subtracted. Engaging after closing means engineering to justify a price you already paid.
How long does it take to get a land disturbance permit in Georgia?
Georgia Senate Bill 447, effective July 1, 2026, requires a completeness determination within 5 days, an initial decision within 45 days, 20 days on the first resubmittal, and 14 days on each one after. If a jurisdiction misses the deadline, permit fees must be refunded and the applicant has priority mandamus rights. Real-world timing still depends on submittal quality, which is why we prepare and defend our own plans.
Can you handle a rezoning, or do I need a separate consultant?
We handle it. Mack Engineering prepares the site plans, zoning exhibits, and engineering analysis, coordinates with planning staff, and attends the hearings. Entitlement risk is usually the largest variable in a land deal, and it should be quantified by the same people who will engineer the site.
Do I need land development engineering to build a single house?
Often, yes. In most North Georgia jurisdictions a land disturbance permit is triggered by thresholds such as disturbing more than one acre, working within 200 feet of state waters, or adding more than 5,000 square feet of impervious surface. A single home on a sloped or wooded lot regularly crosses at least one of those lines.