Land use, zoning, and rezoning attorneys for Cobb County property owners and developers
Cobb County runs rezonings on a fixed monthly cycle: file in person by 4 p.m. on the first Thursday, appear before the Planning Commission about seven weeks later, and get a Board of Commissioners vote about three weeks after that. Miss the 9 a.m. roll call and the case can be dismissed with prejudice. Miles Hansford Law Firm runs that calendar.
Unincorporated Cobb measures rezonings against the Cobb 2040 Comprehensive Plan while a Cobb 2050 update and a Unified Development Code rewrite are both in progress. Applications require notarized titleholder signatures, stamped plans, a campaign-contribution disclosure, signs maintained for 30 days, and mailed notice to every owner within 1,000 feet. Our Land Use & Zoning practice, led by David Davidson, handles rezonings, variances, and appeals across the county.
How we help in Cobb County
- Plan the filing around the first-Thursday cycle and the no-January-hearing gap
- Assemble signatures, deed, stamped plans, tax proof, and disclosures
- Post and maintain signs and mail 1,000-foot notices on time
- Present at the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners
- Variances before the Board of Zoning Appeals, and appeals within 30 days
Rezonings on the Monthly Cycle
First-Thursday filings, a Planning Commission hearing about seven weeks later, and a Board of Commissioners vote about three weeks after that.
Variances at the BZA
Second-Thursday filings, hearings six to eight weeks later at 1:30 p.m., and the unnecessary-hardship standard under §134-94.
Neighbors and Opponents
Standing analysis, evidence for both hearings, and court challenges filed within 30 days of the written decision.
Two hearings on a published schedule, with strict conditions of being heard
Cobb's Zoning Division accepts rezoning applications in person by 4 p.m. on the first Thursday of the month. The five-member Planning Commission, one appointee per commissioner, holds the first public hearing about seven weeks later and recommends. The Board of Commissioners holds its own hearing roughly three weeks after that and decides. There is no January hearing; a December 3 filing feeds the February cycle.
The application requires notarized titleholder signatures, a warranty deed, a stamped site plan and boundary survey, proof of paid taxes, and property, financial-interest, and campaign-contribution disclosures. Signs go up 30 days before the hearing and must stay up through the Board's decision, and owners within 1,000 feet get mailed notice at least 30 days before the Planning Commission, with the certificate of mailing filed by noon 21 days prior.
- File in person by 4:00 p.m. on the first Thursday
- Titleholder signatures, deed, stamped plans, tax proof, and disclosures
- Signs posted 30 days before and maintained through the BOC decision
- 1,000-foot mailed notice; certificate filed 21 days before
- Applicant present by 9:00 a.m. on hearing day
Land use and zoning services in Cobb County
From the first-Thursday filing to Cobb Superior Court.
Complete filings on the monthly cycle with every required document and disclosure.
Board of Zoning Appeals cases under the §134-94 unnecessary-hardship standard.
Sign posting every 500 feet of frontage for variances, continuous maintenance, and 1,000-foot mailings.
Framing a request against Cobb 2040 and tracking the Cobb 2050 update.
Advising on the Unified Development Code rewrite and its Planned Development category.
Representing neighbors at both hearings and filing challenges within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1.
Cobb County zoning at a glance
From the county's 2026 rezoning and variance applications and schedules; confirm current fees and dates with the firm.
- Zoning authority / department
- Community Development Agency – Zoning Division, 1150 Powder Springs Street, Suite 400, Marietta; 770-528-2035
- Recommending body
- Planning Commission, 5 members, one appointed by each commissioner; first hearing about 7 weeks after filing
- Deciding body
- Board of Commissioners; hearing about 3 weeks after the Planning Commission; final decision
- Code
- Cobb County Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 134 (§134-61 Planning Commission; §134-94 variance standard); Unified Development Code rewrite in progress
- Comprehensive plan
- Cobb 2040 Comprehensive Plan (2017, updated 2022); Cobb 2050 update under way, adoption required by October 2027
- Public notice & signs
- Signs posted 30 days before and maintained through the BOC decision; mailed notice to owners within 1,000 feet at least 30 days before the Planning Commission; certificate of mailing 21 days prior
- Neighborhood meeting requirement
- Not stated on the 2026 application; confirmed with the firm for each case
- Typical timeline
- About 10–11 weeks from the filing deadline to the BOC vote; no January hearing
- Variances & appeals body
- Board of Zoning Appeals; file by 4:00 p.m. on the second Thursday; hearing 6–8 weeks later at 1:30 p.m.; residential $150, commercial $500
- Appeal deadline
- 30 days from the written decision, O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1; appeals go to Cobb Superior Court
- Fees
- Single-family 0–5 acres $500; commercial and industrial from $1,000 by size; $10,000 cap; $300 sign deposit plus $15 per sign
Sources: Cobb County Zoning Division page; 2026 Rezoning Application and Schedule; 2026 Variance Application and Schedule; Planning Commission page; Cobb County Courier zoning explainer; East Cobb News reporting on Cobb 2050 and the UDC rewrite; O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1
Rezoning in Cobb County, step by step
Cobb publishes its schedule and its conditions of being heard. Here is what decides cases.
The monthly cycle
A Cobb rezoning is filed in person by 4 p.m. on the first Thursday. On the 2026 schedule a February 5 filing goes to the Planning Commission on March 30 and the Board of Commissioners on April 21. There is no January hearing, so the December 3 filing feeds February. Fees on the 2026 schedule start at $500 for single-family under five acres and $1,000 for commercial, capped at $10,000, plus a $300 refundable sign deposit.
Signs, notice, and the 9 a.m. roll call
Signs go up 30 days before the hearing and stay up through the Board's decision; the county states that failure to post and maintain them continuously may prohibit consideration. Every owner within 1,000 feet receives mailed notice at least 30 days before the Planning Commission hearing, and the certificate of mailing is filed by noon 21 days prior. On hearing day the applicant must be present by 9 a.m. or risk dismissal with prejudice. Each is a condition of being heard, and opponents watch them.
Variances at the Board of Zoning Appeals
Variance applications are filed by 4 p.m. on the second Thursday and heard six to eight weeks later at 1:30 p.m. in Building A. Fees are $150 residential, $500 commercial, and $450 for churches and builders, plus a $100 sign deposit. Signs are posted every 500 feet of frontage 30 days before the hearing, and the applicant files contiguous-owner consents or a certificate of mailing two weeks prior. The standard is unnecessary hardship under §134-94, and because variances are quasi-judicial, the record made at the hearing is what a court reviews.
Cobb 2040, Cobb 2050, the UDC rewrite, and appeals
The Cobb 2040 Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2017 and updated in 2022, is the current plan; community sessions for Cobb 2050 began in June 2026, with adoption required by October 2027. The UDC rewrite, launched in 2022 by a 3 to 2 Board vote with Clarion Associates, adds a Planned Development category modeled on The Battery; the county has said it will not change the use of any property. A challenge goes to Cobb Superior Court within 30 days under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1: rezonings are heard de novo under a clear and convincing evidence standard, while variances are reviewed on the record.
Alpharetta zoning counsel that runs the Cobb calendar
Miles Hansford Law Firm is based in Alpharetta, a short drive from the Cobb government campus in Marietta. Our Land Use and Zoning practice, led by David Davidson, builds a Cobb case backward from the hearing date: the first-Thursday filing, the 30-day sign, the 21-day certificate of mailing, and the 9 a.m. appearance.
For restaurants and retailers the same team handles alcohol licensing in Cobb County, where distance exceptions depend on the parcel's zoning.
Working with us on a Cobb County zoning matter
Four stages with clear deliverables.
Site and plan review
We check the current zoning, the Cobb 2040 designation, and the UDC rewrite's effect before you commit.
Filing on the cycle
We assemble the application, disclosures, and stamped plans and file by the first-Thursday deadline.
Notice and hearings
We manage signs and 1,000-foot mailings and present at the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners.
Decision and appeal window
We secure the written decision and protect or exercise the 30-day appeal right.
Cobb County zoning and rezoning questions
How long does a rezoning take in Cobb County?
About ten to eleven weeks from the filing deadline to the Board of Commissioners vote. Applications are filed in person by 4 p.m. on the first Thursday, the Planning Commission hears the case about seven weeks later, and the Board decides about three weeks after that. There is no January hearing.
What documents does a Cobb County rezoning application require?
Notarized titleholder signatures, a warranty deed, a stamped site plan and boundary survey, proof of paid taxes, and property, financial-interest, and campaign-contribution disclosure forms. Fees on the 2026 schedule start at $500 for single-family under five acres and $1,000 for commercial, with a $10,000 cap.
Who has to be notified of a Cobb County rezoning?
Every property owner within 1,000 feet, by mail at least 30 days before the Planning Commission hearing, with the certificate of mailing filed by noon 21 days prior. Signs are posted 30 days before and must be maintained through the Board of Commissioners decision or the case may not be considered.
What happens if I miss the hearing in Cobb County?
The application states the applicant must be present by 9 a.m. on hearing day or risk dismissal with prejudice. That would require a new filing on a later cycle. We attend every hearing with the client and confirm the calendar in advance.
How do I get a variance in Cobb County?
File with the Board of Zoning Appeals by 4 p.m. on the second Thursday; the hearing is six to eight weeks later at 1:30 p.m. Fees are $150 residential and $500 commercial. Signs go up every 500 feet of frontage 30 days before, and the standard is unnecessary hardship under §134-94.
Will the Cobb County UDC rewrite change my property's zoning?
The county has said the Unified Development Code rewrite will not change the use of any piece of property. The project, launched in 2022 by a 3 to 2 Board vote with Clarion Associates, adds a Planned Development category modeled on The Battery. We track adoption status for clients with pending applications.
How do I appeal a Cobb County zoning decision?
File in Cobb County Superior Court within 30 days of the written decision under O.C.G.A. § 36-66-5.1. Rezonings are legislative and heard de novo under a clear and convincing evidence standard; variances are quasi-judicial and reviewed on the record made before the Board of Zoning Appeals.
Land use and zoning in nearby North Metro jurisdictions
Each city and county runs its own zoning process.
Talk to a Cobb County zoning attorney before the first Thursday
Call 770-781-4100 or contact Miles Hansford Law Firm in Alpharetta about a rezoning, variance, or a project near your property.
Miles Hansford Law Firm
Phone: 770-781-4100
Address:
1725 Windward Concourse, Suite 150
Alpharetta, GA 30005
Consultations: Contact the firm online to get started.
This page is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Fees, deadlines, and ordinance provisions change; confirm current requirements with the relevant jurisdiction or with the firm. No attorney-client relationship is created by viewing this content or sending a message through the website.