Forsyth County, NC Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 7-9(j) of the Forsyth County Code makes it unlawful to commence or proceed with construction, alteration, repair, movement, removal or demolition of any building, or to install, extend, or repair plumbing, heating/cooling equipment, or electrical wiring, devices, appliances or equipment, without first securing every permit the North Carolina State Building Codes require from the inspection division with jurisdiction over the site. S. 160D-402; its inspectors receive applications, issue or deny permits, run inspections, and can issue stop-work orders under section 7-9(h), appealable in writing to the Commissioner of Insurance within five days.

A companion clause, section 7-9(kk), carves out an exemption: no permit is needed for construction, repair, replacement, or alteration costing $15,000 or less on a single-family residence or farm building, unless the work touches load-bearing structures, plumbing design, HVAC or electrical design, non-code materials, or roofing. S. 160D-1110(c), was amended in 2023 to raise the equivalent statewide floor to $40,000. Under section 7-9(k), a permit expires after six months if work hasn't started, or after twelve months of a work stoppage, and no further work may proceed until a new permit issues. Fees are set by section 7-18 on a per-square-foot or valuation basis and must be paid, per section 7-9(w), before any permit is issued.