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

Section 14 of the Building Codes Enforcement Ordinance (Ordinance No. 3) lists the work that needs a permit: construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, moving, removal or demolition of any building; installation, extension or general repair of plumbing; installation, extension, alteration or repair of heating or cooling equipment; electrical wiring, devices, appliances or equipment; setting up a mobile home; and signs, marquees or awnings when the State Building Code requires it. A change in the use of an existing building triggers a mandatory inspection, and a permit if alteration is needed to meet code for the new use.

Section 16 requires each application to include the owner's name and address, a signed statement of ownership, a description of the work, the tax parcel number, and, where the Inspections Department requires it, scaled drawings, a boundary survey, or specifications bearing a North Carolina-registered architect's or engineer's seal. No permit may issue unless the site conforms to the county's Subdivision Regulations, Zoning Ordinance, Manufactured Home Park Ordinance, Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, and Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance, and no permit issues on a proposed subdivision lot until the plat is recorded with the Register of Deeds.

§ 87-14(a)(1) for projects of $30,000 or more. Section 9 exempts farm-use buildings on a bona fide farm (trade permits still required), residential accessory buildings 12 feet or under, and nonstructural repairs valued under $5,000.