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

Section 150.01 adopts the North Carolina State Building Codes, including the Building Code, Residential Code, Mechanical Code, Electrical Code, Plumbing Code, Fuel/Gas Code and Fire Prevention Code, for the regulation and governing of the conditions and maintenance of all property, buildings and structures, and makes those codes enforceable throughout the county, including issuing permits and collecting fees. Before a building permit issues, though, §154.005-01(C) requires a separate, earlier step: a valid zoning permit shall be presented with any application for a building permit, and no building permit shall be issued for any activity in a zoned area until such zoning permit is presented.

The same subsection makes it unlawful to begin excavation, construction, moving, alteration or repair of any building or accessory structure, or to change a land or building use, until the Zoning Administrator has issued a zoning permit confirming the plans and intended use conform to the zoning ordinance. Applications go to the Zoning Administrator on county forms, and a zoning permit expires six months after issuance unless substantial progress has been made on the project. Separately, under §154.005-06 and G.S. § 160D-1111, a building permit itself lapses six months after issuance if work has not begun, and no further work may occur under a lapsed permit until it is renewed.

Once construction is done, §154.005-03 requires a certificate of occupancy from the Building Inspector or Zoning Administrator before any new, altered or repurposed building may be occupied, issued automatically after final inspections confirm compliance.