Greensboro, NC Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

Article III of Chapter 6 sets Greensboro's electrical regulations. Section 6-83 states the article's purpose: to provide minimum standards, provisions, requirements and inspections for electrical equipment, appliances, and installations covered by the North Carolina Electrical Code on premises or in habitable buildings or structures for the protection of the public safety and interest. Section 6-111 then sets the permit trigger: no electric wiring, devices, appliances or equipment may be installed within or on any building, structure, or premises, and no alteration or addition may be made to existing wiring or equipment, without first securing an electrical permit and having the work inspected by the electrical inspector.

Two exceptions apply, minor repair work such as replacing lamps or plugging portable devices into permanently installed receptacles needs no permit, and neither does wiring installed by or for an electrical public service corporation for its own generation, transmission, distribution, metering, signaling, or intelligence-transmission use. Property owners can do their own electrical work on non-rental property they occupy by obtaining a property owner's permit under § 6-113, but that permit doesn't extend to hiring unlicensed help. Contractors doing repeat work can instead get an annual permit under § 6-112, which expires every June 30.

The electrical inspector enforces the article, can enter buildings during reasonable hours to inspect, and can disconnect service found to be dangerous under § 6-98.