Sampson County, NC Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing official
- Building Inspector
- Rule
- Sec. 2-18-04, Certificate of Occupancy
- State authority
- G.S. 160D-403(g)
- Option
- Temporary Certificate of Occupancy available
- Revocation power
- Sec. 2-18-11, Inspections Department
Summary
In unincorporated Sampson County, no new, altered, or moved building may be occupied until the Building Inspector issues a Certificate of Occupancy under Code Sec. 2-18-04, adopted pursuant to G.S. 160D-403(g). A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy can let part of a building be used safely before the whole project is finished.
Pursuant to G.S. 160D-403(g), no new building or part thereof shall be occupied, and no addition or enlargement of any existing building shall be occupied, and no existing building after being moved shall be occupied, and no change of occupancy shall be made in any existing building or part thereof, until the Building Inspector has issued a Certificate of Occupancy therefore. A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy may, however, be issued by the Building Inspector for a building or portion of a building which may safely be occupied prior to final completion and occupancy of the entire building or for other temporary uses.
Full Breakdown
Sampson County Code Sec. 2-18-04, enacted under the 2025 Revised Zoning Ordinance effective February 21, 2025, bars occupancy of any new building, any addition or enlargement of an existing building, any building after it has been moved, or any building that changes use, until the Building Inspector issues a Certificate of Occupancy. The rule is adopted pursuant to G.S. 160D-403(g) and applies countywide in the unincorporated area, working alongside the Zoning Officer's broader enforcement duties set out in Sec. 2-18-02, which give the Zoning Officer authority to enter premises for inspection and to require Zoning Permits before construction begins.
Where a project is not fully finished but part of it can safely be used, the Building Inspector may issue a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy so that portion, or another temporary use, can proceed while remaining work continues. Enforcement reaches beyond the certificate itself: Sec. 2-18-11 lets the Zoning Officer, acting through the Sampson County Inspections Department, revoke a building or occupancy permit under G.S. 160D-403(f) whenever the method of construction or the use of the building violates the ordinance, meaning an occupancy certificate already issued is not the end of the county's oversight if a violation later comes to light.
Together these sections make the Building Inspector, not the property owner or contractor, the final checkpoint before any building in unincorporated Sampson County can lawfully be used or its use changed.
Violations & Fines
Occupying or changing the use of a building before the Building Inspector issues a Certificate of Occupancy is a violation of Sec. 2-18-04 and Sec. 2-18-06, exposing the owner to the penalties in Sec. 2-18-09 under G.S. 160D-404 and G.S. 153A-123, with each day of continued unauthorized occupancy treated as a separate violation. The Sampson County Inspections Department can also revoke an already-issued permit under Sec. 2-18-11 if construction method or use violates the ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move into a new building in Sampson County before an inspection?
Is there a way to use part of a building before it's fully finished?
Can Sampson County revoke an occupancy permit after it's issued?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sampson County
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