Pender County, NC Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)

Article IV of Chapter 8, "Private Sewage Disposal System," is where Pender County's local plumbing-permit rule actually lives, because on-site wastewater rather than supply piping is what the county code separately permits. Section 8-120 requires first applying for and obtaining from the county health department, or such other designated agency, a proper septic tank installation permit before installing a septic tank for any mobile home or structure of any kind, or otherwise. Section 8-121 adds that no permit is granted until all of the requirements of the county health department are met and prescribed fees for such permit are paid in full, with the current fee schedule kept on file at both the health department and the clerk of the Board of Commissioners; § 8-122 lets the Board revise that fee schedule from time to time, including charges for improvement permits, reinspections caused by contractor error, and well inspections.

Enforcement sits in § 8-123: beyond the general penalty in § 1-13, the Board of Commissioners can pursue civil remedies including mandatory injunction, and violators owe a $100.00 civil penalty per violation, with each day of ongoing violation treated as a separate offense and an additional $25.00 late penalty if the citation isn't paid within ten days. Unpaid penalties can be pursued in a civil debt action. Because electrical work is also gated on this same septic permitting sequence under §§ 8-87 and 8-88, applicants effectively coordinate their plumbing permit with both the health department and the Inspection Department before other trades can finish.