Onslow County, NC Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Onslow County Code § 5-1(a)(5)
- Adopted code editions
- NC Plumbing Code, 2002 & 2006
- 2006 edition effective date
- July 1, 2006
- 2002 edition sunset
- December 31, 2006
- General penalty (§ 1-6)
- Up to $500 or 6 months
Summary
Onslow County Code § 5-1(a)(5) adopts the North Carolina Plumbing Code, 2002 and 2006 editions, by reference to govern plumbing construction and installation across the county's planning jurisdiction. The 2006 edition took effect July 1, 2006, while the 2002 edition remained effective through December 31, 2006.
(a)State building codes adopted by reference. The following North Carolina regulatory codes and their appendices, as adopted by the North Carolina Building Code Council pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 143-138, are hereby adopted by reference and shall control construction and installation of improvements within the planning jurisdiction of the County as if set forth herein word for word, except as amended or modified in this Chapter:...(5)North Carolina Plumbing Code (2002 and 2006 editions).* *2006 editions of these codes became effective July 1, 2006, but the 2002 editions remain effective through December 31, 2006.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
" A footnote to the list specifies that the 2006 editions of these codes, including the Plumbing Code, became effective July 1, 2006, while the 2002 editions remained effective through December 31, 2006, giving builders a defined transition window between the two editions. Onslow County has no separate plumbing ordinance; every water supply line, drain, vent, fixture installation, and sewage connection in the unincorporated county is governed by this adopted state Plumbing Code rather than by locally drafted plumbing standards. Subsection (c) provides that later amendments the North Carolina Building Code Council adopts to the Plumbing Code become effective in the county automatically once filed with the Planning and Development Department, and subsection (d) requires that department to keep an official copy of the code and its amendments on file.
The county's separate minimum housing article requires every dwelling unit to be connected to a potable water supply and public sewer, or an approved and permitted sewage disposal system, and to maintain all plumbing fixtures in operable condition, reinforcing this plumbing code adoption with a habitability floor for existing housing.
Violations & Fines
Plumbing work performed without the required permit, or that fails to conform to the adopted North Carolina Plumbing Code, is enforced under the Code's general penalty, section 1-6: a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment for up to six months per offense, with each day of continued noncompliance treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plumbing code applies to new construction in Onslow County?
Does a rental unit have to be connected to public sewer?
Is there a separate county plumbing ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Onslow County
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