Burlington, NC Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Burlington City Code Article IV of Chapter 34 governs any construction or work that encroaches on a public street, alley, sidewalk, public way or public place inside the City of Burlington, North Carolina. Under Section 34-91, the chief inspector issues the building permit required for this work, and doing the work without one is unlawful. The chief inspector can refuse a permit for good and sufficient cause, but a denied applicant has the right to appeal directly to the city council. Section 34-92 requires every permit to specify the location, character and extent of the work, the name of the permit holder and the person actually doing the work, and the permit becomes void if work is not begun and completed within the time it specifies.

Before the chief inspector will issue the permit, Section 34-93 requires the applicant to post a $5,000 bond and carry general liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured, with a combined single limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 aggregate; the chief inspector, with the city manager's concurrence, may reduce those amounts for good cause shown in writing. Section 34-94 puts the chief inspector in charge of designating the construction zone and inspecting the work, and Section 34-95 makes the permit holder responsible for restoring the street, sidewalk or public place to as good a condition as it was before work began.

Section 34-96 requires the permit holder to post flares, warning signals, signs or barriers to warn the public. Section 34-97 sets the civil penalty for any violation of the article at $250, payable to the city tax collector's office within ten days of the violation notice from the city engineer or designee.