Building Safety in North Carolina (2026)

Greensboro landlords must disclose lead paint in pre-1978 housing under federal law. EPA penalties reach $19,507 per…

Matthews follows federal EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule for pre-1978 homes. NC DHHS Childhood Lead…

In unincorporated Brunswick County, North Carolina, the Minimum Housing Code requires any interior surface or any…

Durham's Housing Code bars using any interior paint that exceeds the lead pigment limit set by the Consumer Products…

Winston-Salem homes built before 1978 are subject to the federal Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule…

City Code Section 6-31 requires an automatic fire sprinkler system meeting NFPA Standard 13 or 13R in every fraternity…

Inside Fayetteville's secondary fire district, a fire-retardant wood-frame building may be built, enlarged or modified…

Guilford County requires a second fire apparatus access road for single- and two-family subdivisions of 100 or more…

Harnett County's subdivision utility standards require fire hydrants spaced no more than 500 feet apart in residential…

High Point requires city approval, a tap fee, and backflow preventors before any fire sprinkler system connects to the…

Kill Devil Hills makes it unlawful to shut off or disable an automatic fire sprinkler system in an occupied building…

Brunswick County, North Carolina's fire prevention code does not require automatic sprinkler systems in one- or…

Cleveland County's zoning definitions set real siting standards for two kinds of residential child care under § 12-21…

Pitt County's Zoning Ordinance sets specific siting standards for day care centers and residential day care facilities…

Asheville allows child day care centers by right in specific zoning districts only if they meet Sec. 7-16-1(b)(15)'s…

Brunswick County's Unified Development Ordinance sets zoning standards for day care facilities in the unincorporated…

The Town of Cary's Land Development Ordinance requires day care centers in Wake County to install a solid, opaque fence…

Charlotte's UDO requires every childcare center to be state-licensed with that license posted publicly, places outdoor…

Concord's Development Ordinance requires any child care center, adult day care center or family day care home to secure…

Durham's Unified Development Ordinance lets Child Care Centers locate under the Sec. 5.1 use table, but Sec. 5.3.3.E…

Non-residential child care centers in Fayetteville must be state-licensed and meet UDO siting rules: 500 feet from bars…

Greensboro's Land Development Ordinance sets separate zoning standards for child day care centers, the larger…

In unincorporated Guilford County, an in-home Child Day Care operating as an accessory home use is capped at twelve…

Any childcare facility's outdoor play area in Harnett County has to sit outside the front yard setback and be enclosed…

High Point requires every day care center to hold State licensing, front on a street classified higher than a…

In unincorporated Moore County, the Fire Marshal's Office carries the local duty to inspect day care facilities for…

A stand-alone child or adult day care center in unincorporated Nash County must fence any outdoor activity area with a…

Rose Hill's Zoning Code allows child day-cares, nurseries, and after-school care facilities in the R-1 Residential…

Charlotte's housing code bans deadbolt locks on hotel and motel exterior doors that need a key, card, or combination to…

Asheville does not run a mandatory green building code, but its zoning ordinance rewards LEED and NC Healthy Built…

High Point, North Carolina has no mandatory green building code, but its Development Ordinance rewards LEED-certified…

Cary's housing code requires carbon monoxide detectors in covered dwellings, mandating that they be provided and…

Section 11-77(r) of Charlotte's housing code requires every dwelling and roominghouse to comply with the county's…

Durham's Housing Code requires a working carbon monoxide alarm on every habitable level of a dwelling unit that has a…

Forsyth County requires carbon monoxide detectors in every home with an attached garage or fossil-fuel heat, plus smoke…

Guilford County requires carbon monoxide alarms in unincorporated dwellings whenever permitted interior work triggers…

Onslow County's rental housing code requires landlords to install at least one carbon monoxide alarm whenever a rented…

Raleigh's housing code requires carbon monoxide alarms outside every sleeping area whenever an existing dwelling gets…

Existing occupied dwelling units with a fossil-fuel heater, appliance, fireplace, or attached garage must have at least…

The Town of Cary requires a building permit from its Inspections and Permits Department before any…

Before the North Carolina State Building Code permit can issue for construction, alteration, or a change in land or…

Apex requires a permit before any alteration, removal, demolition, or other building operation begins, with detailed…

Any construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, removal or demolition of a building in Asheville needs a written…

In unincorporated Brunswick County, no one may start building, altering, moving or removing a structure, or make…

Unincorporated Buncombe County requires a written permit from the building inspector before constructing, altering…

Catawba County governs all building, remodeling and construction under the adopted North Carolina State Building Code…

Charlotte requires building permits for renovations involving structural changes, electrical, plumbing, or HVAC work…

Cleveland County requires a permit before land use changes, substantial clearing or grading, or building work happens…

Concord regulates all building construction, alteration, repair and demolition under the North Carolina State Building…

In unincorporated Craven County, no one may erect, construct or alter a building or structure until the Inspection…

Cumberland County requires a permit from the Inspection Department before any construction, alteration, repair, or…

Davidson County requires a building permit before any new commercial construction, addition, alteration, or occupancy…

Renovating or remodeling a building in Durham requires a permit from the Durham Inspections Department before work…

No one may construct, alter, repair, remove, or demolish any building or structure in Fayetteville without a written…

In unincorporated Forsyth County, it's unlawful to build, alter, or demolish a building, or to install, extend, or…

Any structure covered by the North Carolina State Building Code needs a permit from the Gaston County Building…

Gastonia requires a permit from the inspections superintendent before anyone constructs a new building, addition, or…

No one may start construction, alteration, repair, removal or demolition of a building in Greensboro without a written…

Harnett County Code § 151.048 requires a written permit from the Building Inspector before any construction…

Before building, rebuilding, altering, repairing, removing, or tearing down any structure in High Point, you need a…

Iredell County Code § 4-106 bars anyone from starting construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, moving, or…

Before grading, filling, or building anything beyond ordinary repairs on land in unincorporated Johnston County, the…

Nobody can start construction of any kind in the Town of Kill Devil Hills without first securing a building permit from…

In unincorporated Lincoln County, general construction, remodeling and building work of any kind is governed by the…

In unincorporated Moore County, building permits run through the North Carolina State Building Code, which Moore County…

Anyone who wants to locate, erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair or relocate a building, structure or mobile home…

Sec. 11-81 of the county code bars anyone from constructing, reconstructing, altering, repairing, moving, or…

Onslow County Code § 5-1(a) adopts the North Carolina Building Code, Residential Code and related state construction…

Pitt County requires a permit from the Inspections Department before construction, plumbing, mechanical, electrical…

Raleigh requires a Tier One Site Plan before you build a deck, patio, gazebo, carport or in-ground pool, under Unified…

Interior renovation work in unincorporated Rockingham County needs a permit from the county inspection department…

Rose Hill requires a building permit before anyone starts the construction activity described in G.S. Chapter…

In unincorporated Rowan County, no one is allowed to start, alter, move, or demolish a building without a written…

Shelby requires a permit from the city building inspector before anyone builds, alters, repairs or moves any building…

Wake County requires a permit from the Inspections Division before erecting, altering, repairing or relocating any…

In unincorporated Wayne County, no one may commence or proceed with the construction, reconstruction, alteration or…

Wilmington requires a permit before anyone begins construction, alteration, repair, moving, or demolition of a building…

Winston-Salem requires an inspections division permit for deck and patio construction unless the total job cost is…

Apex requires a permit from the code enforcement officer before installing, altering, or adding any electrical wiring…

Asheville enforces the North Carolina Electrical Code, which adopts the National Electrical Code by reference, as the…

Brunswick County adopts the National Electrical Code by reference for all electrical work in the unincorporated county…

Unincorporated Buncombe County requires a permit from the electrical inspector before installing, extending, altering…

The Town of Cary enforces electrical work through the state-adopted North Carolina Building Code, which it adopts by…

Electrical work in unincorporated Cleveland County must meet the North Carolina Electrical Code, which the county…

Cumberland County requires a permit before installing, extending, or generally repairing any electrical wiring…

For commercial construction that needs a Technical Codes permit in unincorporated Davidson County, § 98.046(B) requires…

Any electrical wiring, device, appliance, or equipment installed or altered in Durham needs a permit from the director…

No one may install, extend, alter, or generally repair electrical wiring, devices, appliances, or equipment in…

Unincorporated Forsyth County enforces electrical work through the North Carolina State Building Codes and National…

Gastonia requires a permit and inspection under Sec. 16-165 before anyone installs, alters, or adds to wiring, devices…

Greensboro requires an electrical permit and inspection by the electrical inspector before any wiring, device…

Harnett County adopts the National Electrical Code under § 151.006, and § 151.048(D) requires a written permit from the…

High Point requires a written permit from the city electrical inspector before anyone installs, extends, alters or…

Iredell County adopts the North Carolina State Electrical Code by reference as its electrical code under Code § 4-60…

Kill Devil Hills doesn't write its own electrical code: § 150.07(A) adopts the North Carolina State Building Code by…

Electrical work in unincorporated Lincoln County follows the National Electric Code, one of ten construction codes the…

Unincorporated Moore County has no standalone electrical permit ordinance: Moore County Code Section 5-41 adopts the…

Sec. 11-123 adopts the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, as the minimum standard for all wiring, devices, and…

Onslow County Code § 5-1(a)(7) adopts the North Carolina Electrical Code, 2005 edition, by reference to govern…

Pitt County enforces the North Carolina State Electrical Code, including the National Electrical Code, and requires an…

Raleigh requires an electrical permit under UDO Sec. 11.4.1 before wiring, panel, or fixture work begins, and all…

No one is allowed to install, extend, alter, or repair electrical wiring, devices, appliances, or equipment in…

Shelby enforces the North Carolina State Building Code, including its NEC-based electrical provisions, as city law, and…

In unincorporated Wayne County, no one may install, extend, alter or repair electrical wiring, devices or equipment…

Wilmington layers its own supplemental requirements on top of the National Electrical Code for permanent buildings…

Winston-Salem requires a permit and electrical-inspector approval before any wiring, device, or equipment installation…

Apex requires a permit from the plumbing inspector before any plumbing or gas work is installed, altered, or added…

Asheville plumbing work runs under the North Carolina Plumbing Code, adopted by City Code § 4-126, and needs a permit…

Brunswick County requires a plumbing permit before any installation, extension or repair of a plumbing system in the…

Unincorporated Buncombe County requires a permit from the plumbing inspector before installing, extending or repairing…

The Town of Cary requires an approved water or sewer connection for improved property near town lines and mandates…

Charlotte incorporates the state building code for any plumbing work in a rental under § 11-80(a), then layers on its…

In unincorporated Cleveland County, all plumbing work must follow the North Carolina Plumbing Code, which the county…

Concord will not connect any property to Concord Utilities water or sewer service unless the owner has first obtained a…

Cumberland County requires a permit before installing, extending, or generally repairing any plumbing system in the…

Installing or replacing plumbing in Durham needs a City Code § 10-48 permit from Durham Inspections before work starts…

No one may install, extend, or generally repair a plumbing system in Fayetteville without a written plumbing permit…

Before any plumbing or drainage system in unincorporated Forsyth County can be built or altered under the plumbing code…

Gastonia enforces the North Carolina Plumbing Code adopted by Sec. 16-28 for every plumbing installation in the city…

Greensboro requires a permit from the city plumbing inspector for the installation, extension, alteration, or general…

Harnett County has adopted the North Carolina Plumbing Code under § 151.004, and § 151.048(B) bars starting plumbing…

High Point law requires a written permit from the city plumbing inspector before any installation, extension, or…

Iredell County adopts the North Carolina Plumbing Code by reference as its plumbing code under Code § 4-58, and Sec…

Kill Devil Hills adopts the North Carolina State Building Code, Volume II, Plumbing, by reference under § 150.07(A)…

Plumbing work in unincorporated Lincoln County follows the 2018 North Carolina State Plumbing Code, adopted by Lincoln…

Unincorporated Moore County requires all plumbing work to comply with the North Carolina Plumbing Code. Chapter 5…

New Hanover County adopts the current North Carolina Plumbing Code as its plumbing code under Sec. 11-5, and Sec. 11-81…

Onslow County Code § 5-1(a)(5) adopts the North Carolina Plumbing Code, 2002 and 2006 editions, by reference to govern…

Pitt County requires every building intended for human habitation to have plumbing installed under the North Carolina…

Raleigh requires a plumbing permit under UDO Sec. 11.4.1 before installing, altering, or repairing plumbing systems…

Plumbing work in unincorporated Rockingham County needs a permit from the county's inspection department, with fees the…

No one is allowed to install, extend, or generally repair a plumbing system in unincorporated Rowan County without a…

Shelby requires a building inspector permit before any plumbing alteration, and enforces the state plumbing code under…

Wake County requires a permit before installing, replacing or relocating plumbing utilities or equipment in…

Wayne County adopted the North Carolina Plumbing Code by reference under Code § 14-22, and Section 14-92(c) requires a…

Wilmington requires a permit before anyone installs, extends, or repairs a plumbing system within city limits, under…

Any installation, extension, or general repair of a plumbing system in Winston-Salem requires a permit from the city's…

Apex builders must notify the code enforcement officer and receive approval before footings, before structural concrete…

Brunswick County's Building Inspections Department requires a call-in inspection at nine defined stages of…

Under the Town of Cary, Wake County, North Carolina's Code of Ordinances, the inspections and permits director or an…

Chapter 3.6 gives the county-manager-appointed code enforcement officer statutory power to investigate dwelling and…

Concord's housing code officer may enter and inspect any dwelling, dwelling unit or premises at reasonable times after…

Craven County's inspection department, staffed by inspectors the county manager appoints, must issue a building permit…

Durham runs a standing periodic building inspection program targeted at residential rental property. Under City Code §§…

Every stage of permitted construction in Fayetteville must clear an inspection before work continues: foundation…

Greensboro's building code lays out seven required inspection checkpoints, from location and footing through the final…

No land or structure in unincorporated Guilford County may be occupied, altered, moved, or have its use changed until…

Harnett County's Inspections Department requires every permit holder to call for approval at six defined construction…

High Point requires a building permit before any excavation, construction, or structural alteration begins, plus a…

Johnston County's code official inspects dwellings for compliance with the minimum housing and property maintenance…

Kill Devil Hills' Planning and Inspections Department must inspect construction work enough times to confirm it matches…

Nash County's Building Inspection Department, created under Sec. 6-1, enforces the North Carolina State Building Code…

Pitt County requires at least six staged inspections during construction, footing, pre-underslab, foundation, frame and…

Raleigh's Fire Marshal inspects existing buildings on a set schedule tied to occupancy type, from annual visits for…

Rose Hill doesn't run its own building inspection department: § 151.01 has the town arrange for Duplin County to…

Rowan County's codes enforcement department inspects every permitted building project at four required stages…

In unincorporated Wayne County, permit holders must call the inspection department for approval at each construction…