Unincorporated Hoke County

Building permits are required except for limited exceptions. County zoning permits are required before land is used or occupied and before buildings are structurally altered, erected, moved, used, or their use changed in the regulated unincorporated area.

Note: Limited work under N.C.G.S. 160D-1110(c) may be exempt when it costs $40,000 or less in a single-family residence, farm building, or commercial building and does not involve load-bearing structural work, design changes to plumbing, design changes to HVAC or electrical systems, prohibited materials, added roofing, or changes that trigger the Fire Code. In one- or two-family dwellings, state law exempts certain like-kind water heater replacements (if installed by a properly licensed contractor and the replacement does not change fuel, source, location, capacity, or venting and piping routing or sizing) and certain like-kind repairs or replacements of electrical lighting fixtures and devices when statutory conditions are met. Hoke County warns there are only a few exceptions and directs applicants not to proceed without confirming permit status.

Building code

Hoke County states it enforces the building codes adopted by the State of North Carolina (currently 2018 North Carolina codes).

Permit validity

County zoning permit rights are conditioned on commencement within 180 days and all other permits being obtained. The zoning permit becomes invalid unless work starts within six months of issuance, or if work is suspended or abandoned for at least one year.

Owner-builder

Hoke County public webpages do not post a local owner-builder affidavit form, but state law requires an owner-builder affidavit when a permit applicant claims the licensure exemption for qualifying projects.

Contractor requirements

State law requires a licensed NC general contractor for projects costing $40,000 or more, unless a statutory exemption applies. Electrical contractors must be state licensed. County permit applications request contractor license information for each trade.

Source: Hoke County Planning / Zoning and Hoke County Inspections ↗

1. 01
   Verify whether the Rockfish parcel is outside the City of Raeford ETJ. Hoke County states its zoning rules apply in unincorporated Hoke County outside the Raeford ETJ.
2. 02
   If the parcel is under county zoning, obtain any required county zoning permit or other land-use approval from Hoke County Planning / Zoning before or alongside the code permit package.
3. 03
   Complete the county permit application and gather plans. Hoke County requires two sets of residential plans and four complete sets of commercial plans plus one PDF CD for commercial review.
4. 04
   Submit the application package to Hoke County Inspections at 423 E Central Avenue, Raeford.
5. 05
   Wait for review. Hoke County posts usual review times of 1 to 3 working days for single-family residences and 7 to 10 working days for commercial projects unless workload is unusually heavy.
6. 06
   Pay permit fees using cash, check, or money order. The county states no permits are issued after 4:30 PM.
7. 07
   Schedule inspections through the iWorQ portal or by phone. Requests received before 4:30 PM can be scheduled the next business day.

Typical processing time: Single-family residence: 1 to 3 working days; commercial: 7 to 10 working days; special or large commercial as required.

Source: Hoke County Planning / Zoning and Hoke County Inspections ↗

Payments accepted are cash, check, or money order. No permits are issued after 4:30 PM.

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ before budgeting.

• iWorQ Portal (online)
• 910-875-8407 (phone)

Scheduling deadline

Requests received before 4:30 PM can be scheduled the next business day.

Inspection hours

Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Time windows

iWorQ inspection portal displays selectable request times from 7:00 AM through 4:55 PM.

Typical sequence: The county portal lists inspection types including footing, foundation, slab prep, slab plumbing, underground electric, underground plumbing, framing or rough-in, insulation rough-in and final, mechanical rough-in and final, plumbing rough-in and final, electrical rough-in and final, pre-final, final, and reinspection, with project-specific variations.

Source: Hoke County Planning / Zoning and Hoke County Inspections ↗