City Building Permits
Concord, NORTH-CAROLINA Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in Concord, North Carolina. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Concord handles local planning and zoning review. Building permits and inspections are routed through Cabarrus County Construction Standards.
- Department
- City of Concord Planning and Neighborhood Development Department; Cabarrus County Construction Standards
- Address
- Concord City Hall, 35 Cabarrus Ave W, Concord, NC 28025; Cabarrus County Construction Standards, 65 Church St S, Concord, NC 28025
- Phone
- 704-920-5152 (City Planning); 704-920-2100 (Cabarrus County Construction Standards)
Online Permit Portal
Platform: Accela Citizen Access • Account required: Yes • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Confirm project zoning and local development requirements with Concord Planning.
- Prepare city-required zoning and development documents.
- Create or use an Accela Citizen Access account and submit plan review materials through Cabarrus County.
- Upload plans and required PDFs in the county plan room and finish the review step.
- Wait for review comments and respond if needed.
- Pay applicable fees and obtain issued permit.
- Schedule inspections through Accela or county inspection tools during construction.
Typical processing time: 5 to 7 business days for residential reviews; 3 to 5 weeks for commercial reviews, depending on zoning.
General Requirements
Concord zoning review is required for development subject to city land use controls, and county building permits are required for construction activity regulated by the NC State Building Code.
Required Documents
- Project-specific zoning and development documents required by Concord
- County plan review uploads in PDF
- Building and trade permit forms
- Lien documents for projects of $30,000 or more
- Zoning documentation as applicable
- Building code
- 2018 North Carolina State Building Code with state amendments
- Owner-builder
- Owner-builder filings are handled through county homeowner packet or owner exemption affidavit forms.
- Contractor requirements
- NC general contractor license required for projects of $40,000 and above; licensed electrical contractors required for electrical contracting.
Fees
- Payment note
- County Accela supports online payment.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the City of Concord Planning and Neighborhood Development Department; Cabarrus County Construction Standards to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Accela Citizen Access (online)
- 704-920-2100 (phone)
- Inspection hours
- 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Typical inspection sequence: Depends on project scope; county handles standard code inspections after permit issuance.
Additional Resources
- Building code: 2018 North Carolina State Building Code with state amendments
- Verify contractor license: NC Licensing Board for General Contractors
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Concord Development Ordinance
- Cabarrus County Construction Standards Forms
- License lookup guide: North Carolina Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: North Carolina Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- North Carolina hub: North Carolina Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the City of Concord Planning and Neighborhood Development Department; Cabarrus County Construction Standards before applying.
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