Durham County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)

Permit Authority

Shared City-County Building & Safety Department provides permit, plan review, and inspection services for unincorporated Durham County and enforces NC State Building Code plus county zoning ordinances.

Department

City-County Building & Safety Department

Address

101 City Hall Plaza, Ground Floor, Durham, NC 27701

Phone

919-560-4144

Email

PermitTechnicians@durhamnc.gov

Website

https://dconc.gov/PublicSite/Departments/CityCountyBuildingandSafety

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm whether the parcel is in unincorporated Durham County and review county zoning or development constraints.
2. Assemble the shared City-County Building & Safety application package: building permit application, matching checklist, plans, and parcel-specific supporting documents.
3. Submit the building permit through Dplans.
4. Submit trade permit applications through LDO and use LDO for fee payment and inspection requests.
5. Receive email with invoice for application and review fees; pay online through LDO.
6. Respond to corrections and monitor the permit record in LDO until status changes to issued.
7. After issuance, schedule required inspections through LDO and complete applicable inspection sequence.

Typical processing time: Reviews handled in order received. State of North Carolina residential review timelines apply. No separate unincorporated-county turnaround published.

Source: City-County Building & Safety Department

General Requirements

Same shared City-County Building & Safety rules apply in unincorporated Durham County. Permits required for building, demolition, relocation, and regulated plumbing, electrical, and mechanical work unless exempt under NC law.

Required Documents

• Completed signed building permit application
• Applicable residential or commercial checklist
• Construction plans
• Surveyor-sealed plot plan or site-plan information as required
• Lien agent information and insurance documentation for qualifying projects
• Commercial Appendix B and separate trade plans where applicable

Permit validity

Applications not completed to issued within 6 months expire. Plan review fees are not refunded when application is voided after 6 months with no activity.

Building code

2018 North Carolina State Building Code and related technical codes with state amendments currently in force

Owner-builder

Same shared owner-affidavit forms apply countywide. Homeowner trade permit form requires primary residence, deed ownership, personal performance of work, and no rent, lease, or sale within 1 year.

Contractor requirements

Same Durham City-County checklist requirements apply. NC general contractor license required for projects costing $40,000 or more unless owner exemption affidavit applies. State trade licensing rules apply.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

$100-$150

Plan check fee

Same shared plan review structure. Public examples include $146.00 plan review for new one- and two-family dwellings, with plan review credited against permit fee at issuance.

Permit fee formula

Same mixed shared schedule used by Durham City-County Building & Safety. Square-foot brackets for new one- and two-family dwellings, valuation-based commercial building fees, flat or unit-based trade permit fees.

Trade permit fee

$65.00 minimum electrical permit fee; $100.00 residential minimum for permits requiring rough-in inspection; $150.00 commercial minimum for permits requiring rough-in inspection

Reinspection fee

Same shared reinspection ladder and penalty structure. $100.00 for not-ready inspections and early reinspection events, $200.00 and $300.00 for later reinspections depending on trade.

Penalty (no permit)

Double fee for work begun without permit.

Payment note

Same shared LDO payment workflow. County page says online service tools in LDO are used for inspections, and permit fee payments and inspection requests handled via LDO.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• Construction costing $40,000 or less in a single-family residence, farm building, or commercial building
• Replacement of windows, doors, exterior siding when exemption criteria are met
• Replacement of pickets, railings, stair treads, and decking of porches and exterior decks when exemption criteria are met
• Like-kind plumbing replacements that do not change size or capacity when exemption criteria are met
• Like-kind electrical device and lighting fixture replacements in one- and two-family dwellings when statutory contractor and code-compliance conditions are met

Important: The $40,000 exemption does not apply when work adds or alters load-bearing structure, changes plumbing design, adds or redesigns HVAC or electrical systems, adds roofing (replacement excluded), uses non-code materials, or triggers Fire Code-regulated changes. NC statutory exemptions under G.S. 160D-1110(c) apply. Confirm edge cases with Permit Technicians.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• LDO Portal (online)
• Shared Office Lobby (limited internet access assistance) (in-person)

Scheduling deadline

Only permit applicant with login credentials can schedule inspections. Lobby computers available at shared office for customers with limited internet access.

Inspection hours

Customer service lobby open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Department office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Time windows

Inspections conducted in next available time slot based on inspection type and site location.

Typical inspection sequence: Same shared trade and building inspection flow used by City-County Building & Safety. For residential building work: footing, foundation, slab, framing, insulation, final. Electrical: service pole/temporary power, rough-in, floor heat if applicable, final. Plumbing: slab, rough-in, water/sewer/irrigation, final. Mechanical: rough-in, final, duct leakage test if needed.

Additional Resources

• Building code: 2018 North Carolina State Building Code and related technical codes with state amendments currently in force
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• City-County Building & Safety Department
• Applications and Forms
• Inspection Requirements
• NC Statute 160D-1110 (Building Permits and Exemptions)
• License lookup guide: North Carolina Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: North Carolina Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
• North Carolina hub: North Carolina Contractor License & Permit Hub