Town of Cary, NORTH-CAROLINA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Town of Cary handles permits and inspections in Cary jurisdiction and utility-served areas described in its fee and permit guides.

Department

Inspections and Permits Department, Town of Cary

Address

316 N. Academy Street, Cary, NC 27513

Phone

919-469-4000

Email

BuildingSafety@townofcary.org

Website

https://www.carync.gov/services-publications/permits

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Review the applicable residential or commercial plan-submittal guide and fee estimation guide.
2. Prepare complete plans and supporting forms for the project scope.
3. Submit the permit package online through Cary's portal.
4. Staff reviews for completeness and code compliance; incomplete plans may not be accepted.
5. Pay permit and development fees when or before permit issuance.
6. Receive permit issuance and schedule inspections.

Typical processing time: Not published as a single universal estimate in the reviewed guide

Source: Inspections and Permits Department, Town of Cary

General Requirements

Required for new buildings, additions, alterations, accessory structures, and trade work regulated by the NC code and Cary permit rules.

Required Documents

• Application
• Full plans drawn to scale
• Site/civil information as applicable
• Contractor information
• Discipline-specific documents listed in Cary submittal guides

Permit validity

Permit-specific; verify with Cary permit staff because the reviewed guides focus on submittal and fees rather than a universal expiration rule

Building code

2018 NC State Building Code family with NC amendments; Cary's 2025 commercial guide expressly says plans are reviewed using the 2018 edition

Owner-builder

Owner applicants may apply where allowed, but trade and code compliance requirements still apply.

Contractor requirements

NC general contractor license generally required at $40,000 or more; licensed trade contractors required for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

Residential new or relocated dwelling/addition $200 minimum; residential alteration $100 minimum; each residential trade permit $100 minimum; nonresidential new/addition $200 minimum; nonresidential trade permit $100 minimum

Plan check fee

Embedded in permit processing structure; not broken out as a separate universal percentage in the reviewed fee guide

Permit fee formula

Square-footage based for core building permits, plus utility/development/transportation fees where applicable

Reinspection fee

Verify current approved budget and inspections page for current ancillary fees

Payment note

Building permit, development, and water/sewer related fees are collected when or before permit issuance

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

Contact the Inspections and Permits Department, Town of Cary to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Cary's permit system (online)

Typical inspection sequence: Typical sequence: Foundation, slab/under-slab, rough framing and rough trades, insulation, finals, and closeout.

Additional Resources

• Building code: 2018 NC State Building Code family with NC amendments; Cary's 2025 commercial guide expressly says plans are reviewed using the 2018 edition
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Permits Main Page
• Plan Submittal Guide
• Fee Schedule
• License lookup guide: North Carolina Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: North Carolina Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
• North Carolina hub: North Carolina Contractor License & Permit Hub

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