Raleigh, NORTH-CAROLINA Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

City of Raleigh issues permits inside Raleigh city limits and its planning/development jurisdiction; Wake County issues permits for unincorporated areas outside municipal jurisdiction.

Department

Planning and Development Department, City of Raleigh

Address

One Exchange Plaza, Suite 400, Raleigh, NC 27601

Phone

919-996-2500

Website

https://raleighnc.gov/permits

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm zoning, use, and submittal requirements through Raleigh permit pages and project-type guidance.
2. Create or log into a Permit and Development Portal account.
3. Start the permit record, enter property and contractor information, and upload plans and supporting documents.
4. Respond to staff review comments and pay invoiced fees through the portal.
5. After approval, the permit is issued in the portal; inspections are then scheduled through the same system.

Typical processing time: Varies by project type; portal help page does not publish a single universal turnaround

Source: Planning and Development Department, City of Raleigh

General Requirements

Required for most new construction, additions, structural alterations, trade work, and many site-related improvements regulated by the NC State Building Code and Raleigh development rules.

Required Documents

• Application record
• Construction plans
• Site plan as applicable
• Contractor information
• Valuation/project details
• Discipline-specific supporting forms

Permit validity

Check project-type rules in portal and Raleigh permit guidance; no single citywide expiration rule was clearly published on the help-center page reviewed

Building code

2018 NC State Building Code family with NC amendments

Owner-builder

Owner applicants can apply, but Raleigh still requires code-compliant plans and applicable affidavits/forms; verify owner occupancy and contractor disclosure requirements by permit type.

Contractor requirements

NC general contractor license generally required for projects of $40,000 or more; licensed electrical, plumbing, and mechanical contractors required for those trades.

Fees

Plan check fee

Included or separate depending on permit type; verify current fee guide

Permit fee formula

Mixed; depends on permit type and scope

Reinspection fee

Available by fee guide and enforcement rules; verify current schedule

Payment note

Portal accepts credit card payments up to $20,000 and eCheck payments; eCheck payments greater than $95,000 cannot be accepted per portal help center

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

Contact the Planning and Development Department, City of Raleigh to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Permit and Development Portal (online)

Typical inspection sequence: Typical sequence: Footing/foundation, slab or under-slab trades, framing/rough-ins, insulation, finals, then certificate-related closeout as applicable.

Additional Resources

• Building code: 2018 NC State Building Code family with NC amendments
• Verify contractor license: NC Building Code
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Raleigh Permits Home
• Permit and Development Portal Help Center
• License lookup guide: North Carolina Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: North Carolina Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
• North Carolina hub: North Carolina Contractor License & Permit Hub

Other cities in Wake County