Bladen County building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and insulation permits come from the Bladen County Inspections Department, 450 Smith Circle, Elizabethtown (910-862-6780). Plans and building permits are accepted until 9:30 a.m. on weekdays, and the fee schedule effective July 1, 2025 charges $0.15 per sq ft for a new building up to 10,000 sq ft, with a $75 residential minimum.
What requires a permit in Bladen County?
The department’s forms and its July 2025 fee schedule cover these permits:
Permits issued
- New residential and commercial buildings
- Remodels, signs, demolition and pools
- Electrical, plumbing, mechanical (HVAC) and gas piping
- Insulation
- Mobile home set-ups
- Cell tower upgrades
- Zoning permits for the unincorporated county
- Fire permits, through the Emergency Services schedule
Exempt
- Farm buildings are exempt from permit fees, except for their electrical work
Every permit costs double if it is not bought before work begins, or before a mobile home is set up.
Who handles permitting in Bladen County?
The Inspections Department, directed by Matthew Chadwick, enforces the state building code on residential, commercial and industrial buildings. It is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but plans for approval and building permit applications are accepted only until 9:30 a.m., Monday to Friday, and the inspectors are in the office for questions until 9:30 a.m. The Bladen County Fire Marshal’s Office permits and inspects businesses under the Emergency Services fee schedule.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Towns: the county’s mobile home permit instructions list municipal zoning offices whose permit must be in hand before the county permit, and its application says a lot in the Elizabethtown, Bladenboro, White Lake or Dublin zoning area must attach a copy of the town zoning permit. In those towns, then, the town zones and the county issues the building permit. Clarkton is different: the Town uses its own contracted building inspector for building, demolition, electrical and plumbing permits and their inspections (910-827-0742), and issues its own zoning and sign permits through Town Hall (910-519-0406). The published sources do not say whether East Arcadia or Tar Heel zone their own land; ask the town hall before applying.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Inspections Department | 450 Smith Circle, P.O. Box 1076, Elizabethtown, NC 28337; 910-862-6780; fax 910-862-6932; BCInspections@bladenco.org |
| County zoning and floodplain review | 910-862-6905 |
| 911 addressing | 910-862-6784 |
| Septic tank approval | 910-862-6877 |
| Parcel PIN (county mapping) | 910-862-6750 |
| Elizabethtown / Bladenboro / White Lake / Dublin zoning | 910-862-2066 / 910-863-3655 / 910-862-4800 / 910-862-4301 |
| Piers on the State Lakes | 910-669-2928 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Bladen County permit fees (effective July 1, 2025)
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New building, residential or commercial, up to 10,000 sq ft | $0.15 per sq ft |
| New building, area over 10,000 sq ft | $0.05 per sq ft |
| Minimum, residential / commercial | $75 / $100 |
| Insulation, up to 10,000 sq ft / over | $0.06 / $0.03 per sq ft |
| Remodel, sign, demolition or pool | $100–$300 |
| Mobile home set-up, electrical, plumbing or mechanical | $60 each permit |
| Recall (each inspection after the second) | $50 |
A new 2,000 sq ft house has a building permit fee of $300, before trade and insulation permits. The older mobile home and trade application forms still print a $25 re-inspection fee; the July 2025 schedule on the department’s page sets $50.
Trade permits in Bladen County
Each trade has its own application, filled in by the licensed contractor, with the building or mobile home permit number. The electrical form also asks for the power company premise or account number and the service size.
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, new service | $0.35 per amp ($50 minimum on the application) |
| Temporary pole or service change | $50 |
| Plumbing, first 10 fixture traps | $12.50 per trap |
| Plumbing, each trap over 10 | $5 |
| Sewer and water traps | $50 |
| Mechanical (HVAC) | $30 per ton for the first 50 tons, $5 per ton after |
| Gas piping | $50 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Wiring for a mechanical system carries no separate electrical fee. A 200-amp new service is $70 at the per-amp rate.
What to have ready
- A 911 address and the parcel PIN from county mapping
- The zoning permit: county zoning in the unincorporated area, or the town zoning permit in Elizabethtown, Bladenboro, White Lake or Dublin
- Septic tank permit approval when the lot uses a private system; the county zoning application will not proceed without it
- An elevation certificate if the site is in the floodplain
- Licensed contractors’ names and licence numbers, or the owner exemption affidavit, and the workers’ compensation affidavit
For a mobile home, the set-up permit is bought by a licensed dealer or set-up contractor, the electrical permit by a licensed electrician, and the plumbing and mechanical permits by licensed contractors. A homeowner who takes full responsibility for the set-up and electrical connections can buy the permits instead. The county solid waste fee must be paid at the Tax Office, with the receipt shown to Inspections, before power is released or a Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Rather not deal with the Bladen County building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply for a Bladen County building permit
From the county or, inside a zoned town, from the town.
Bring the septic tank permit and the 911 address.
Fill in the building, trade and insulation applications on the county’s Permitting Forms page.
Plans and permit applications are accepted at 450 Smith Circle until 9:30 a.m., Monday to Friday.
Permits bought after work begins cost double.
The county’s mobile home instructions give 9:30 a.m. as the cut-off for a same-day inspection.
Inspections in Bladen County
Call the Inspections Department at 910-862-6780. Under the July 2025 schedule a recall fee of $50 is charged for each inspection after the second. For a mobile home, everything must be in place, with proper steps at every door, and the home must not be underpinned until the final inspection passes. Electrical service for a mobile home is not released until the septic system has been inspected and approved by the health department.
Businesses are also inspected by the Fire Marshal’s Office: a new business pays $100 for its permit, plan review and first inspection up to 5,000 sq ft, and 2 cents per sq ft above that.
North Carolina building code
The 2018 North Carolina State Building Code family applies statewide, with the 2020 North Carolina Electrical Code; one- and two-family homes and townhouses still use the 2017 edition. The 2024 code has been delayed and cannot take effect before late 2027. The NC State Building Code and the delayed 2024 edition
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Bladen County permit search and official resources
Bladen County pages and forms cited in this guide.
- Bladen County Building Inspections Department
- Bladen County permitting forms
- Mobile home permits and inspections
- Bladen County zoning permit application
- Electrical permit application
- Emergency Services fire inspection fee schedule
Bladen County permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Bladen County?
The Bladen County Inspections Department, 450 Smith Circle, Elizabethtown (910-862-6780). In Elizabethtown, Bladenboro, White Lake and Dublin, the town’s zoning permit comes first.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a building permit for a new house in Bladen County?
$0.15 per sq ft up to 10,000 sq ft, with a $75 minimum; a 2,000 sq ft house is $300. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and insulation permits are extra.
When can I apply?
Plans and building permit applications are accepted until 9:30 a.m., Monday to Friday.
Do farm buildings need a permit?
Farm buildings are exempt from permit fees, except for the electrical work.
What does a mobile home permit cost?
$60 each for the set-up, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits. Permits bought after the home is set up cost double.
What is the re-inspection fee?
$50 for each inspection after the second, under the July 2025 schedule.
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More North Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bladen County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.