Permits in Cherokee County are issued in person by the Office of Building Code Enforcement at 911 Andrews Road, Murphy (828-837-6730), first come, first served, with no appointments. A new home of 1,500–1,999 sq ft costs $730 for all four trades, and the office aims to complete inspections within 24 to 48 hours of a phoned-in request.
What requires a permit in Cherokee County?
The County’s Permits page says no one may start building, reconstructing, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building, or installing or extending plumbing, heating and cooling or electrical systems, without first getting the permits the State Building Code and local ordinances require.
Permit needed
- New homes, additions and garages
- Manufactured and modular home set-ups
- Decks, covered porches and roofs over decks or campers
- Storage buildings 12 x 12 ft and larger
- Carports and pole sheds over 400 sq ft
- Remodels, retaining walls and demolition
- Propane tank and line work, HVAC, water heaters, electrical and plumbing jobs
- Pools, pool electric and RV pedestals
- Commercial buildings, change of occupancy and signs over 6 sq ft
No permit needed
- Prefabricated residential carports of 400 sq ft or less
- Storage buildings smaller than 12 x 12 ft
- Roof replacements costing $40,000 or less, the limit in G.S. 160D-1110(c) (the County’s 2023 fee schedule still shows $15,000 for residential re-roofs)
Who handles permitting in Cherokee County?
The Office of Building Code Enforcement takes applications, issues or denies permits, inspects the work and issues certificates of compliance or occupancy. It also administers the County’s floodplain and watershed ordinances. The office describes itself as one office whose jurisdiction covers the entire county.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Address | 911 Andrews Road, Murphy, NC 28906 |
| Phone | 828-837-6730 (permit technicians ext. 1) |
| Building Codes Administrator | Jon Crist, ext. 5 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, closed 12:30–1:00 p.m.; no permits issued after 4:00 p.m. |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Towns. Cherokee County has two incorporated towns, Murphy and Andrews. Building permits in both come from the County office above; what the towns control is zoning and utility connections. The County asks for written zoning approval from the town official where one applies, and written approval from the town or service district to connect to its water and sewer. Andrews handles planning and zoning under its own Andrews Development Ordinance through the Planning and Development Office at Town Hall, 188 Main Street (828-321-5111). Inside Murphy, the Town’s Zoning Administrator issues a zoning certificate, which lapses if substantial construction has not started within six months; the Town takes permit applications by email at manager@townofmurphync.com.
Other offices: County Environmental Health (828-835-3853) approves septic systems and wells; 911 Addressing (828-837-3950) assigns the address a permit needs; fire-code enforcement sits with the County Fire Inspector under Emergency Management, and the fee schedule notes that sprinkler and fire alarm permits are usually issued separately by the Fire Marshal.
Applications and worksheets
Applications are made at the counter between 8:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. or 1:00 and 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. The County publishes worksheets to fill in at home and bring along:
- Permit Application Worksheet for homes and for most smaller jobs, including propane, water heater, heat pump, electrical and plumbing work.
- Miscellaneous Permit Application Worksheet for detached garages, carports, workshops and storage buildings, asking for the parcel PIN, power company work order number, contractor licence number and construction cost.
- Manufactured Home Permit Worksheet, with a Manufactured Home Checklist handed to every applicant. The application must be signed by all the contractors before work begins.
Where state law requires a licensed contractor, permits are not issued to unlicensed people; the County notes the exception for an owner building for their own occupancy, which is presumed not to apply if they do not live in it for 12 months after completion. A permit expires if work has not started within six months of the application date, or stops for twelve months.
Cherokee County permit fees
New construction is priced by square footage; most other work is priced by the number of inspections. The schedule linked from the Permits page has residential rates effective June 7, 2023. The Residential page still links an older 2010 sheet with lower figures, so budget from the 2023 rates below. The County’s FY 2026–27 budget ordinance keeps every county fee unchanged for the year, so the 2023 chart still applies.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Home size | Total fee |
|---|---|
| 0–499 sq ft | $270 |
| 500–999 sq ft | $480 |
| 1,000–1,499 sq ft | $630 |
| 1,500–1,999 sq ft | $730 |
| 2,000–2,499 sq ft | $885 |
| 2,500–2,999 sq ft | $1,005 |
| 3,000–3,499 sq ft | $1,275 |
| 3,500–4,499 sq ft | $1,550 |
| 4,500–5,999 sq ft | $2,000 |
| 6,000–7,999 sq ft | $2,675 |
Add $100 for fuel piping, $150 for an attached garage and $50 for an attached carport. Additions use the same chart.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single-wide / double- or triple-wide manufactured home | $100 / $175 |
| Residential remodel, per trade inspection | $60 |
| Deck or covered porch up to 499 sq ft / over 500 sq ft | $75 / $125 |
| Storage building under 400 sq ft, one storey / larger or two-storey | $75 / $125 |
| Residential re-roof over $40,000 | $60 |
| Demolition, residential / commercial | $100 / $175 |
| In-ground / above-ground pool | $150 / $60 |
| Floodplain development or watershed protection permit | $75 each |
| Re-inspection | $60 |
| Temporary certificate of occupancy | $75 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Commercial buildings start at $575 for up to 1,000 sq ft (all trades) and add 11 cents per sq ft for each trade above 2,500 sq ft. Reactivating a lapsed permit after work has started costs $60 for the same owner or $100 for a new owner, and refunds carry a $40 processing fee.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
All trade permits come from the same office. On a new house the four trades are in the square-foot total; on an existing building each job is a flat fee:
- Electrical upgrades or changes: $60 residential, $100 commercial; temporary electric $75; pool electric is a separate $100 permit.
- Mechanical on an existing building: $60 residential, $100 commercial; a Type I hood is $200 (up to three trips).
- Propane tank and fuel-piping installation: $60 per trip residential, $100 commercial.
- Plumbing: slab plumbing for an unfinished basement is $60; plumbing is included in a pool permit.
An RV pedestal electrical permit ($60) needs a septic permit first.
What to bring when you apply
Residential
- Written Environmental Health approval for septic and well, or written approval from the town or service district to connect to water and sewer
- Written zoning approval from the town official or district, where it applies
- One full set of plans, preferably to scale, with each room labeled, the new square footage and the designer’s name, address and signature
- A 911 address
- A Notice of Lien Agent for projects over $40,000, except an owner’s own remodel or addition
- Driving directions to the site from downtown Murphy
Commercial
- Plans submitted to and approved by the office before the application is made, sealed by a design professional where required
- A completed 2018 Building Code Summary
- The same septic, utility and zoning approvals and 911 address
- A Notice of Lien Agent for projects of $40,000 or more under G.S. 44A-11.1 (the commercial page still says $30,000)
Rather not deal with the Cherokee County building department?
Get a free quote →If the land is near a river, lake, stream or creek, call the office before applying, because the floodplain or watershed ordinance may apply. A project disturbing one acre or more needs written state environmental approval before the application.
How to apply for a Cherokee County building permit
Call 911 Addressing at 828-837-3950 if the lot has no address yet; no residential or commercial permit is issued without one.
Get the Environmental Health septic and well approval, or the town or service district’s sign-off to connect.
Inside a town, bring the town’s written zoning approval; for a commercial job, have the plans approved by the office first.
Use the residential, miscellaneous or manufactured home worksheet and note whether the parcel is in a watershed or floodplain.
Walk in before 4:00 p.m. on a weekday, avoiding the 12:30–1:00 p.m. closure; there are no appointments.
Put the inspection record poster somewhere visible on site and phone in each inspection.
Inspections in Cherokee County
Inspections are requested by phone at 828-837-6730. The office aims to complete them within 24 to 48 hours of the request and treats foundation inspections and emergency electrical outages as top priority. The permit holder keeps the inspection record poster on site, where the inspector can sign it, until the final inspection is approved.
The County’s General Inspection List sets out the usual sequence for a single-family home. All trades are inspected together at rough-in and at final, and calling for single-trade inspections may add fees.
- Basement foundation: footing, poured or block wall, slab plumbing, foundation wall, steel, slab, floor framing, damproofing or drain, rough-in, fireplace, insulation, final.
- Crawlspace: footing, block or poured wall if over 4 ft high, rough-in, insulation, final.
- Slab: footing where needed, slab plumbing, slab, rough-in, insulation, final.
- Manufactured home: footing, marriage wall for multi-section units, service connections and tie-down, then water and drain-waste-vent tests.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Each re-inspection costs $60.
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
Cherokee County permit search and official resources
- Cherokee County Inspections
- Residential permit requirements
- Permits, hours and expiration
- Office of Building Code Enforcement
- Commercial permit requirements
- Manufactured home set-up permits
- Permit Fee Schedule (residential rates effective June 7, 2023)
- General Inspection List
- Miscellaneous Permit Application Worksheet
- Building Code Enforcement staff directory
- Town of Andrews Planning & Zoning
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Cherokee County permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Murphy and Andrews?
Cherokee County’s Office of Building Code Enforcement, which covers the whole county. The towns handle their own zoning, so bring the town’s written zoning approval when one is needed.
How much does a building permit for a new house cost in Cherokee County?
It depends on size: $630 for 1,000–1,499 sq ft, $730 for 1,500–1,999 sq ft and $885 for 2,000–2,499 sq ft, covering building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical, plus $100 if there is fuel piping.
Do I need a permit for a shed?
Not for a storage building smaller than 12 x 12 ft. Up to 400 sq ft on one storey it is $75; 400 sq ft or more, or two storeys, $125.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof?
Not for a roof replacement costing $40,000 or less: state law sets that limit, although the County’s fee schedule still prints $15,000. A larger residential re-roof needs the $60 permit.
Can I apply online or make an appointment?
No. Applications are taken in person at 911 Andrews Road on weekdays, first come, first served, and no permits are issued after 4:00 p.m.
How fast are inspections?
The office aims for 24 to 48 hours from the phoned-in request, with foundation inspections given priority.
How long is a permit good for?
Work must start within six months of the application date and cannot stop for twelve months, or the permit lapses and must be updated.
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More North Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cherokee County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.