Davidson County building permits come from Inspections / Central Permitting at 912 Greensboro Street in Lexington — with Planning & Zoning directly across the street at 913. The county permits unincorporated land (including Welcome, which is not incorporated) and is the building-permit office for the Town of Denton; Midway and Wallburg contract their zoning administration to the county. Lexington, Thomasville and the Davidson County part of High Point run their own inspections.
Davidson sits on I-85 between Winston-Salem and Charlotte. The county has moved its online permitting to an OpenGov portal, and it runs three separate counter clocks inside one set of posted hours — which is the detail most likely to waste a trip.
Applies to unincorporated Davidson County and the small towns the county serves, such as Denton. Lexington, Thomasville and the Davidson County part of High Point permit their own work.
Three clocks, one counter. The office is open 8 to 5, but next-day inspection requests are taken only 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and permits are issued only 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Arriving at 8:05 for a permit and at 4:15 for an inspection both fail.
What requires a permit in Davidson County?
A Davidson County building permit is required before most construction, alteration, repair, demolition, or change of occupancy in the county’s jurisdiction. Davidson sits between Winston-Salem and Charlotte along I-85, and the county’s inspections department covers unincorporated land and towns without their own inspections, while Lexington, Thomasville and the Davidson County part of High Point permit their own work.
Permit required
- New construction, additions, and accessory structures above the local size threshold
- Structural and load-bearing alterations, renovations, and repairs
- Electrical service changes, panel work, and most wiring alterations
- Plumbing additions, repipes, gas piping, and non-identical water heater swaps
- Mechanical and HVAC installations and changeouts
- Modular and manufactured home placement and setup
- Demolition, signs, and swimming pools — each its own record
- Development in the floodplain, which the department also enforces
Typically exempt
- Nonstructural work costing $40,000 or less in a single-family home, farm building, or commercial building (G.S. 160D-1110(c))
- Replacement windows, doors, exterior siding, and porch/deck pickets, railings, stair treads, and decking
- Like-for-like plumbing swaps that keep size and capacity, and like-kind light fixtures, receptacles, and switches
- Same-spec water heater changeouts installed by a licensed contractor
- Painting, flooring, cabinetry, and other cosmetic work
North Carolina enforces one State Building Code statewide; the 2018 edition still governs while the 2024 edition waits on the State Fire Marshal and the new Residential Code Council. North Carolina rules
Davidson County building department: who handles permitting
Davidson County Inspections / Central Permitting accepts plans for review and issues building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits, plus permits for modular and manufactured homes, demolition, signs, renovation, and swimming pools. The department also enforces the county's floodplain requirements.
The geography is worth noting: Central Permitting sits at 912 Greensboro Street in Lexington and Planning & Zoning sits at 913 — directly across the street from each other. Zoning questions go to the zoning official on the planning line; permitting questions go to Central Permitting. The county has also moved its online permitting to an OpenGov portal, where you apply, request inspections, and check results.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Central Permitting | 912 Greensboro Street, Lexington, NC 27292 |
| Planning & Zoning | 913 Greensboro Street, Lexington — across the street |
| Phone | (336) 242-2230 permitting; (336) 242-2220 for the zoning official |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| Next-day inspection requests | Accepted 8 a.m.–4 p.m. |
| Permits issued | Between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. |
Watch three separate clocks at this counter. The office is open 8 to 5, but next-day inspection requests are only taken between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and permits are only issued between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Arriving at 8:05 for a permit or at 4:15 for a next-day inspection both fail, for different reasons.
This guide covers Davidson County, North Carolina, seated in Lexington. Davidson County, Tennessee is Nashville — a far larger and entirely separate jurisdiction — and there are also Davidson Counties in no other state, but the Town of Davidson in Mecklenburg County, NC is a different place again, permitted by Mecklenburg County.
Davidson County permits: record types and what each covers
Davidson issues a broad catalog from one counter, including several records that other counties split across departments. These are the ones you will file:
Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures above the local size threshold | Full plan review against the 2018 NC Residential Code, plus zoning | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Load-bearing changes, work over $40,000, or added or redesigned plumbing, HVAC, or electrical | Plan review scaled to scope; 15-business-day residential clock applies | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement costing over $40,000, and any work that adds rather than replaces roofing | Inspections set by the local department; plan review rarely required | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount PV, with or without battery storage | Electrical review led, with structural review of the attachment | Flat or system-size based |
| Battery energy storage | Wall or floor-mounted ESS added to a dwelling | Electrical review plus fire separation and location check | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, EV chargers, most rewiring | Trade review by the electrical inspector; filed as its own record | Per-permit minimum or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and non-identical water heater swaps | Trade review; like-for-like same-capacity swaps are statutorily exempt | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | All HVAC equipment installs and changeouts, including like-for-like swaps, plus ductwork and refrigeration | Trade review by the mechanical inspector | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Deck and porch | New decks and structural rebuilds; pickets, rails, treads, and decking are exempt replacements | Footing and framing review against the residential code | Flat or valuation-based |
| Pool and spa | In-ground and above-ground pools, spas, barriers, and bonding | Structural, barrier, and electrical bonding review | Valuation-based |
| Accessory structure | Sheds, detached garages, and carports above the local size threshold | Zoning first, then structural review where applicable | Flat or valuation-based |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a structure | Utility disconnect verification and asbestos notification | Flat |
| Swimming pool permit | Pools and spas with barrier and bonding requirements | Structural, barrier, and electrical bonding review | Valuation-based |
| Modular home permit | Placement and setup of modular housing | Setup and utility connection review | Flat |
| Wastewater authorisation | Septic system type selected on the application | Signed by the owner or legal representative under 15A NCAC 18A .1937 | Flat by system type |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and multifamily buildings | Full multi-discipline review; sealed plans required | Valuation-based |
| Upfit / tenant improvement | Interior build-outs and suite fit-ups in an existing shell | Concurrent building, trade, and fire review | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural, envelope, or system changes to an existing building | Plan review scaled to scope; accessibility triggers attach | Valuation-based |
| Change of occupancy | Converting a building from one occupancy classification to another | Life-safety, accessibility, and zoning review | Valuation or flat |
| Shell building | A building permitted without a known tenant or use | Shell review only; no certificate of occupancy until an upfit closes | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Commercial roof covering replacement or recover | Structural check on added dead load; fire review where applicable | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Commercial rooftop, carport, and ground-mount arrays | Structural, electrical, and fire access review | Valuation or system-size based |
| Electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | Trade review; separate record from the building permit | Valuation or per-device |
| Plumbing | Supply, waste, vent, grease, and gas systems | Trade review; backflow and grease interceptor sign-offs attach | Valuation or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Rooftop units, ductwork, exhaust, and refrigeration | Trade review; energy compliance documentation required | Valuation or per-unit |
| Fire protection | Sprinkler, standpipe, alarm, hood, and suppression systems | Fire prevention review, often a separate submittal | Valuation or per-device |
| Sign | Wall, monument, and illuminated signage | Zoning review plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Sign permit | Wall and freestanding signage | Zoning review plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Floodplain compliance | Development within the mapped floodplain | Enforced by the same department as the building record | Flat plus review |
| Occupancy penalty clearance | Charge for occupying before a TCO or CO is issued | Must be paid before any certificate will be released | Flat penalty |
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- Single-discipline review in most cases
- One permit covers simultaneous same-address residential projects (G.S. 160D-1110(d))
- Initial review due within 15 business days; after 20, 10% of the fee is refunded for each business day late (up to 10 days)
- No engineer's or architect's seal may be demanded unless the code itself requires it
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, trades, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans where state law requires them; small commercial buildings can be exempt (G.S. 83A-13)
- Third-party plan review available under G.S. 160D-1110.1 when review stalls
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to any change of occupancy
Records you will actually see in Davidson
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Building permit | New construction, additions, renovations, and alterations |
| Electrical / plumbing / mechanical | Trade records filed by the state-licensed contractor |
| Modular home permit | Placement and setup of modular housing |
| Manufactured home permit | Placement, anchoring, and utility connection |
| Demolition permit | Full or partial removal with utility disconnect verification |
| Sign permit | Wall and freestanding signage |
| Swimming pool permit | Barrier, structural, and electrical bonding review |
| Floodplain compliance | Enforced by the same department alongside the building record |
Rather not deal with the Davidson County building department?
Get a free quote →Solar permits in Davidson
Solar files as an electrical-led record through the county's OpenGov portal. Zoning questions on a ground-mount go across the street to Planning & Zoning at 913 Greensboro Street rather than to the permitting counter at 912.
Roofing permits in Davidson
Reroofs in unincorporated Davidson and in the towns the county serves are county permits; in Lexington, Thomasville and the Davidson County part of High Point they are not. Watch the issuance window — a roofer arriving at 4:35 for a permit leaves without one.
Solar covenants and the roofing permit exemption are set by state law, and utilities run interconnection on their own timeline. North Carolina rules
Davidson County permit cost
Davidson County building permit fees are set by the county's published schedule and vary by record type and scope, with trade permits charged separately from the building record. Fees are collected within the permit issuance window.
Budget separately for the occupancy penalty risk. Occupying a structure before a temporary or final certificate of occupancy is issued triggers a flat charge that must be cleared before any certificate will be released — which means an early move-in can hold up the very document the move-in depends on.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | County fee schedule by record type and scope |
| Trade permits (E/P/M) | Charged separately per trade record |
| Occupancy penalty | Flat charge for occupying before a TCO or CO; payable before either issues |
| Permit issuance window | 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
| Re-inspection | Charged on failed inspections before final or certificate |
| Payment | Through the OpenGov portal or at the counter |
Want a precise number for a specific Davidson project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Davidson County trade permits
Davidson County trade permits for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work are separate records pulled by the state-licensed contractor performing the work, filed through the OpenGov portal or at Central Permitting.
Electrical permits
Required for services, panel upgrades, circuits, EV chargers, and solar interconnection. Electrical work takes a contractor licensed by the NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, unless owners wire their own home that is not for sale or rent.
Plumbing permits
Required for new piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and non-identical water heater changeouts by a state-licensed contractor.
Mechanical (HVAC) permits
Required for all installations and changeouts, including like-for-like swaps, plus ductwork and refrigeration, by a state-licensed heating contractor.
Wastewater coordination
Where a septic system is involved, the wastewater authorisation runs alongside the permit and requires the owner's or the owner's legal representative's signature under 15A NCAC 18A .1937 — not the contractor's.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Davidson County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Davidson County, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
Davidson County permits unincorporated land and serves towns such as Denton. Lexington, Thomasville and the Davidson County part of High Point run their own — Lexington at (336) 248-3900 and Thomasville at (336) 475-4255.
Zoning questions go to Planning & Zoning at 913 Greensboro Street; permitting is at 912. Settle zoning before the building record.
Septic requires an Authorization to Construct with a wastewater system type selected, signed by the owner or the owner's legal representative rather than by the contractor.
The county has moved online permitting to OpenGov, where you apply for permits, request inspections, and check results.
Permits are issued between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., which is narrower than the office hours.
Request next-day inspections between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and do not occupy before the temporary or final certificate issues — the penalty must be cleared before either is released.
Inspections in Davidson County
Davidson County inspections are requested through the OpenGov portal or at Central Permitting, with next-day requests accepted between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Typical checkpoints run footing and foundation, rough-in trades, framing, insulation, and final.
Permits issued in Davidson carry the statutory expiration on their face — six months from issuance if work has not commenced, and immediate expiry if work is discontinued for 12 months. If the local inspection department will not inspect within two business days of the request, the permit holder may ask the State Fire Marshal in writing to send an inspector (G.S. 143-139.4). G.S. 160D-1104 also requires the inspector to carry out every inspection requested for a scheduled visit and to point out each part of the work that fails the code.
State law sets how long a North Carolina permit stays valid and when changes need written approval. North Carolina rules
Davidson County permit search and official resources
Run a Davidson County permit search, open the OpenGov portal, or reach Central Permitting with the official links below.
- Davidson County Inspections / Central Permitting
- Davidson County OpenGov permitting portal
- Davidson County planning and zoning permits
- NC Licensing Board for General Contractors
- LiensNC — designate a lien agent (jobs of $40,000 or more)
- NC State Building Code (OSFM)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Davidson County, NC?
Davidson County Inspections / Central Permitting, at 912 Greensboro Street in Lexington (336-242-2230), for unincorporated county land and towns without their own inspections, such as Denton. Lexington, Thomasville and the Davidson County part of High Point permit their own work.
What are the Davidson County permit counter windows?
The office is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but next-day inspection requests are taken only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and permits are issued only between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Three different clocks at one counter.
How do I apply for a Davidson County permit online?
Through the county's OpenGov permitting portal, where you can apply for permits, request inspections, and check inspection results. The county publishes guides to help new users navigate it.
What happens if I occupy before the certificate of occupancy?
Occupying a structure before a temporary or final certificate of occupancy is issued triggers a flat penalty charge from the Inspections Department, and that penalty must be paid before either certificate will be issued. An early move-in delays the document the move-in depends on.
Is Davidson County, NC the same as Davidson County, TN?
No. Davidson County, North Carolina is seated in Lexington; Davidson County, Tennessee is Nashville. And the Town of Davidson is a separate place again — it sits in Mecklenburg County, NC, where the county issues the permits.
Who signs the septic application in Davidson County?
The owner or the owner's legal representative, under 15A NCAC 18A .1937 — not the contractor. If the owner does not sign personally, a legal representative must, and the wastewater system type has to be selected on the application.
What permits does Davidson County issue besides building permits?
Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical, plus modular and manufactured homes, demolition, signs, renovation, and swimming pools. The department also enforces the county's floodplain requirements.
How do I contact the Davidson County zoning official?
Call (336) 242-2220 for zoning questions on residential or commercial projects. Planning and Zoning is at 913 Greensboro Street, directly across from Central Permitting at 912.
When does a Davidson County building permit expire?
Six months after issuance if the authorised work has not commenced, and immediately if work is discontinued for 12 months after commencement — the statutory rule under G.S. 160D-1111, printed on the permit itself.
When is a general contractor licence required in Davidson County?
On projects of $40,000 or more, under G.S. 87-1 and the NC Licensing Board for General Contractors, with tiers capping single-project value at $750,000, $1,500,000, or without limit excluding land cost.
Do I need a lien agent for a Davidson County project?
For work costing $40,000 or more, yes — designated through LiensNC. The mechanics' lien agent system implements Chapter 44A, Article 2 and applies to projects commenced on or after April 1, 2013.
How long does Davidson County plan review take?
Residential plan review runs on the state clock: initial review within 15 business days, with a 10-percent-per-day fee refund if it slips past 20 business days, up to a full refund. Commercial review depends on the disciplines involved.
Simplify Davidson County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Three counter windows inside one set of posted hours, a portal the county has recently changed, and a penalty that punishes moving in early by delaying the certificate you moved in for — Davidson is a timing problem. A permit expediter for Davidson County works the timing: right window, right portal, certificate before occupancy.
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Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Davidson because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- Windows respected — permits collected and inspections requested inside the hours that actually apply.
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- Clean close-out — certificate in hand before anyone occupies, so the penalty never enters the picture.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and expediting service. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice, and we are not the permitting authority.
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More North Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Davidson County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.