Edgecombe County Planning & Inspections, 201 St. Andrew Street, Suite 205, Tarboro (252-641-7802), issues building and trade permits for unincorporated Edgecombe County and six small towns. Permits are issued over the counter from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, and inspections requested by 4:00 p.m. go on the next available inspection day.
What requires a permit in Edgecombe County?
The County Inspections Division permits new construction, including manufactured homes, and renovations, and re-inspects vacant buildings. Its forms and July 2026 fee schedule list:
Building and site
- New houses, modular homes, additions and garages
- Renovations and accessory buildings
- Single-, double- and triple-wide manufactured homes
- Moving a home or structure, and demolition
- Swimming pools and roof or ground solar
- Commercial buildings, renovations and signs
- Zoning compliance permits
Trades and fire
- Electrical services, temporary poles, reconnections and generators
- Conditional power
- Plumbing and water heaters
- Mechanical units, gas piping and gas tanks
- Insulation, per floor
- Fire alarm, sprinkler and hood or Ansul systems
Starting without a permit brings a stop-work order and a $250 fine or twice the permit fee, whichever is greater. A bona fide farm can confirm its exemption from County zoning on the Planning Division’s Bona Fide Agriculture Exemption Confirmation Form.
Who handles permitting in Edgecombe County?
Edgecombe County Planning & Inspections has a Planning Division (zoning, subdivisions, floodplain, watershed and stormwater) and an Inspections Division (building permits and inspections). The director is Dervin Spell. The office is at 201 St. Andrew Street, Suite 205, Tarboro, NC 27886; mail goes to PO Box 10, and permit questions to Inspectionpermits@edgecombeco.com.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Which towns the County serves. Edgecombe has ten incorporated places, and they fall into three groups:
| Area | Building permits from |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Edgecombe County | Edgecombe County Inspections Division |
| Leggett, Princeville, Conetoe, Speed, Macclesfield, Pinetops | Edgecombe County Inspections Division, which provides inspection services to these towns |
| Tarboro | Town of Tarboro Department of Planning & Building Inspections |
| Rocky Mount (Edgecombe portion) | City of Rocky Mount Inspections Division, which covers the whole city in both counties |
| Sharpsburg (Edgecombe portion) | Not stated. The Town issues its own Zoning Compliance Permit for building work in its limits and extraterritorial area, but its site does not name the building permit office; Town Hall 252-446-9441 |
| Whitakers (Edgecombe portion) | The published sources do not say; ask Town Hall (252-437-4011) |
Zoning comes first. A plot plan goes to Planning & Inspections for a zoning certificate. Inside a town or its extraterritorial jurisdiction, that town issues the zoning certificate instead. The County Environmental Health Department will not issue a septic tank permit until the zoning certificate is in hand.
Applications and forms
The Inspections Division posts separate building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, miscellaneous and demolition applications, a manufactured home package, a county water permit application, a conditional power with trades form, a change of contractor form, the Owner Exemption Affidavit and fire permit applications for hood or Ansul, fire alarm and sprinkler systems. The building application covers both residential and non-residential buildings and asks for the parcel ID, E-911 address, contractor and subcontractor licence numbers, total project cost, heated and unheated square footage, number of HVAC units and electrical service size.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Faxed applications are not accepted, because a permit is issued only once it is paid for in the office. For new construction, the contractor, a subcontractor, the owner or the occupant must pick up the permit; anyone else needs a signed, notarized letter of authorization. Owners acting as their own contractor complete the Owner Exemption Affidavit and may have to meet the Building Inspector first.
Edgecombe County permit fees (July 2026)
The Inspections Division fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 replaces the 2018 schedule still mentioned on the Inspections page.
| Work | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plan review | $40 |
| New dwelling up to 2,500 sq ft | $0.28 per sq ft |
| New dwelling 2,501 sq ft and over | $0.34 per sq ft |
| Unheated space and accessory structures | $0.26 per sq ft |
| Modular home | $355 |
| Manufactured home: single / double / triple-wide | $175 / $200 / $225 |
| Electrical service up to 200 amps / 400 amps | $80 / $160 |
| Temporary pole (up to 60 days), reconnect or conditional power | $75 each |
| Plumbing: first bathroom / each additional / water heater | $80 / $40 / $80 |
| Mechanical: first unit / each additional / gas piping | $80 / $40 / $80 |
| Insulation | $80 per floor |
| Swimming pool / solar panels | $100 / $175, plus zoning, plan review and electrical |
| Demolition or moving a structure | $100 |
| Zoning compliance permit | $50 |
| Minimum building permit | $80 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →For a 2,000 sq ft house the building permit is $560 plus the $40 plan review, with the electrical, plumbing, mechanical and insulation permits added on their own lines and a $10 Homeowners Recovery Fund fee. Re-inspections cost $75 the first time and $150 for each later visit; approved after-hours inspections are $75 an hour per trade with a two-hour minimum. Reinstating an expired permit costs 50% of the original fee, and a change of contractor $60.
Commercial work has a $150 plan review and is priced per square foot for each trade ($0.35 building, $0.10 electrical, $0.08 plumbing, $0.08 mechanical), with a $160 minimum; a commercial certificate of occupancy is $80. Fees are paid in the office from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. by cash, card (not American Express), check or money order, or by check mailed to PO Box 10, Tarboro, NC 27886. A permit returned within six months is refunded 25% of its cost, with at least $25 kept.
Trade permits
Each trade is a separate County permit on its own application. Electrical work on a home starts at $80 for a service up to 200 amps, plus $30 for every 100 amps from 400 amps up; generators are $80. Plumbing is priced by bathroom and water heater, mechanical by unit, and gas piping and gas tank inspections are $80 each. Fire alarm, sprinkler and hood systems in commercial buildings are permitted through the County’s fire permit applications, with sprinklers at $0.04 per sq ft.
Rather not deal with the Edgecombe County building department?
Get a free quote →How to apply for an Edgecombe County building permit
Tarboro and Rocky Mount addresses go to those towns; rural land and the six towns served by the County come to Planning & Inspections.
Submit a plot plan to the County, or to the town if the lot is in its limits or ETJ.
With the zoning certificate, apply to Edgecombe County Environmental Health.
Attach two sets of plans for new construction; modular homes and metal buildings need engineered plans.
Bring the applications to 201 St. Andrew Street between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.; the permit is issued when paid.
Give the permit number with every request.
Inspections in Edgecombe County
Inspection requests must quote the permit number and arrive by 4:00 p.m. for the next available inspection day; without a permit number, nothing is scheduled. Inspectors leave an orange sticker at the job site with the result. When the job is ready for power, County staff contact the utility company.
Re-inspections are $75 the first time and $150 for each additional trip, and after-hours inspections must be approved in advance. Demolition permits must be completed within 180 days of issue.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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
Edgecombe County permit resources
- Edgecombe County Inspections Division
- Applications, forms and procedures
- Inspections Division fee schedule (effective July 1, 2026)
- Building Permit Application
- Planning and inspections fee schedules
- Edgecombe County Planning & Development
Edgecombe County permit FAQ
Does Edgecombe County issue building permits in Tarboro or Rocky Mount?
No. Tarboro and Rocky Mount have their own building departments. The County permits unincorporated areas and provides inspections for Leggett, Princeville, Conetoe, Speed, Macclesfield and Pinetops.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a building permit for a new house?
$0.28 per sq ft up to 2,500 sq ft and $0.34 per sq ft above that, plus a $40 plan review and separate trade permits. A 2,000 sq ft house is $560 before the trades.
What is the inspection request deadline?
4:00 p.m. for the next available inspection day, with the permit number.
Can I send my application by fax?
No. Permits are issued only after payment at the Tarboro office.
What happens if I build without a permit?
A stop-work order and a $250 fine or twice the permit fee, whichever is greater.
Do I need zoning approval before the septic permit?
Yes. Environmental Health issues the septic tank permit only after the County or town zoning certificate.
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More North Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Edgecombe County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.