Macon County’s Department of Planning, Permitting & Development, at 1834 Lakeside Drive in Franklin, issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and inspects the work, including in the Macon County part of Highlands once the Town has issued its Zoning Certificate. Fees come from a square-footage chart that bundles the four permits: a house of 2,000–2,499 sq ft costs $885 in total.
What requires a permit in Macon County?
The County’s building inspections office takes applications for buildings and accessory buildings, electrical, mechanical and heating and air conditioning work, wood-burning stoves, plumbing and signs. Its fee schedule shows the range of work it permits:
Building permits
- New houses, additions and modular homes
- Single, double and triple-wide mobile homes
- Decks (a 3 ft by 3 ft landing at the top of exterior stairs is fee-exempt)
- Pools, RVs and park models
- Demolition
- Signs and their footings
- Motels, multi-family buildings and warehouses
- Cell towers and co-locations
Trade and site permits
- Electrical service changes and pump, fence or gate circuits
- Generators and water heaters
- HVAC change-outs and new systems
- Gas piping, outside and inside
- Land disturbance, for any grading
- Floodplain and watershed protection permits
Permits needed to repair damage from a natural disaster are free, and electrical permits for storm damage carry no charge.
Who handles permitting in Macon County?
The Department of Planning, Permitting & Development combines building inspections, environmental services and the County Planner. Building Inspections reviews plans, issues permits, inspects construction and issues Certificates of Occupancy. Environmental Services runs the flood damage prevention, watershed protection and erosion control programs, and the County Planner handles the sign, telecommunication tower and subdivision ordinances. Joe Allen is the Director. The office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Planning, Permitting & Development | 1834 Lakeside Drive, Franklin, NC 28734 |
| Code Enforcement (building inspections) | 828-349-2072 |
| Planning | 828-349-2073 |
| Environmental Health (septic) | 1830 Lakeside Drive, Franklin; 828-349-2490 |
| Area | Who handles it |
|---|---|
| Highlands (Macon County part) | The Town issues a Zoning Certificate and Watershed Protection Permit; Macon County then issues the building permit, and both the Town and the County inspect |
| Franklin | The Town Planner handles land development (zoning) permits inside the town limits and its extraterritorial jurisdiction; the Town’s planning page does not say who issues building permits, so ask Macon County at 828-349-2072 |
| Unincorporated county | Macon County Planning, Permitting & Development |
Applying and the forms you need
The County’s department page links to its GovWell online portal for applications and to a public permit search. Its posted forms are:
- Land Disturbance application, which also asks whether a building permit is being applied for and the size of the structure
- Workers’ Compensation Affidavit
- Onsite Wastewater Existing System affidavit, for owners using the state exemption when work will not increase the flow to an existing septic system
- Floodplain Application and Watershed Application
The land disturbance form asks whether the property is inside Franklin’s city limits, so check the parcel first. A consultative visit from an inspector costs $80.
Macon County permit fees
Macon County’s Building Inspections Fee Schedule, approved by the County Commissioners on February 9, 2016, charges new buildings by square footage, with building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical shown separately and as a total.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Square footage | Fees |
|---|---|
| 0–499 sq ft | Building $105; each trade $65; total $300 |
| 1,000–1,499 sq ft | Building $230; each trade $135; total $635 |
| 1,500–1,999 sq ft | Building $290; each trade $155; total $755 |
| 2,000–2,499 sq ft | Building $330; each trade $185; total $885 |
| 2,500–2,999 sq ft | Building $385; each trade $210; total $1,015 |
| 3,000–3,499 sq ft | Building $435; each trade $235; total $1,140 |
| 4,000–4,499 sq ft | Building $550; each trade $290; total $1,420 |
Above 9,999 sq ft, the total square footage is divided by 9,999 and multiplied by the top fee on the chart. Modular homes are charged by square footage, multi-family buildings and motels per unit, and manufacturing warehouses at 50% of the chart.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Mobile home, single / double / triple wide | $125 / $225 / $350, plus $65 for mechanical |
| Deck, 0–39 / 40–250 / over 250 sq ft | $40 / $75 / $100 |
| Above-ground pool | $80 (other pools by square footage) |
| Demolition | $100 |
| RV or park model | $100 |
| Re-inspection | $60 |
| Permit renewal | $100 |
| ABC or daycare inspection | $50 |
Land disturbance is charged separately: $50 for a single-wide, $100 for a double-wide, and for buildings $100 up to 999 sq ft, $150 to 1,499, $200 to 1,999, $300 to 2,499, $450 to 4,999 and $750 above that. So a 2,000 sq ft house pays $885 for the four permits plus $300 for land disturbance. Watershed and floodplain permits are $60 minimum, and $60 per acre for subdivisions.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →If the owner or contractor changes on an active permit, the new permit holder pays $100 when at least 75% of the inspections are done; otherwise the fee is based on the inspections remaining, with a $100 minimum.
Trade permits on their own
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical service change, single / three phase | $75 / $100 |
| Pump, fence or gate circuit, single / three phase | $60 / $100 |
| Generator | $150 |
| Water heater (and electrical / gas piping) | $65 (electrical $75, gas piping $50) |
| HVAC change-out or add-on | $80 |
| New HVAC system | Mechanical chart fee by square footage, plus $65 electrical |
| Gas piping, outside line / inside per outlet | $60 / $50 |
| Sign, electrical / footings | $60 / $60 |
Land disturbance and septic
Erosion control plans are required once 21,780 sq ft (half an acre) is disturbed, and plans are also needed where grading involves a slope steeper than 1:1. The County’s land disturbance form sets these minimum measures:
- Ground cover replanted within 21 calendar days of finishing any phase of grading
- Silt fence on steel posts 6 feet apart, trenched 8 inches, or berms and diversions
- A gravel construction entrance of 3-inch stone, 50 feet long and 10 feet wide
- Cut slopes no steeper than 1.5:1 and fill slopes 2:1
- Road grades no steeper than 16% paved, 10% gravel and 6% grass
- A 25-foot buffer on a North Carolina trout stream, and a separate state permit for any stream crossing
Rather not deal with the Macon County building department?
Get a free quote →Unless the building will be on sewer, a new house, or an addition that adds bedrooms, needs an improvements permit from Macon County Environmental Health.
How to get a building permit in Macon County
In Highlands, get the Town’s Zoning Certificate first; in Franklin, check with the Town Planner.
Apply to Environmental Health at 1830 Lakeside Drive, or use the existing-system affidavit where it applies.
File the land disturbance application, with an erosion control plan if half an acre or more is disturbed.
Use GovWell or the office at 1834 Lakeside Drive, with plans and the workers’ compensation affidavit.
The square-footage chart sets the building and three trade fees together.
Arrange each stage with Building Inspections (828-349-2072); re-inspections cost $60.
Inspections in Macon County
Building Inspections inspects construction in progress and issues the Certificate of Occupancy at the end. Each re-inspection costs $60. When the owner or contractor on a permit changes, the department and the contractor or homeowner agree how many inspections the building needs for its Certificate of Occupancy, which sets the transfer fee.
In Highlands, the Town and Macon County both inspect: the general contractor and subcontractors call for inspections as work goes on, the Town and County permits must be posted near the site entrance, and inspectors ask for at least 24 hours’ notice. The Town may inspect erosion control before grading and requires a footer inspection for new buildings and additions.
Local Macon County details
Highlands watershed rules: most land in Highlands is in a watershed overlay, where a Watershed Protection Permit goes with the Zoning Certificate, built-upon area is limited on smaller lots, and a vegetated buffer of 30 or 50 feet is required along mapped streams and lakes.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Electric providers: the County lists Duke Energy, Town of Highlands Electric, Haywood EMC and Blue Ridge Electric as serving parts of the county.
Cell towers: a new tower needs a $1,000 Planning Department application and a $500 building permit; a co-location or upgrade is $500 and $50.
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
Macon County permit search and official resources
- Macon County Planning, Permitting & Development
- Macon County GovWell portal
- Macon County permit search
- Macon County fee schedule
- Land Disturbance application
- Onsite Wastewater Existing System affidavit
- Town of Highlands zoning certificates and building permits
- Town of Franklin Planning
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Macon County permit FAQ
How much is a building permit for a new house in Macon County?
It depends on the square footage band. A 2,000–2,499 sq ft house is $885 for building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical together, plus $300 for land disturbance.
Who issues building permits in Highlands?
Macon County, for the part of town in Macon County, after the Town of Highlands issues its Zoning Certificate and Watershed Protection Permit. The eastern edge of town is in Jackson County.
Do I need a permit for a deck?
Yes. Decks are $40 up to 39 sq ft, $75 up to 250 sq ft and $100 above that; a 3 ft by 3 ft landing at the top of exterior stairs is fee-exempt.
When do I need an erosion control plan?
When half an acre (21,780 sq ft) or more is disturbed, or the grading involves slopes steeper than 1:1.
Are repair permits after storms free?
Yes. The fee schedule charges nothing for permits needed to repair damage from a natural disaster.
What is the Macon County building inspections phone number?
Code Enforcement is 828-349-2072 and Planning is 828-349-2073.
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More North Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Macon County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.