Northampton County’s Department of Codes and Building Safety, at 9495 NC Highway 305 in Jackson (252-534-5171), issues building permits and inspects construction in the county. Plans are reviewed before the permit is issued, which the County says takes about 5 days, and electrical, plumbing and mechanical work each need their own permit.
What needs a permit in Northampton County?
The County’s own “Do I Need a Permit?” sheet and its FAQ set out the local answers:
Permit needed
- Structural repairs and additions
- Decks, porches, gazebos and retaining walls
- Replacing whole wall or roof sections, studs or rafters
- Re-roofing that changes the roof’s fire rating
- Non-structural work on a single-family home costing more than $40,000 (the County’s older sheet still shows $15,000; state law, G.S. 160D-1110(c), now sets $40,000)
- Storage buildings more than 12 feet in any dimension
- Demolition
- All electrical work
- New HVAC equipment or ductwork, with load calculations
- New plumbing on fixed piping, such as venting an unvented fixture or adding a water heater
No building permit
- Fences, which still need a zoning permit
- Like-for-like plumbing repairs: a water heater of the same capacity and BTU rating, faucets, drains, traps and toilet seals
- Bona fide farm buildings, which are exempt from the zoning and building permits only; their electrical, HVAC and other trade permits are still required
A zoning permit is also needed whenever you add a building or a home, enlarge a structure’s footprint or change how a property is used.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who handles permitting in Northampton County?
Building permits, inspections and code enforcement are run by the County’s Department of Codes and Building Safety, which shares its Jackson office with Planning & Zoning under one Code Enforcement/Zoning Director. Its inspectors enforce the North Carolina building codes; the County has no building code of its own. Septic permits come from the Northampton County Health Department.
| Area | What the official sources say |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated county | County Codes and Building Safety for building and trade permits; County Planning & Zoning for zoning permits |
| Rich Square | The Town issues its own zoning permits, and its application states the certificate of occupancy comes from the Northampton County Inspections Department. Town Hall: (252) 539-2315. |
| Woodland | The Town’s zoning ordinance requires a zoning permit from its Administrator (the form is at Town Hall) and names the Northampton County Building Inspector as an inspector of manufactured home parks; it does not say who issues building permits for other work. Town Hall: 252-587-7161. |
| Conway, Garysburg, Gaston, Jackson, Lasker, Seaboard and Severn | Neither the County nor the towns publish who issues building permits inside these town limits; ask the town hall or the County office before applying. |
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Office | 9495 NC Highway 305 (PO Box 97), Jackson, NC 27845 |
| Building Code Enforcement | 252-534-5171; fax 252-534-1538 |
| Building Permit Technician | ext. 7101 |
| Fire Inspector | ext. 7104 |
| Code Enforcement/Zoning Director | Jason McAllister, ext. 7106 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Health Department (septic) | 252-534-5841 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Applying and paying
The County uses a Citizenserve online portal for permitting, and Planning & Zoning takes zoning permit applications there too. Each trade – electrical, plumbing, mechanical – applies for and holds its own permit, separate from the building permit.
Fees can be paid at the office by Visa, Mastercard or Discover, but card payments are not taken by phone, by mail or online.
A homeowner may act as the contractor on their own primary residence by signing the Owner Exemption Affidavit. It commits the owner to supervise the work, be present for every required inspection unless an architect sealed the plans, and live in the building for 12 months after completion without renting or selling it. Work on rental houses and other homes the owner does not live in must be done by licensed North Carolina contractors, with a copy of the contract or scope of work on file; an owner cannot do the electrical work on a rental.
Building permit checklists
The County publishes a checklist for a site-built (stick-built) house and one for a modular home. Both cover only the building permit:
- Plans already reviewed for compliance by the office: submit two sets, one comes back approved and must be kept on site
- Zoning permit
- Health Department permit
- Lien agent report
- Proof of workers’ compensation insurance
- The contract or scope of work
- For a modular home, a surety bond if the builder is not a licensed North Carolina general contractor
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →A homeowner may draw the plans for their own house or use a draftsperson; an engineer or architect is not required. The County’s FAQ puts Northampton County in the 115 mph wind zone.
For the zoning permit itself, bring the application, a site plan drawn to scale, the recorded survey for lots under 2 acres, a copy of the deed, and notarized permission from the owner if you do not own the land.
Steps to a Northampton County building permit
Inside Rich Square or Woodland, get the town’s zoning permit; in the other towns, ask the town hall first. In the county, Planning & Zoning issues the zoning permit.
The checklist needs the Northampton County Health Department’s permit for the site, so apply there early.
Hand in two sets with the application and allow about 5 days for the compliance review.
Add the lien agent report, workers’ compensation proof and contract, or the Owner Exemption Affidavit.
Pay at the Jackson office; cards are accepted there only.
The electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors each apply for and obtain their own permits; the building checklist covers the building permit only.
Rather not deal with the Northampton County building department?
Get a free quote →Order of inspections
For a site-built house the County’s inspection sequence runs: temporary pole service, with a portable toilet and job box on site and the job clearly marked; footing before concrete; foundation projection before backfill; foundation (or slab before the pour); trade rough-ins with gas, drain-waste-vent and waterline tests; pre-siding flashing and weather barrier; framing; insulation; the trade finals; and the building final with decks, steps and grading.
A modular home adds a marriage-wall inspection and a modular pre-final in place of the framing stages. In both cases the termite treatment certificate must be in the permit file before the certificate of occupancy is released, and the E-911 address must be posted; the County asks for it to go up when work starts so inspectors can find the site.
Local Northampton County details
Zoning permit life: a zoning permit on its own lasts six months. Bought together with a building permit, it lasts as long as the building permit, up to three years, and lapses if the building permit does.
Other offices: the County lists Public Works (252-534-6341) for water and sewer and the Tax Department (252-534-4461) among the offices to contact before building or moving a mobile home.
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 →Northampton County permit search and official resources
- Northampton County Building Inspections
- Northampton County Planning & Zoning
- Building Inspections Department FAQs (PDF)
- Do I Need a Permit? (PDF)
- Checklist for Stick Built Permit (PDF)
- Checklist for Modular Home Permit (PDF)
- Order of Inspections for Stick Built Homes (DOC)
- Owner Exemption Affidavit (PDF)
- Town of Rich Square zoning permits
Northampton County permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Northampton County?
The County Department of Codes and Building Safety in Jackson, 252-534-5171. Rich Square’s zoning permit application sends owners to the County Inspections Department for the certificate of occupancy.
How long does plan review take?
The County’s checklists say to allow 5 days, and the plans must be approved before the permit is issued.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Do I need a permit for a shed in Northampton County?
Yes if the storage building is more than 12 feet in any dimension (length, width or height).
Do I need a permit for a fence?
No building permit, but a zoning permit is required.
Do I need a permit for a deck?
Yes, for every deck and porch, and the footing holes must be inspected before concrete is poured.
Can I build my own house?
Yes, on property you will live in, by signing the Owner Exemption Affidavit; you can also draw your own plans. You must be at each inspection and live in the house for 12 months after it is finished.
Can I pay for a permit by card?
Yes, with Visa, Mastercard or Discover at the office only.
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More North Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Northampton County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.