Outside Burnsville, building and trade permits come from Yancey County Building Inspections (202 Medical Campus Drive, Burnsville, 828-682-7833), and the County has no zoning ordinance. Before the permit, get any floodplain or watershed permit from Emergency Management, septic and well approval and a 911 address. Inside town limits, the Town of Burnsville issues zoning and building permits itself.
What requires a permit in Yancey County?
Building Inspections lists the work that needs a County permit:
Residential
- New houses, garages, shops and other new structures
- All additions
- Remodeling that affects structural parts of the building
- Changes to electrical, plumbing and heating or cooling systems, other than normal repairs
- Barns, sheds, detached garages and workshops on the accessory building permit
- Private bridges, on the bridge permit
No building permit
- Small storage buildings no more than 12 ft in any dimension
- Normal repairs to trade systems
Commercial additions, remodeling, changes of use, new structures and trade changes all need permits. In a mapped flood hazard area, every new structure, including barns and sheds, any land disturbance and any remodeling needs a floodplain permit. A pre-built storage building cannot be used as living space without a residential building permit.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who handles permitting in Yancey County?
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 202 Medical Campus Drive, Burnsville, NC 28714 |
| Phone | 828-682-7833 (also for inspections) |
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; permit applicants are asked to come before 9:30 a.m. |
| Building Inspections Director | Jon England |
Other County offices issue the approvals that come before a building permit: Emergency Management (828-682-1085) for floodplain and watershed permits, the Health Department’s Environmental Health section (828-682-6118) for septic and well permits, and the Addressing Department for the 911 address; the Mapping office (828-682-2347) can confirm whether a lot is in town. The Fire Marshal’s office (828-682-1085) handles bridge and culvert requirements.
Burnsville, the county’s only town, runs its own zoning and building permits with a Town building inspector. Applications go to Town Hall, 2 Town Square (PO Box 97), Burnsville, 828-682-2420. New construction in town needs a Certificate of Zoning Compliance before the building permit, and so does a renovation worth 50% or more of the building’s tax value.
County permit forms
Applications are on the Building Inspections page, as fill-in forms or PDFs, or at the office:
- Residential building permit application
- Accessory Building Permit, for barns, sheds, detached garages and workshops, with a lien agent required on jobs over $40,000
- Individual trades or combination permit, covering electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler and fuel gas contractors
- Bridge Building Permit
- Owner Builder Exemption Affidavit and Workers’ Comp Affidavit
- Lien agent information and the State’s memo on tiny homes
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →The County does not post a building permit fee schedule online. Work may not start until the permit is issued and its fees are paid.
Permit fees in the Town of Burnsville
The Town’s Rate and Fee Schedule applies to permits inside Burnsville. The building permit rates below are the ones printed in the Town’s FY 2026–27 budget ordinance, in force from July 1, 2026; the zoning, trade and certificate fees come from the Town’s 2025 schedule:
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| One- or two-family dwelling | $200 up to 1,000 sq ft, then $0.16 per sq ft |
| Unheated area (decks, garages, basements) | $75 up to 1,000 sq ft, then $0.07 per sq ft |
| Residential remodeling | $150 up to 1,000 sq ft, then $0.14 per sq ft |
| Commercial new construction | $375 up to 1,000 sq ft, then $0.18 per sq ft |
| Zoning permit, single-family dwelling | $150 up to 1,200 sq ft, then $0.05 per sq ft (maximum $300) |
| Electrical service up to 200 A / over 200 A | $100 / $150 |
| Mechanical (plumbing, heating, HVAC) | $100 |
| Floodplain development / demolition | $100 each |
| Certificate of Occupancy | $25 |
| Work without a permit, residential / commercial | $300 / $999 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to apply for a Yancey County building permit
Check whether the lot is inside Burnsville’s limits with Burnsville Public Works (828-682-2420) or County Mapping (828-682-2347).
In a mapped flood hazard area or the Yancey Watershed, get the permit from Emergency Management before any work.
Apply to the Health Department for new septic or well permits.
Once septic and well are approved, request the address and post it at the job entrance.
Bring plans, proof of septic approval, the address and any flood or watershed permit to 202 Medical Campus Drive, ideally before 9:30 a.m.
Call 828-682-7833 when each stage is ready.
Inspections in Yancey County
The permit holder or agent calls 828-682-7833 when work is ready. Keep the permit and approved plans, including engineered truss drawings, on site until the Certificate of Occupancy. Temporary service must sit where French Broad EMC or Duke Power approves, and Duke customers need their premises ID number.
Rather not deal with the Yancey County building department?
Get a free quote →The County’s list: footing, under-slab, steel in wall, foundation (before backfill), framing, rough-in trades with plumbing, gas and shower-pan leak tests, insulation (after the permanent roof), fire protection, temporary power before the CO at the inspector’s discretion, and the final. The Certificate of Occupancy follows trade certificates of compliance, the septic installation, well sampling and any zoning approval, plus any special inspections the code requires.
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 →Yancey County permit search and official resources
- Yancey County Building Inspections
- Permitting Process Guidance (PDF)
- Required Inspections (PDF)
- Building Inspections online forms
- Accessory Building Permit (PDF)
- Trades or combination permit application (PDF)
- Owner Builder Exemption Affidavit (PDF)
- Town of Burnsville zoning, permits and inspections
- Town of Burnsville Rate and Fee Schedule (PDF)
Yancey County permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Burnsville?
The Town of Burnsville, through Town Hall (828-682-2420). Outside the town, Yancey County Building Inspections (828-682-7833) issues them.
Does Yancey County have zoning?
No. The County says there is no zoning ordinance in its jurisdiction; only property inside Burnsville’s limits is subject to town zoning.
Does a small shed in Yancey County need a permit?
Not for a small storage building no more than 12 ft in any dimension, unless it is in a flood hazard area, where every new structure needs a floodplain permit.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →What do I need before applying for a County building permit?
Proof of septic approval, a 911 address and any floodplain or watershed permit, plus your building plans.
How much is a building permit in Burnsville?
A house is $200 for the first 1,000 sq ft and $0.16 per sq ft above that, plus a zoning permit from $150.
Simplify Yancey County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in North Carolina. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.
Ready to break ground in Yancey County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Yancey County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More North Carolina permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Yancey County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.