Build a New One or Two-Family Dwelling

To build a new single-family or two-family home you will need to submit:

  1. An application using the
  2. A site plan meeting all the specifications listed below in Site Plan Requirements.
  3. Building plans meeting all the specifications listed below in Building Plan Requirements.
  4. A certificate of workers' compensation insurance or a completed affidavit of workers compensation exemption form for contractors.
  5. A notarized affidavit owner contractor form for projects costing $40,000 or more and where an owner is listed as the general contractor.
  6. An Appointment of Lien Agent where the project cost is $40,000 or more. Website:
All Permit & Inspection forms are available on our Forms Page

Note: If the property will be served by an onsite wastewater system (septic) and/or a well, separate permits will be required.

Further information regarding requirements may be obtained from Health & Human Services 鈥 Onsite Water Protection:

A land disturbance permit is required for any lot within a subdivision (even if the land disturbance is less than 1 acre) and for any lot with a disturbance over 1 acre outside of a subdivision. Apply through the Permit Portal for Land Disturbance 鈥 Individual Lot(s). For more information about erosion control visit Environmental Services.

Your permit may also require a review by watershed management if there are flood hazard areas or if your proposed impervious area exceeds the allowable limit. These reviews are $50 each and will be invoiced through the Permit Portal.

Environmental Services
Watershed Management: 919-856-7436 or watershedmanagement@wake.gov

Building and Site Plan Specifications

Site Plan Requirements:

A preliminary site plan is required before permits are issued. A final (as-built) site plan may be required prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy. A good resource for a site plan is a survey issued for a recent mortgage or refinance closing. Watch for more information.

A site plan includes the entire lot, drawn to scale, with the following:

  • Lot lines with dimensions and road frontage shown.
  • All existing and proposed buildings and structures with overall dimensions. For proposed buildings and structures, the distance measured from the nearest fixed reference points (such as property lines, lot corners, existing buildings/structures, etc.) must be clearly shown.
  • Existing and proposed driveways, parking spaces, patios, pool decking, and walkways with width and surface material identified.
  • Where known, existing or proposed well, septic tank and drain field location(s) or sewer and water easements and proposed connection location(s).
  • When utilizing a Professional Option Permit (EOP, AOWE, SL 2022-11/A2) for wastewater (septic) permitting, site plans must demonstrate the location of all wastewater system components including tanks and treatment systems, distribution devices, supply lines, primary and repair drain lines, etc. The wastewater system information must be provided by the appropriate design professional.
  • All water features including ditches, easements, buffers, and flood hazard areas (FEMA or flood-prone soils).
  • The location, type, and relevant dimensions and capacities of stormwater management structures, associated easements, and other devices.
  • All existing and proposed impervious surfaces clearly itemized and listed in square feet and as a percentage of the net lot size. This can be shown on the site plan or on an attached impervious calculation worksheet.
  • Parcel identification number (PIN), property address, north arrow, scale of the site plan, bar scale, and date map prepared (with any revision dates).
  • If parcel is less than 5 acres, acceptable scales are 1" = 20', 30', 40', 50', 60', or 100' on paper no larger than 11" 脳 17".
  • For parcels of 5 acres or more, acceptable scales are 1鈥 = 100鈥, 200鈥, 300鈥, 400鈥 or 500鈥 (in addition to the smaller scales above). Larger paper or smaller scales must include an inset or separate sheet showing proposed construction at 1鈥 = 20鈥, 30鈥, 40鈥, 50鈥, 60鈥, or 100鈥.
  • As-built surveys must be labeled as such, completed by a professional land surveyor, and include all the above. The date of the as-built must be on or after the initial building final.
     

Note: These are minimum requirements. Special circumstances or small lots may necessitate further requirements.

Building Plan Requirements

Minimum requirements for residential building plans submitted to 小黄鸭视频 County Plan Review. All plans are required to be designed to meet the 2018 North Carolina Residential Code.

This is a minimum plan review checklist, additional information may be added by the applicant or requested in the field to determine compliance (e.g., I-joists hole cutting chart/booklet). Permit holders remain responsible for meeting all code requirements regardless if a review item or not. This minimum review checklist is intended to help prevent any major non-compliance issues from being built in the field which typically results in significant cost and delays on a project.

All plans submitted for permitting are required to match site plan layouts exactly, including I-Joist, floor and roof truss layouts.

General

  • Name of designer, engineer, or architect with address and phone number
  • If plans are stamped by a North Carolina architect or engineer, their seals are required to be signed and dated.
  • Indicate heated square footage, garage square footage, unheated square footage, deck/porch square footage.
  • Number of bedrooms on the plans are required to match permit application and septic system.
  • All options being used need to be clearly marked. Please eliminate or mark out options not being used.
  • Drawings to scale (minimum 1/8")
  • Minimum plan size: Minimum 11x17; small structures 8.5" x 11", if legible
  • Energy code requirements. Insulation, floors, walls and ceilings
     

Elevations / Floor Plans

  • Front, sides and rear elevations
  • Building height, mean roof height and story height
  • Roof pitches
  • Glazing U-Factor
  • Rooms labeled as to their intended use. Please do not use bonus, flex or office.
  • Mark all unheated / unfinished areas.
  • Room, hallway and stair dimensions
  • Window and door sizes and locations
  • Label and show all fireplaces, prefab or masonry.
     

Foundation / Floor Framing

  • Wall footing width and depth, reinforcement, if required
  • Foundation wall type, size and reinforcement, if required
  • Pier footing size width and depth, reinforcement, if required
  • Pier sizes and solid cap
  • Slab footings and layouts for mono-slabs
  • Slab thickness and details, reinforcement, if required
  • Anchor bolt details
  • Crawl space ventilation calculations or closed crawl space marked on plans
  • Crawl space access size
  • Girder size, number of members, species, grade and spans
  • Floor joist direction, size, on-center spacing, species, grade and spans
  • If using I-Joist, plans or layout will need to list manufacturer, series, size and on-center spacing. I-Joist design is required to be approved by architect or engineer of plans.
  • If using open web floor trusses, layout from manufacturer required.
  • Openings in floors, headers and trimmers marked
  • Floor sheathing type and thickness
     

Wall & General Framing

  • Wall stud size, on-center spacing, species and grade
  • Wall header size, number of members, species, grade and spans
  • Number of jack and king studs for each opening
  • Beam type or species/grade, size, number of members and span
  • Stud column size, number of members, species and grade for beams and point loads
  • Wall sheathing type and thickness
  • Wall bracing method used
  • Portal/narrow wall bracing detail, if required
  • Point loads marked with load path and blocking requirements
  • If brick veneer used, list lintel requirements.
     

Roof Framing

  • Roof rafter plan or layout from manufacturer if using engineered roof trusses
  • Roof rafter direction, size, on-center spacing, species, grade and spans
  • Roof tie down method and continuous load path
  • Collar ties and rafter ties size and spacing
  • Ridge board, hip and valley sizes
  • Ceiling joist direction, size, on-center spacing, species, grade and spans
  • Openings in ceilings or roof, headers and trimmers marked
  • Roof sheathing type and thickness
  • Roof vent calculations or marked as unvented
  • Attic access size and location
     

Decks and Porches

  • Dimensions 鈥 outside dimensions, spans between supports posts and footings
  • Footing sizes 鈥 width, depth and locations
  • Posts size
  • Girder sizes, number of members and spans between supports
  • Floor joist direction, size, on-center spacing and spans
  • Bracing details for free standing decks and decks attached to structures with a floor height 4鈥 or taller
  • Deck to house band attachment details
  • Header size, number of members and spans between posts
  • Ceiling joist direction, size, on-center spacing and spans
  • Roof rafter direction, size, on-center spacing and spans
  • Ridge size
     

Note: All structural information must comply with North Carolina Residential Building Code, current edition. Structural elements not found in North Carolina Residential Code must be sealed by a professional engineer or architect registered in the State of North Carolina or comply with other professionally recognized evaluation services, such as NES.