Asheville building department

The City of Asheville Development Services Department (DSD) issues building, trade, zoning, grading, and site permits for property inside Asheville’s permitting jurisdiction. It also runs plan review and building inspections there. Its Permit Application Center (PAC) at 161 S. Charlotte St. is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Applications and payments received after 4:30 p.m. are processed the next business day. A Buncombe County mailing address does not mean the city is your permit office. DSD asks applicants to confirm the parcel is in the city’s jurisdiction on the Simplicity property map before applying. Unincorporated Buncombe County and the towns it serves use Buncombe County Permits and Inspections instead.

When a residential permit is required

DSD’s Guide to Residential Permits says a permit is not required for construction, alterations, repairs, or replacements costing $15,000 or less in a single-family home, unless the work involves:

• Adding, repairing, or replacing load-bearing structures
• Adding plumbing (other than same-size replacements) or changing its design
• Adding, replacing, or redesigning heating, air conditioning, or electrical wiring, devices, or equipment
• Adding roofing (other than replacement with a like grade of fire resistance)

If any of those apply, each trade needs its own permit, whether you do the work yourself or hire contractors. The city’s deck brochure says a deck needs both a building and a zoning permit. DSD’s online intake form covers new homes, additions and alterations, decks, repair/replace work, and solar. Trade permits and re-roof permits go through Accela Citizen Access, which requires an account.

Deck rules from the city brochure

DSD’s deck brochure (revision 02/2020) lists the points inspectors check:

• Footings: at least 12 inches below grade (the frost line); the city recommends 18 inches. Footings are inspected before concrete is placed.
• Guards: decks more than 30 inches above grade need guards at least 36 inches high, with openings of 4 inches or less.
• Stairs: risers no taller than 8¼ inches and treads at least 11 inches deep. A handrail is required on stairs with four or more risers.
• Bracing: attached decks more than 4 feet above grade, and freestanding decks over 30 inches, need lateral bracing.
• Engineered decks: decks with posts over 20 feet, two-story decks, and decks carrying hot tubs must be sealed by an NC engineer or architect.
• Electrical: a new deck reachable from inside the house needs an electrical outlet.
• Inspections: footing, then framing and final.

Zoning setbacks for decks and sheds come from DSD’s Single-Family Residential Setback Guide. See also deck permits.

Homeowners doing their own work

The guide lets a homeowner do their own plumbing or mechanical work without a license. They must pull the permit, pass inspection, and occupy the house for 12 months after the job is finished. Homeowner electrical work has the same conditions, plus an electrical exam given by the city. The fee manual sets the Electrical Homeowners Exam at $75. A homeowner can also act as general contractor on their own home if they or immediate family occupy it for at least 12 months after completion and do not rent, lease, or sell it during that time.

Applying and plan review

You can file a residential package online through the Development Portal or in person at the PAC. A complete package includes:

• Residential application and checklist
• Scaled building plans and a site plan in PDF
• Lien agent designation
• Water service application
• Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) sewer application

Planning & Zoning, Building Safety, and Site Engineering each review the plans. Status shows in Accela Citizen Access. State law does not require building plan review for single-family dwellings, so DSD lets you waive it for interior renovations, re-roofs, work by a licensed general contractor, or sealed plans. You must still submit complete plans for the record.

Asheville enforces the North Carolina State Building Code, which is adopted statewide by the NC Building Code Council. The city says residential plans submitted on or after January 1, 2019 must follow the 2018 North Carolina Residential Code. The NC Office of State Fire Marshal lists the 2018 codes as currently effective.

Fee highlights

These come from the city’s current Fees and Charges Manual.

Item	Fee
Single-family plan review, new construction	$125 ($25 if waived)
Accessory structure, deck, carport, garage, roofed porch under 500 sq ft	$75
Same, over 500 sq ft	$150 plus $0.30 per sq ft over 500
New single-family home under 1,500 sq ft	$475 (plus $0.30 per sq ft over 1,500)
Renovation/remodel	$325
Re-roof	$75
Residential trade permit	$75
Residential demolition	$75
Reinspection (after the second inspection)	$100 per trade
Homeowner Recovery Fund	$10 per building permit

Commercial building and trade permits are charged per trade on a valuation table. That value is either the total construction cost or the ICC Building Valuation Data figure, whichever is greater.

Inspections

Building Safety inspects Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. To schedule:

• Online: through Accela Citizen Access by 6:00 p.m. for next-day service
• By phone: call (828) 259-5946 by 4:30 p.m. for next-day service

Building and trade inspections are next business day. Driveways, public sidewalks, and grading/erosion/stormwater work take two business days. Zoning and landscaping take three. Contractors can ask for a video “remote inspection” for some items, such as sewer and water trenches up to 100 feet, shower pans, non-gas HVAC change-outs, and rooftop residential solar wiring. Life-safety items, gas lines, and most electrical work are not eligible.

Helene recovery permits

DSD has a separate intake for Tropical Storm Helene repair permits. It also runs a Floodplain Assistance Support Team (FAST) for owners deciding what can be rebuilt in the floodplain.