Charlotte building department

In Charlotte, building permits and zoning approvals come from two governments. Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement issues building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits, does those inspections, and issues certificates of occupancy for the whole county, Charlotte included. The City of Charlotte handles the land-development side inside city limits. That means residential lot reviews (LDIRL), zoning use permits, commercial site plan review, zoning inspections, and enforcing the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Most home projects need both a city approval and a county permit. This page covers the city side. Properties in Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill, or Pineville use their own town’s zoning office instead.

Which city review applies

City review	Projects
LDIRL (with county permit)	Single-family homes, duplexes and duets, triplexes, quadraplexes, manufactured homes, ADUs, garages (with or without an ADU), detached accessory structures over 12 feet in any dimension, additions, pools, retaining walls, decks, detached solar panels, docks and piers
Zoning use permit (with county permit)	Signs, temporary construction trailers, tents
Zoning use permit (after other approvals)	Detached accessory structures 12 feet or smaller in every dimension, home-based businesses, family childcare homes, group homes, mobile food vendors, produce stands, seasonal and temporary outdoor sales, ABC inspections, and zoning verification letters

The LDIRL is required in addition to the county building permit, not instead of it. All of these applications are filed in the city’s Accela Citizen Access portal. The same portal handles fee payment, revisions, and plan comments through the city’s Digital Plan Room.

How LDIRL review works

Since the UDO took effect June 1, 2023, residential lot projects must meet city drainage, urban forestry, and zoning rules. Up to three city teams review an LDIRL application at the same time:

• Urban Forestry checks street trees (on 40-foot spacing), right-of-way trees, tree save areas, and heritage trees.
• Stormwater checks drainage changes, storm easements, driveway conflicts with catch basins, and flood exposure.
• Zoning checks use, setbacks, lot coverage, and other UDO standards.

Erosion control also reviews sites disturbing 1 acre or more. Gateway (acceptance) takes 3 business days. Review takes 7 business days, with 7 more for each resubmittal. You can file before or alongside the county’s residential plan review. Once the city approves, staff release the engineering, urban forestry, and historic district holds on the county permit.

Zoning use permits take 3 business days at gateway and 10 business days for review, with 10 more for any resubmittal.

Order of approvals for new homes

The city’s submittal requirements set the order:

• Infill lot, single-family: the lot must be on a recorded plat, then city LDIRL, then county building permit review.
• Lot in an approved preliminary subdivision: construction plan (LDCP) approval and final plat recording come before the LDIRL and county review.
• Additions and accessory structures on an individual lot: city LDIRL, then county review.
• Triplex or quadraplex in a subdivision or multi-dwelling development: a City of Charlotte Zoning Review (CLTZR) application replaces the LDIRL.

The UDO doesn’t use the term “townhome.” It sorts these buildings as single-family through quadraplex dwellings.

FY2027 city fees

These fees apply to projects that pass gateway from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. They’re billed after gateway. County permit fees are separate.

Fee	Amount
Residential zoning (LDIRL)	$155
Stormwater review: new home, ADU, duplex through quadraplex	$455
Stormwater review: addition, deck, pool, retaining wall, shed	$55
Urban forestry: Tier 1 / Tier 2 / Tier 3	$180 / $350 / $405
Inspection fee, single-family and duplex	$365
Commercial zoning, triplex and quadraplex	$1,435
Zoning use permit, accessory structure 12 ft or smaller (Tier 1)	$205
Zoning use permit, home business, tent, seasonal sales (Tier 2)	$225
Zoning use permit, signs, childcare, construction trailer (Tier 3)	$240
Zoning verification letter, Tier 1 / Tier 2	$280 / $420

Urban Forestry Tier 3 applies to new homes. Tiers 1 and 2 cover other projects, such as garages, without or with protected trees on the lot.

Accessory structures and ADUs

Applicants for an accessory structure must sign a declaration saying whether it is or is not an ADU. Declaring “is not” means it won’t be lived in, short- or long-term. The UDO rules on that form:

• One ADU per lot, allowed with a single-family home in any district, or with a duplex whose units aren’t on sublots.
• Same owner for the ADU and the main house.
• No separate driveway, except on corner lots, through lots, or alley lots.
• Size: an ADU in an accessory structure can’t exceed 50% of the main dwelling’s floor area, or 1,000 heated square feet.
• Setbacks: accessory structures in a side or rear setback must be at least 3 feet from the lot line. Those 24 feet or taller, or taller than the house, need 15 feet from the rear line and the full side setback.
• Total size: all accessory structures except ADUs can’t exceed the heated first-floor area of the house. Pools and other structures open to the sky don’t count.

See also ADU permits.

Commercial projects and city holds

You can apply for city site plan approval and county building permits at the same time. The county can’t issue the building permit until the city approves the commercial site plan and releases its holds. To request a hold release, call CLT Development Center Customer Service at 704-336-6692 with the six-digit Mecklenburg County project number or the county Accela record ID.

The Charlotte Fire Department must inspect new buildings, additions, renovations, upfits, and changes of use before a certificate of occupancy. Request it at 704-336-2101. Variances and appeals go to the UDO Board of Adjustment through Planning, Design & Development (704-336-3818). Residential zoning permitting questions go to 704-336-7600.