Raleigh Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The City of Raleigh Planning and Development Department handles permitting and inspections for development projects inside Raleigh city limits. Wake County uses a separate permit portal and local jurisdictions may administer their own zoning rules, so confirm the property’s city or county jurisdiction before applying.

Raleigh building permits and plan review

Raleigh’s official residential guidance covers single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses, accessory dwelling units, additions, decks, porches, and accessory structures. The city also publishes non-residential permit forms and project-specific submittal instructions. Before work starts, assemble the site address, scope, plans, contractor information, valuation, and any zoning or site-review materials required for the project type.

Many permit, plan, and license applications can be submitted through the Raleigh Permit and Development Portal. Registered users can monitor project workflow, upload documents, pay fees, and respond to review comments. The city states that work may begin only after the official permit is issued and all required holds and administrative conditions are cleared.

Raleigh inspections and certificate of occupancy

Inspections are scheduled through the Permit and Development Portal for eligible projects. Raleigh’s commercial inspection guidance says the inspected work should be complete and ready, approved stamped plans should be available at the site, and site contacts and relevant third-party reports should be provided when needed. Building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire inspections may all apply.

The city issues a Certificate of Occupancy when a building has passed required inspections and is ready for use. A new building cannot be legally occupied until its CO is issued. Raleigh also provides partial or temporary CO procedures for qualifying commercial projects and says the permit portal can be used to view CO and Certificate of Completion records.

Raleigh zoning and development records

Raleigh’s Planning and Development Department administers the Unified Development Ordinance and zoning services. Use the city’s development records page and permit portal to look up permit information, certificates of occupancy, inspection information, zoning violations, and other land-development records. Zoning, site-plan review, stormwater, utilities, historic preservation, and fire approvals may create separate review steps depending on the property and project.

Official Raleigh contact information

The Planning and Development Customer Service Center lists One Exchange Plaza, Suite 400, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601 and a permit and inspections helpline of (919) 996-2500. Use the official portal for applications, payments, inspection scheduling, and project status; use the city records page for public permit and occupancy information.