Do I need an Permit?

• Any building or structure that is 12' in length, width, and height or greater is required by code to have a permit
• Any structure in the county that does not have city water or sewer will be required to have an environmental permit and get an approval before a building permit is applied for.  Their direct number to Environmental Health is 336-401-8325
• Any renovation of a house is required to have a permit.
• Any construction work that total amount (building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing) is $40,000 or more is required to have General Contractor.
• Any remodels of residential homes that are for "lease, sell, or rent" must have a General Contractor and licensed trade contractors on the permit.
• Kitchen and bathroom remodels should be permitted.
• All decks (new or replaced) and pools require a permit.
• All water heaters change-outs, electrical service work, or heating and air conditioning change-outs are required to have permits.
• Any restaurants or food type businesses must get approval from Surry County Food and Lodging Department before a building permit can be released.
• When filling out the permit for your project, make sure you fill out the form completely. Also make sure you put your email address on the form, because our inspection software can send your inspection results to your email.
• Farm exempt structures, must go through Surry County Development Services Department.  Farm exempt forms can be completed in the Development Services Department.

Surry County follows the current codes of the North Carolina Residential code.

• If you are the owner of your home (not a renter), you can be your own contractor and do your own We can only tell you the codes. Inspectors cannot design or tell you how to do the work. We can only tell you if it will meet code or not. The homeowner being their own GC will have to be present at all inspections.
• You will need to make sure you have property signage at the road to direct the inspectors to the project. This needs to be the address to the property, contractors' sign and/or name of the jobsite.
• Make sure you have a port-a-jon and jobsite box on site with the plans of the project in the Make sure you have footing and foundation plans on site along with house plans and truss drawings.
• Make sure you call to schedule your inspections when you are done with the work and are ready for an
• Try to call all roughs or finals in (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and framing) at the same We are multi-trade inspectors, and we can do all of those inspections at the same time.
• When it comes to remodeling/renovating homes, they are required to have a
• Any work that the total cost (building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical) is $40,000 or more, is required to have a General Contractor on the
• Kitchen and bathroom remodels are required to be This is to protect the homeowner.
• Any home remodel that is going to be for "rent, sell, or lease" must have a General Contractor and licensed trade contractors on the The Owner or agent is not allowed to act as the General Contractor on this type of project.
• Homeowners need to understand any work in your home that is not permitted, can affect your insurance company's decision on a claim if something ever This can also affect the resell of your home.
• We get a lot of questions about tiny homes I strongly urge those that are looking to do that, to go to the North Carolina Department of Insurance's website for the regulations on those.