Administrative overview · FIPS 37063
Durham County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Durham City-County Building & Safety Department
For a project in or near Durham County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
919-560-4144; inspection scheduling IVR 919-560-1500
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Ground Floor, City Hall, 101 City Hall Plaza, Durham, NC 27701; Durham County administrative address 200 East Main Street, Durham, NC 27701
Operating hours
Department Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; customer-service lobby and public computers for online scheduling Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Review expectation
N/A; Durham publishes a Small Project Review process but no single standard review timeline. Small-project applications are electronically submitted through DPlans, while inspection scheduling is handled through LDO.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Durham County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Durham City-County Building & Safety Department is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 919-560-4144; inspection scheduling IVR 919-560-1500.
How long might review take?
N/A; Durham publishes a Small Project Review process but no single standard review timeline. Small-project applications are electronically submitted through DPlans, while inspection scheduling is handled through LDO.
How are inspections scheduled?
The permit applicant must use the LDO portal with login credentials to schedule building, electrical, plumbing, or standard mechanical inspections. The department also provides an IVR phone number, 919-560-1500, and public computers in the lobby. Applicants must keep the permit and plans available, request inspections when work is ready, and obtain a Certificate of Compliance/occupancy after required inspections and corrections.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
The joint City-County Building & Safety Department provides permit, plan-review, and inspection services for Durham County and the City of Durham, enforcing the North Carolina State Building Code and the zoning ordinances of both jurisdictions. It reviews building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire permits and uses the current Durham City-County Unified Development Ordinance for local development requirements. A building permit is required for accessory structures such as storage buildings, detached carports, garages, pool houses, and pools. Within Durham City or County limits, fences and non-retaining walls generally do not require a permit unless the property is in a designated floodplain; retaining walls do require one. Small-project review covers renovations, additions, decks, porches, repairs, pools/spas/hot tubs, photovoltaic arrays on one- and two-family homes, mobile-home installations, and house/duplex/townhome demolitions, so applicants should confirm the applicable permit type before work begins.