Fees, valuation & enforcement
Permit fees are a project input. Enforcement exposure is a project risk. Use the official schedule where available, then confirm valuation, trade permits, plan review, and inspection charges with the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Official fee pathway
The final charge may depend on declared construction value, occupancy classification, square footage, plan review, state surcharges, trade permits, technology fees, and inspection activity. Do not use a neighboring city’s fee table as a substitute for this jurisdiction.
Fee desk contact
336-727-2624
Ask the counter to confirm current charges before submitting a project with multiple trades or a change of use.
Financial exposure
Plan for building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, energy, zoning, septic, right-of-way, or other reviews that the project scope triggers. The lowest initial permit fee is not always the lowest project cost.
Enforcement exposure
When work begins without authorization, the agency may halt the site, require corrective plans, impose additional fees, withhold inspection release, or require concealed work to be exposed for review.
Closeout exposure
A missing final inspection or certificate can complicate occupancy, refinancing, sale, insurance, and utility connection. Preserve the approved plans and signed inspection record through closeout.
Professional field note
Even when a cosmetic or minor project does not require a building permit, zoning, floodplain, shoreline, historic, utility, fire, or right-of-way controls may still apply. Confirm the full jurisdictional picture before work starts.
Source trail
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
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division, Planning & Development Services is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 336-727-2624.
N/A; no standard building-permit review timeline is published. Permit applications and plans are submitted electronically, while the inspection office handles status, fees, and scheduling through the applicable portal and customer-service channels.
Use BuildIT for trade-permit inspections and inspection status; general contractors may schedule inspections but must purchase building permits through the office. Contact the Inspections Division at 336-727-2624 or askinspect@cityofws.org. The current fee schedule applies extra-trip charges after a failed inspection, and the permit card, approved plans, and visible job-site address must be maintained for inspections.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Inspections Division permits and inspects building, electrical, plumbing, and heating construction within the City of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, excluding the Town of Kernersville. It enforces the North Carolina State Building Code and local Unified Development Ordinances; the Division identifies a local amendment to 2018 International Plumbing Code sections 202, 604.3, 1304, and Appendix E effective January 1, 2024. N/A for a consolidated minor or cosmetic building-permit exemption list. The Division states that roofs or re-roofing, house wrap, sheathing, and temporary construction power poles may not require separate inspections, but those inspection policies are not a blanket exemption from an otherwise-required permit. Farm-use and owner-builder questions should be confirmed with the Permit Office before work begins.
Why permit costs vary
Building departments commonly calculate charges from valuation, occupancy, floor area, project type, plan review effort, trade scope, state surcharges, and inspection activity. A remodel that appears small on paper may still trigger structural, energy, fire, or utility review. Ask the permit counter which disciplines apply before you finalize the construction budget.
The same discipline applies to enforcement. Correcting unpermitted work after finishes are installed can require demolition, revised plans, additional inspections, and schedule disruption. Authorization is usually the less expensive project-management decision.